Right-hook accident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
_07.jpg)
_15.jpg)
In places with right hand driving, a right-hook accident is a type of traffic collision in which a motor vehicle makes a right turn and hits a pedestrian or cyclist. It is a common type of blind spot accident, and occurs at intersections,[1] roundabouts[2] and on turnaround spots,[3] among other places.
It is a common myth that women are more often victims of right-turn accidents.[4]
In Denmark, the media and sometimes politicians, especially after the turn of the millennium, have focused on right-turn accidents where truck drivers have run over cyclists. This has led to the fact that after 2005 Danish trucks must be equipped with at least three mirrors, which – if correctly adjusted – should be able to eliminate all blind spots on the right side of the vehicle where non-motorists usually travel. However, statistics have shown that the mirror requirements have not reduced the number of deaths due to right-turn accidents. [5]
Mortality
Right-turn accidents are associated with serious injuries, and in particular accidents involving trucks have a high mortality rate. Collisions between cars and vulnerable road users (pedestrians or cyclists) are often referred to as "collisions", while collisions with trucks in right-turn accidents are often characterized as complete or partial run-overs. In truck accidents, 80% die at the scene due to extensive crushing injuries, often involving multiple body regions. The potential for saving human lives by optimizing treatment options is therefore modest, just as the use of bicycle helmets rarely can prevent the fatal outcome of these types of accidents.[6]
Factors
Drivers running red lights[7] can be a cause of right-turn accidents. Cycling through red lights, on the other hand, can be a strategy for cyclists to get in front of large vehicles, thus getting out of blind spots and preventing right-turn accidents.
Another enabling factor for such accidents is if the cyclist positions themself to the side of the road or lane so that drivers of motor vehicles have the opportunity to drive up to their side. This can be done, for example, when using bike lanes if these are without protection towards intersections, or when cycling with cars in the roadway if the cyclist positions themself extremely close to the shoulder of the road. These factors can be addressed by encouraging cyclists to move more into the middle of the lane, for example by using a shared lane marking, which thus can prevent dangerous overtaking so that cyclists end up in blind spots.
