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Why do delivery vehicles avoid making left-hand turns?

On Behalf of | Sep 23, 2022 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Vehicles that transport goods as part of a commercial delivery fleet have to prioritize efficiency. The delivery drivers may make hundreds of stops in a single shift and therefore need to follow the most efficient and fastest route possible. You may often spot delivery vehicles parked at unsafe locations because it is the most convenient location for a delivery, and drivers are sometimes abrupt and aggressive on the road.

You would imagine, therefore, that most delivery companies plan their routes in the directest method possible. However, some of the biggest package delivery companies intentionally plan their routes to be circuitous and to take an indirect approach to certain properties. The planned route or navigation software used by a delivery driver have have them go all the way around the block just so that they don’t have to turn left at an intersection.

Why is the elimination of left-hand turns more important than efficiency for delivery companies?

Left-hand turns frequently lead to crashes

Crashes at intersections are common, and a shocking 61% of them involve a vehicle completing a left-hand turn. In other words, almost 2/3 of all intersection wrecks relate to a vehicle trying to turn left across traffic.

Delivery companies recognize this risk and integrate it into their logistics processes to minimize their liability when they send their fleets out on the road. After all, a little more driver time and gas are usually far cheaper than the aftermath of a crash.

Can you avoid all left turns?

It honestly isn’t very realistic to expect that the average driver can eliminate left-hand turns. However, you can be more cautious about choosing when you turn left as opposed to when you turn right.

When you approach a very busy intersection or a location where you know multiple crashes occur every month, that may be a place to actively avoid a left-hand turn. Being more cautious about your surroundings when you intend to turn left and carefully monitoring what other drivers do can help you eliminate personal responsibility for any collision that may result from your maneuver.

Learning about the most dangerous maneuvers on the road could help you potentially avoid a motor vehicle collision.