Final answer:
When approaching an intersection, look for pedestrians crossing the road, traffic lights or stop signs, and oncoming vehicles. Traffic signals greatly improve pedestrian safety and help regulate vehicle speed and flow, reducing the risk of accidents.
Step-by-step explanation:
When approaching an intersection, three critical things to look for are: pedestrians crossing the road, traffic lights or stop signs, and oncoming vehicles. First, being aware of pedestrians is vital for their safety and to prevent accidents. Pedestrian safety is especially important at busy intersections near schools or campuses where students frequently cross. An installed traffic signal can significantly improve the safety for pedestrians, allowing them to cross at designated times.
Secondly, observing the control devices like traffic lights or stop signs is essential to understand who has the right of way and to maintain order at the intersection. These signals also help to moderate the speed of vehicles, encouraging them to slow down and adhere to the posted speed limits.
Lastly, it’s important to monitor oncoming vehicles. This ensures that you are aware of the flow of traffic and can respond accordingly, reducing the chances of collisions and contributing to overall road safety. Nonetheless, the proliferation of accidents at an intersection would be a compelling argument for the installation of a traffic signal if one is not already present, as a means to better regulate traffic and potentially reduce the rate of accidents.