Most drivers turn left all the time without ever thinking twice about it. They may not enjoy it, or they may specifically seek out intersections with green arrows so that they can make the turns more easily. But they certainly wouldn’t consider driving around the block by taking numerous right-hand turns. They’ll just make the left because it’s more efficient.
However, what you find is that there are many delivery companies that will not do this. They tell their drivers that it’s better to take a seemingly more inefficient route and go around the block to avoid the left-hand turn. Why is this?
Decreasing the odds of an accident
The basic reasoning behind this is just that car accidents are much more common when vehicles are turning left. Delivery companies certainly want to avoid getting involved in accidents. For them, it is still all about efficiency. One accident is so inefficient and slows them down so much that they would rather the drivers take a longer route to avoid a crash.
You may not be worried about efficiency, but the fact that left turns make accidents more likely is still relevant. You certainly want to avoid being injured by a negligent driver. Turning left requires you to cross oncoming traffic lanes, putting you in danger if someone is driving recklessly, speeding, driving without their headlights on or something else of this nature. Even at a four-way stop, someone could run the stop sign and hit you while you take the left. Right-hand turns are always going to be safer, statistically speaking.
That being said, if you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may deserve financial compensation.
