So we all know that we should be careful when changing lanes. But recent research gives a clear picture of the inherent risks associated with changing lanes and being aware of what’s in our vehicle’s blind spot at all times. So why place so much importance on this particular part of your driving?

Here are 5 independent research statistics why:

1. You are three times more likely to be in an accident when changing lanes than if you continue driving in the same lane.

source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC News, 2007.

2. In average daily commutes, drivers change lanes once every 2.76 miles. This frequency increases significantly in suburban rush hour commutes.

source: US Dept of Transportation’s 2004 HS 809 702 ” Naturalistic Lane-Change Filed Data Reduction, Analysis and Archiving”.

3. In a conventional head turn to check your blind spot, by the time your turn your head away from the traffic your vehicle travels more than half of a football field, unattended! If you could use the distance traveled while you’re not looking at the road ahead for advance emergency braking, you could bring even the largest vehicle on the road (e.g. the 6,700lbs Hummer H2 SUV) from highway speeds to a complete stop, safely.

source: Based on eye glance data from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University’s 1997 “Examination of Driver Lane Change Behavior and the Potential Effectiveness of Warning Onset Rules for Lane Change or Side Crash Avoidance Systems” by Shannon Hetrick; Dr. Thomas A. Dingus, Chair.

4. 1 out of 25 accidents on America’s highways today is due to unsafe lane changes and merges; That’s approximately 630,000 collisions every year.

source: US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2002a Fatal Accident Reporting System data.

5. Every year, there are 726 deaths in collisions due to improper lane changes or merges.

source: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health 2004 “Lane Change Warning Design Guidelines” by Erik C. B. Olsen.