Crash Severely Injures Two in Horry County

HORRY COUNTY, SC- Wmbfnews.com writes that a severe crash took place on SC 707 this week in Horry County. The two-vehicle collision took place in the late evening when a driver attempted to make a left turn onto Luttie Road.*

According to police, a Nissan Pathfinder was traveling southbound, and a Mazda 6 was heading northbound when the Mazda turned left. The Pathfinder, which was traveling straight through the intersection, struck the Mazda. 

First responders had to extract the victims from their vehicles. Two of the individuals sustained severe injuries. The crash shut down several lanes of traffic while police worked at the scene. 

Left turns present a great risk to drivers. In fact, some experts recommend avoiding left turns except when they are absolutely necessary. Determining the speed of oncoming cars can be a challenge, and when a driver misjudges the distance or the speed of a car as it approaches, the result can be a devastating collision. 

UPS has instructed its drivers to take routes that avoid left turns. Not only have studies indicated that avoiding a left turn can help prevent collisions, but it may also help drivers save on fuel. Many motorists are caught waiting for long intervals for a space to open up so that they can make a left turn. That idle time wastes fuel, and it might be easier and faster, not to mention safer, to make three right turns and avoid the left altogether.

Another way to prevent these types of crashes is to do away with traditional intersection design. There are many alternative ways to design an intersection that do not include cross-sections. Roundabouts are one way, but several others are also effective in increasing roadway safety. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:https://www.wmbfnews.com/2020/02/20/seriously-injured-crash-along-socastee-boulevard-officials-say/?outputType=amp and https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Safety/roundabouts/benefits.htm and https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2014/04/09/the-case-for-almost-never-turning-left-while-driving/