Cities Worldwide Ban Left Turns to Cut Crashes and Ease Traffic
A growing number of municipalities are banning or restricting left‑turn movements at intersections to improve safety and traffic flow. Studies cited by transport engineer Vikash V. Gayah show that left turns are involved in roughly 60‑61 % of intersection crashes, many of them severe or fatal, and that prohibiting them can lead to smoother traffic, fewer accidents and lower fuel use. U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Alabama have already limited left turns, and experts say the practice reduces the need for dedicated left‑turn phases at signals, allowing more vehicles to pass per cycle.
In Arizona, drivers involved in left‑turn collisions can contest fault assignments under state law (ARS 28‑772) and the state’s pure comparative‑negligence system. Even if a driver is found partially at fault, compensation is reduced proportionally rather than denied outright, giving motorists a legal avenue to dispute blame and seek damages.
Entities: Arizona · Penn State University · Saavedra Law Firm · San Francisco · United States · Vikash Gayah · Vikash V. Gayah
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Left turns are involved in about 61 % of crashes at intersections. (article 1787f73e-60b5-489b-927a-7dbbf78d51ac)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Arizona law ARS 28‑772 requires left‑turning drivers to yield to oncoming traffic. (article 9aaab82f-bd7d-4766-8d61-a8ef995b4b49)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Arizona follows a pure comparative‑negligence system allowing fault‑based compensation. (article 9aaab82f-bd7d-4766-8d61-a8ef995b4b49)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Left turns are considered one of the most dangerous maneuvers by traffic‑safety experts. (articles 1f9e4030-a0b6-498c-99b1-ae24b0485319 and 67a6aefb-7b77-4c48-a9d0-15aeb17a6c3a)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Alabama have restricted left turns. (article 1787f73e-60b5-489b-927a-7dbbf78d51ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Banning left turns can reduce traffic congestion, accidents and fuel consumption. (articles 1f9e4030-a0b6-498c-99b1-ae24b0485319 and 67a6aefb-7b77-4c48-a9d0-15aeb17a6c3a)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Intersections without left turns can process more vehicles and reduce waiting time. (articles 1f9e4030-a0b6-498c-99b1-ae24b0485319 and 67a6aefb-7b77-4c48-a9d0-15aeb17a6c3a)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 60 % of traffic collisions at intersections involve left turns. (article 1787f73e-60b5-489b-927a-7dbbf78d51ac)