Intersection Awareness

1. Intersection Awareness

2. Intersection Awareness Red Light Running Defensive Driving Intersection Crash Data Pedestrians Bicyclists

3. Intersection Awareness Intersection Fatalities Source: FARS database, crashes classified as either “intersection” or “intersection-related”

4. Intersection Awareness Types of Intersection Crashes Right angle Rear end Left turn

5. Intersection Awareness

6. Intersection Awareness Learn the Rules….. Right turn on red — in most cases, it is legal to make a right turn at an intersection even against a red light. This is not universal, and exceptions are always signed — but note that the exception signs are often tiny things in hard-to-see places. Four-way stop signs — many four-way intersections have stop signs on all sides of the intersection. This sounds like a recipe for deadlock, but the rules for who gives way to whom are pretty easy. In general, you take turns to go through the intersection in the order at which you got to the edge of the intersection. If two or more of you got there at the same time, the ordering is clock-wise (i.e. the driver to your right goes first). This scheme isn't fool-proof (I still don't know what you're supposed to do when four cars get there at exactly the same time...) so keep a tight watch. If you are turning right and the light is red, you are supposed to stop at the intersection before turning, then turn when you're sure there's no other traffic (through traffic, and traffic entering the intersection on green or yellow lights, have right of way). This means a COMPLETE stop! Pedestrians — you must stop for pedestrians who have entered a crosswalk. Pedestrians have the right of way at uncontrolled pedestrian crosswalks (i.e. those without traffic lights), but (and this is somewhat new), pedestrians can not legally just cross whenever they want — they must wait for a safe time to try to cross. In California (as in the rest of the U.S.A.), a pedestrian crosswalk can be either explicit or implicit; quoting from the Department of Motor Vehicle's handbook, "Every intersection where streets meet at right angles has a crosswalk for pedestrians to cross the street. Many pedestrian crosswalks are marked by solid white lines. Some crosswalks, especially in residential areas, are not marked."

7. Intersection Awareness Negotiating the Intersection….. • As you approach an intersection (to a stop): • • Check traffic thoroughly in all directions. • • Decelerate gently. • • Brake smoothly. • If necessary, come to a complete stop • behind any stop signs, signals, sidewalks, • or stop lines maintaining a safe gap behind • any vehicle in front of you. • • Your vehicle must not roll forward or • backward. • When driving through an intersection: • • Check traffic thoroughly in all directions. • Cover the brake. • • Decelerate and yield to any pedestrians • and traffic in the intersection. • • Do not change lanes or shift gears while • proceeding through the intersection. • • Keep your hands on the wheel

8. Intersection Awareness Red Lights • Permissive rule: • Driver can legally enter intersection during entire yellow interval • Violation occurs if driver enters intersection after onset of red • Restrictive rule: • Driver can neither enter nor be in intersection on red • Violation occurs if driver has not cleared intersection after onset of red

9. Intersection Awareness Pedestrian Safety

10. Intersection Awareness Pedestrian Safety When turning left across an intersection, watch for pedestrians…. ….in the DANGER ZONES!!

11. Intersection Awareness Pedestrian Fatality Facts* • According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of pedestrian deaths in the United States in 2009 was 4, 092. • Seventy percent of pedestrians killed in 2007 were males, a proportion that has varied little since 1975. • Seventy-two percent of pedestrian deaths in 2007 occurred in urban areas, up from 59 percent in 1975. • Thirty-nine percent of pedestrian deaths among people 60 and older in 2007 occurred at intersections, compared with 20 percent for those younger than 60. • Forty-four percent of pedestrian deaths in 2007 occurred in crashes between 6 pm and midnight. *Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

12. Intersection Awareness • Before moving after stopping at an intersection • Check right and left several times to ensure there are no moving vehicles in your path • Check all sidewalks and crosswalks to ensure no pedestrians are in the path of travel. • Children with adults can and do break away while crossing the street. Pay special attention to them. • Allow the vehicle in front of you to move to a 4 second lead distance before moving your vehicle • Be aware that vehicles in front of you may slow or stop for an unseen hazard • Move only when safe to do so. Just because its your time to move does not always mean you should!

13. Intersection Awareness Bicycle Safety Tips Bicyclists are hard to see, even when they are in front of your field of vision. Lets examine some ways to avoid accidents with them intersections and other scenarios. • When planning a right turn with a bicyclist riding along side, allow the bicyclist to go ahead and out of the way, clearing the intersection before you start the turn. Never waive a bicyclist or pedestrian to “go ahead”. • Bicyclists move faster than pedestrians on foot, so identify a bicyclist from a distance, and don’t lose them out of your vision until you are sure you are clear of them. • NEVER underestimate what a bicyclist will do, no matter how far away they are from your vehicle. • Bicyclists riding together will often make unsafe maneuvers to stay together. Keep all bicyclists in sight, and be aware that if they separate, one MAY perform an unsafe maneuver to keep up with the other!

14. Startling Statistics More pedestrians are injured by motor vehicles in cities than anywhere else. This is reflected by the statistics from states with the largest populations. Not surprisingly, California leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities with 620 in a year. Florida and Texas follow with 490 and 416 deaths respectively. New York placed fourth with 294 pedestrian fatalities for the most recent year statistics have been completed. In the same year, more than 69,000 pedestrians were injured or killed in the United States. On average, a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes in this country. More than 75 percent of pedestrian fatalities are at non-intersection locations. If you're a jaywalker, you definitely have a shorter life expectancy than those who cross at intersections. Weather surprisingly does not play a large role in most accidents. Almost 90 percent of all pedestrian fatalities occurred in normal weather conditions. Unlike weather, the time of day does have a major effect on pedestrian accidents. More than 70 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents happen at night. Females have a much higher chance of avoiding injuries than their male counterparts. Men accounted for 70 percent of pedestrian deaths in 2008. Teenagers fared the worst as far in number of injuries; the highest rates of injuries were among the 10-to-15 and 16-to-20-year-old age groups. Most injures to those younger than age 16 occurred between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. For the rest of us, the worst time to be on the streets was on the weekends. Nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities happened on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Intersection Awareness

15. Intersection Awareness Intersection Awareness Safety Summary Intersections are places where all who share the road will gather and negotiate at the same time. Motorists, commercial vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians must not only be aware of each others presence, but be prepared to give the right of way to “others”. There is no guarantee that “others” will do the safest thing when approaching or crossing an intersection. YOU must guarantee that there is NO greater priority on your mind than to approach, enter and leave an intersection as safely as possible. There are many lives at stake (including yours), and the professional driver is one who takes responsibility for them all, every time!