An expert has found that a large number of road traffic accidents in the UK take place while drivers are trying to perform a particular manoeuvre – and it’s a common one
The action of turning right has been pinpointed as the most perilous move for motorists in the UK, with a shocking number of vehicles encountering mishaps in the process, recent stats have highlighted.
Over a span from 2019 through 2024, an eye-watering 89,461 vehicles were noted to be executing a right turn during the moment of impact, with analysis done on Department for Transport figures by specialist car accident solicitors at Jones Whyte.
This research established that automobiles, second only to agricultural machinery, are especially vulnerable when executing this turn. It showed that drivers behind the wheel of cars were 16.6% more inclined to experience a shunt whilst taking a right than average – a stark contrast to total crash figures where right turns played a part in just about 10%, which overshadows the 8.6% average for all vehicular types.
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“Turning right might not seem to be very dangerous, after all, it is such a routine thing to do while driving,” remarked Jones Whyte Partner Stephanie Hutton. “However, the statistics show turning right is the most dangerous manoeuvre for drivers, with car drivers the second most at-risk overall.”
She warned: “Since you are usually crossing at least one path for traffic, there are many more opportunities to miss another road user and crash while turning right than with other manoeuvres. Therefore, make sure you keep checking your path is clear from multiple angles, as you can never be sure if you have missed something.”, reports the Express.
After turning right, the act of slowing down or stopping was identified as the second most perilous move for motorists, being a factor in 59,158 smashes. The heavier vehicles took a notably harder hit in these incidents, with buses and coaches more than twice as likely to find themselves in scrapes while cutting their pace compared to your average motor.
Dangerous manoeuvre
“Slowing is much more difficult in heavy vehicles, something that might not be apparent to many car drivers,” said Hutton. He handed out some sage advice for heavier vehicle operators: “Always check what’s behind you outside of emergencies while slowing, and remember to brake smoothly, gently, and with plenty of space, so drivers behind can respond in good time.”
Moving off followed closely behind as the third most dangerous manoeuvre on the road, linked to 47,723 prangs. Once again, buses and coaches came up top trumps, being 213.9% more likely to be embroiled in such unfortunate events, with mobility scooters, streetcars, black cabs, and cars also rolling in closely.
Holding up the queue while waiting to set off clocked in at number four, causing 43,959 collisions. Here, taxis seemed to take the crown for the most likelihood of getting snagged during this road ritual.
Completing the five riskiest driving gambits was the good old left turn, which had its name against 33,367 traffic tangles. Farm machinery took the brunt here, trailed by delivery vans.
Risky business
Drilling deeper into car-specific risky business, it turns out the following actions are the ones most likely to end in tears for your typical car driver:.
Twisting to the right caused a whopping 71,603 pile-ups, putting this manoeuvre at a worrying 16.4% above the general mishap rate.
Being put on pause whilst eager to get going led to 34,954 shunts, setting it at a concerning 15.7% above the standard rate of trouble.
Waiting to make that right-hand turn got entangled in 10,377 incidents, recording a hazardous rate of 16.8% higher than what’s normally expected on the roads.
U-turn manoeuvres have seen a spike in associated accidents, with a noteworthy 14.3% uptick resulting in 5,597 incidents.
Meanwhile, simply biding one’s time to turn left became riskier, accounting for a 16.6% increase in collisions at 3,682 events.
Hazardous Drivers
Taking the crown for hazardous car driver activities is waiting to turn right – which outpaced other actions with a 16.8% higher collision rate, this perilous scenario trumped the dangers of waiting to turn left and making right turns themselves.
But different wheels encounter different woes; motorcyclists found themselves in treacherous waters chiefly when overtaking on the offside, triggering accidents 262.7% more often than the norm. Darting past stationary traffic and snaking through nearside overtake manoeuvres also racked up risks.
Cyclists narrowly evaded harm most frequently during nearside overtakes, with the second greatest danger lurking as they edged past motionless vehicles on the offside.
Hefty lorries faced their nemesis in left-lane changes, tallying crashes that were six and a half times the standard rate, whereas delivering a blow to vans’ safety record was the act of reversing.
Stephanie Hutton sounded an alarm, cautioning: “A crash can sometimes be unavoidable. However, most can be prevented with good observations performed in good time and driving in a defensive manner.”
Concluding with lifesaving advice she added: “Always think about whether you have been seen, keeping in mind that larger vehicles have dramatically reduced sight lines compared to a car, and whether you might have missed another road user. Keeping this in mind will help you to keep yourself and others safe on the roads.”