Left hand turns

I recently bumped into what claims to be an internal study from United Parcel Service. It seems to be legit.   Anyway, a left had turn is over 50x more likely to result in a wreck than a right had turn.  

To be sure, this concerns their vehicles that are mostly  delivery vans and trucks, but I suspect automobiles don’t fair much better.  Of course, running with the stats, they are advising multiple right hand turns rather than a single left hand turn.

I've never read the accident study, but there are many studies showing the fuel savings for planning the trip to avoid left turns.  Something like 10 to 30% fuel economy depending on the study.  


We tried it on some of our regular travels, and it works ro about 20% savings in our local traffic.

Another interesting tidbit from the United States Postal Service.

They have a "No Backing Up" rule. According to their data, they saw something like ten backing up accidents PER DAY (across the coutnry) when delivering mail/packages. They try and limit their drivers from being in situations where they have to reverse.

John, I have heard that analysis in driver training coursework.... for our voluble teen
That's why Portugal and other nations use roundabouts for efficiency and safety.....lots of right turns and merging.  Red lights are ridiculous in comparison

One view in Viseu

There is a national effort to use roundabouts in this country…on a personal level, I don’t like them ….but I suspect it is me needing to adjust. The fact is roundabouts eliminate left hand turns and force a reduction in speed. Those two points alone should reduce accidents.

On a lighter level, this past Tuesday I was speaking with a gentleman who just got back from eastern Montana (I think), anyway in the middle of nowhere he encountered two roundabouts. No other cars in sight ….no nearby community ….just open space.

That's interesting about roundabouts being stuck in the middle of nowhere in Montana. I always picture them as an urban phenomenon.

When it comes to personal driving, I can't remember who mentioned the efficiency of right hand turns in the gas saving thread, it might have been r. ransom.  Anyways I don't know if it actually saves me gas but I've started turning right out of my local grocery store and going the longer way through the neighborhood just because I get so tired of having to turn left across a busy road. Whether it saves gas or not, it actually does reduce some stress.  

And I can definitely see left hand turns causing more accidents. People are trying to squeeze their cars through narrow little gaps between lots of other fast moving cars.  Right hand turns are more relaxed across one lane of traffic instead of 4 or 5.  

And I HATE backing up.  Not sure how to eliminate that out of my life.  For a brief time my husband was backing into our driveway. Maybe the thought was that it's actually a little safer to back into a driveway where you know there are no other vehicles than backing out into the street.  But our street is sleepy enough that I've never adopted this practice.

Carmel, Indiana is the roundabout capital of the United States with more than 160 roundabouts.

https://www.carmel.in.gov/311/Carmel-is-the-roundabout-capital-of-the-

Calgary, Alberta, Canada has 55 roundabouts.

Roundabouts are an art form in Portugal!

Here's a recently completed one.



I did have to stop that naughty raven of mine donating the dented bumper to the project after the wild boar ran into it though...