Bicycle Accidents Left–Hand Turn
Collision Accidents

What Are the Laws On left-Hand Turn Collision Accidents In Arizona?

“I commute to work on my bike. While I can stay on the right-hand side of the road most of the time, there is one left-hand turn I need to make my way home. It’s always made me nervous, but I never had an accident—until last week. I waited for the green arrow like I always do and started my turn. But, while I was in the intersection, a car came out of nowhere from the opposite direction. It ran the light and, luckily, I guess, just clipped my back tire. The impact still sent me flying, and I am still in the hospital recovering.”

“Can I sue the driver? I clearly had the right of way, and as far as I know, cyclists can use the traffic lanes in Arizona.”

Cyclists can use the traffic lanes in Arizona. In fact, the law makes clear that cyclists have the exact same rights as drivers in most cases. While cyclists are supposed to ride on the right-hand side of their lane when they can, they need to get over to the left in order to make left-hand turns.

Quite frankly, in this hypothetical scenario, the cyclist is lucky to have survived. If the driver had been going just a few miles per hour faster, he may have T-boned the cyclist—which would have been a much worse collision. In these types of left-hand turn collision accidents, cyclists often get thrown off of their bikes into the street, and they get run over in many cases.

While there seems to be a fair amount of confusion about the left-hand turn collision accidents law in Arizona, the Arizona Revised Statutes are pretty clear.

1. Arizona’s Left-Hand Turn Collision Laws For example, Section 28-645(A)(3)(a) states, “Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown.” This means that drivers have to stop at all red lights, and they cannot proceed through the intersection until it is their turn. If a driver runs a red light and hits a cyclist who is making a left-hand turn, the driver is clearly at fault in this scenario.

Similarly, Section 28-645(A)(1)(a) states, “[v]ehicular traffic facing a green signal . . . shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.” This means that even if a driver has a green light, the driver still has a duty to yield to cyclists who are lawfully making left-hand turns.

Another relevant law is Section 28-772 of the Arizona Revised Statutes: “The driver of a vehicle within an intersection intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and that is within the intersection or so close to the intersection as to constitute an immediate hazard.” This means that when an intersection isn’t controlled by a traffic light, cyclists have the right to make a left-hand turn as long as there are no approaching cars that are so close as to present an “immediate hazard.”

2. Break It Down For Me—What Do Cyclists Need to Know? If you find the language in the Arizona statutes confusing, you are not alone. Here is a breakdown of what cyclists need to know about the state’s left-hand turn collision laws:

Left-Hand Turn Collision Accidents at Intersections With Stop Lights

If a cyclist has a green light to make a left-hand turn, the cyclist has the absolute right to make the turn. There is no excuse for running a red light, and drivers who have green lights must yield to cyclists who are already lawfully in the intersection. Left–Hand Turn Collision at Uncontrolled Intersections – At uncontrolled intersections, cyclists can make left-hand turns as long as it appears safe to do so. If a speeding driver comes around a bend or a reckless driver enters the intersection unexpectedly, the cyclist is not at fault as long as he or she made a reasonable decision. All cyclists can do is follow the law and use their best judgment. If they do these two things and they still get hit by a driver who is drunk, reckless, or not paying attention, there is nothing they can do other than seek to hold the driver accountable.

What if a Cyclist with the Right of Way Hits a Driver Who Made an Illegal Left-Hand Turn? “I was riding my bike in the hills outside of Phoenix. I was on a downhill stretch, and my GPS head unit said I was going about 35 mph—still 10 mph below the speed limit. As I approached an area with a left-hand turn lane on the other side, I saw a car with its blinker on, but I assumed they would see me coming and wait.”

“As it turned out, they didn’t. Just as I got there, the driver turned left in front of me. I grabbed my brakes, but there was no way I was going to stop. I slammed into the side of their car, destroyed my bike, and suffered several injuries in the crash.”

“I know I technically hit the car but wasn’t the driver at fault? I was going straight on a clear day, and the driver made a left-hand turn in front of me for no reason.”

This is another common scenario for left-hand turn collision accidents, and it is one that can be extremely scary for cyclists. You’re riding along, enjoying the day, and all of a sudden a driver puts you in a position where you have no way to avoid a collision.

In this scenario, the law is also clearly on your side. Let’s look back at Section 28-772. If we focus only on the relevant language, it states:

“The driver of a vehicle . . . intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and . . . so close to the intersection as to constitute an immediate hazard.”

While this law specifically references “vehicles,” the obligation to yield applies equally when it is a bicycle—rather than a car, truck, or SUV—that is approaching from the opposite direction. So, if you are riding your bike and a driver dangerously turns left as you are approaching, the driver is responsible in the event of a collision. This is true whether the driver hits you as you pass or you run into the side of the driver’s vehicle.

Left-hand turn collisions pose significant risks to both drivers and cyclists. Tragically, these accidents frequently result in severe injuries and even fatalities due to drivers’ negligence and failure to abide by traffic laws. At Wade and Nysather Arizona Accident Law Firm, we have vast experience in handling such cases and helping victims assert their legal rights effectively.

When involved in a left-hand turn collision, it’s crucial to understand the laws and how fault is determined. We’ve compiled eight key insights to shed light on this complex issue:

Just like drivers and passengers, cyclists face very high risks when making left-hand turns. While all drivers should obey the law and pay attention to the task at hand, it is clear that far too many do not. As a result, close calls involving left-hand turn collision accidents are extremely common. Sadly, serious and fatal accidents involving left-hand turn collision accidents are common as well.

What Are the Laws on left-hand turn collision accidents in Arizona?

“I commute to work on my bike. While I can stay on the right-hand side of the road most of the time, there is one left-hand turn I need to make my way home. It’s always made me nervous, but I never had an accident—until last week. I waited for the green arrow like I always do and started my turn. But, while I was in the intersection, a car came out of nowhere from the opposite direction. It ran the light and, luckily, I guess, just clipped my back tire. The impact still sent me flying, and I am still in the hospital recovering.”

“Can I sue the driver? I clearly had the right of way, and as far as I know, cyclists can use the traffic lanes in Arizona.”

Cyclists can use the traffic lanes in Arizona. In fact, the law makes clear that cyclists have the exact same rights as drivers in most cases. While cyclists are supposed to ride on the right-hand side of their lane when they can, they need to get over to the left in order to make left-hand turns.

Quite frankly, in this hypothetical scenario, the cyclist is lucky to have survived. If the driver had been going just a few miles per hour faster, he may have T-boned the cyclist—which would have been a much worse collision. In these types of left-hand turn collision accidents, cyclists often get thrown off of their bikes into the street, and they get run over in many cases.

While there seems to be a fair amount of confusion about the left-hand turn collision accidents law in Arizona, the Arizona Revised Statutes are pretty clear.

1. Arizona’s Left-Hand Turn Collision Laws For example, Section 28-645(A)(3)(a) states, “Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown.” This means that drivers have to stop at all red lights, and they cannot proceed through the intersection until it is their turn. If a driver runs a red light and hits a cyclist who is making a left-hand turn, the driver is clearly at fault in this scenario.

Similarly, Section 28-645(A)(1)(a) states, “[v]ehicular traffic facing a green signal . . . shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.” This means that even if a driver has a green light, the driver still has a duty to yield to cyclists who are lawfully making left-hand turns.

Another relevant law is Section 28-772 of the Arizona Revised Statutes: “The driver of a vehicle within an intersection intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and that is within the intersection or so close to the intersection as to constitute an immediate hazard.” This means that when an intersection isn’t controlled by a traffic light, cyclists have the right to make a left-hand turn as long as there are no approaching cars that are so close as to present an “immediate hazard.”

2. Break It Down For Me—What Do Cyclists Need to Know? If you find the language in the Arizona statutes confusing, you are not alone. Here is a breakdown of what cyclists need to know about the state’s left-hand turn collision laws:

Left-Hand Turn Collision Accidents at Intersections With Stop Lights

If a cyclist has a green light to make a left-hand turn, the cyclist has the absolute right to make the turn. There is no excuse for running a red light, and drivers who have green lights must yield to cyclists who are already lawfully in the intersection. Left–Hand Turn Collision at Uncontrolled Intersections – At uncontrolled intersections, cyclists can make left-hand turns as long as it appears safe to do so. If a speeding driver comes around a bend or a reckless driver enters the intersection unexpectedly, the cyclist is not at fault as long as he or she made a reasonable decision. All cyclists can do is follow the law and use their best judgment. If they do these two things and they still get hit by a driver who is drunk, reckless, or not paying attention, there is nothing they can do other than seek to hold the driver accountable.

What if a Cyclist with the Right of Way Hits a Driver Who Made an Illegal Left-Hand Turn? “I was riding my bike in the hills outside of Phoenix. I was on a downhill stretch, and my GPS head unit said I was going about 35 mph—still 10 mph below the speed limit. As I approached an area with a left-hand turn lane on the other side, I saw a car with its blinker on, but I assumed they would see me coming and wait.”

“As it turned out, they didn’t. Just as I got there, the driver turned left in front of me. I grabbed my brakes, but there was no way I was going to stop. I slammed into the side of their car, destroyed my bike, and suffered several injuries in the crash.”

“I know I technically hit the car but wasn’t the driver at fault? I was going straight on a clear day, and the driver made a left-hand turn in front of me for no reason.”

This is another common scenario for left-hand turn collision accidents, and it is one that can be extremely scary for cyclists. You’re riding along, enjoying the day, and all of a sudden a driver puts you in a position where you have no way to avoid a collision.

In this scenario, the law is also clearly on your side. Let’s look back at Section 28-772. If we focus only on the relevant language, it states:

“The driver of a vehicle . . . intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and . . . so close to the intersection as to constitute an immediate hazard.”

While this law specifically references “vehicles,” the obligation to yield applies equally when it is a bicycle—rather than a car, truck, or SUV—that is approaching from the opposite direction. So, if you are riding your bike and a driver dangerously turns left as you are approaching, the driver is responsible in the event of a collision. This is true whether the driver hits you as you pass or you run into the side of the driver’s vehicle.

Left-hand turn collisions pose significant risks to both drivers and cyclists. Tragically, these accidents frequently result in severe injuries and even fatalities due to drivers’ negligence and failure to abide by traffic laws. At Wade and Nysather Arizona Accident Law Firm, we have vast experience in handling such cases and helping victims assert their legal rights effectively.

When involved in a left-hand turn collision, it’s crucial to understand the laws and how fault is determined. We’ve compiled eight key insights to shed light on this complex issue:

1. Arizona’s Strict Traffic Laws
Arizona’s traffic laws are explicit when it comes to left-hand turn collisions. Drivers must yield the right-of-way when facing a steady red signal, and they must remain stopped until given the indication to proceed. Similarly, drivers facing a green signal must yield to vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

2. Equal Rights for Cyclists
Cyclists have the same rights as drivers on the road, and this includes the right to use traffic lanes. When making left-hand turns, cyclists may move to the left side of the lane to execute the turn safely.

3. Potential Hazards at Uncontrolled Intersections
At uncontrolled intersections, cyclists have the right to make left-hand turns if it appears safe to do so. Drivers approaching from the opposite direction must yield to the cyclist, and it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure no immediate hazard exists.

4. Investigating the Accident Scene
Promptly investigating the accident scene is crucial. Collecting forensic evidence, examining skid marks, vehicle damage, and bicycle damage can significantly impact establishing liability.

5. Assessing Injuries
The extent and nature of injuries sustained by the cyclist can serve as strong evidence of the driver’s fault. Different types of injuries can indicate the speed at which the driver was traveling during the impact.

6. Utilizing Traffic Camera Footage
Traffic camera footage at intersections often captures left-hand turn collisions. This visual evidence can be instrumental in determining fault.

7. Eye-Witness Testimonies
Witnesses present at the accident site can provide valuable testimonies supporting the victim’s claim for compensation.

8. Digital Evidence
In today’s digital age, social media posts and mobile phone records can reveal crucial information about the driver’s actions before the accident. These pieces of evidence can play a significant role in settlement negotiations or court proceedings.

At Wade and Nysather Arizona Accident Law Firm, we firmly believe in empowering victims with knowledge and legal representation. If you or your loved ones are involved in a left-hand turn collision, don’t hesitate to seek help. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation legal strategy session to assess your case and guide you on the best course of action. Contact us today at [Phone Number] or visit our website to schedule your session and protect your rights.

Get Help from the Lawyers at Wade And Nysather Injury Law Firm If you need to know more about how to prove your legal rights after a left-hand turn collision in Arizona, we encourage you to contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. To discuss your case with a lawyer at Wade And Nysather AZ Accident Attorneys as soon as possible, please call 602-547-2222 or tell us how we can reach you online today.