Left-turn crashes in Oklahoma City: who must yield, and what happens next

What Oklahoma's left-turn law says

Section 11-402 of Title 47 is one sentence long: "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is so close thereto when initiating such turn as to constitute an immediate hazard."

Two parts of that sentence tend to matter in a claim:

• "Approaching from the opposite direction." The rule is about oncoming traffic.
• "So close … as to constitute an immediate hazard." The rule doesn't require a turning driver to wait for every oncoming car on the horizon. It asks whether the oncoming vehicle was close enough, when the turn began, to be an immediate hazard. Speed, distance, sight lines and timing all feed into that question.

Source: 47 O.S. § 11-402, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=82293 (read on OSCN 2026-10-28)

Left turns at traffic signals

For crashes where the question is who had the light, see red-light crashes.

When the turn happened at a traffic signal, Oklahoma's signal statute matters too.

• Circular green: traffic may turn left, but vehicles "including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk" (§ 11-202(1)(a)).
• Green arrow: traffic may "cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow." It still yields to pedestrians in an adjacent crosswalk and to "other traffic lawfully using the intersection" (§ 11-202(1)(b)).
• Steady yellow: a warning that the green movement "is being terminated" or that red comes next (§ 11-202(2)(a)).
• Steady red: traffic stops and stays stopped until a signal to proceed. A left turn on red is allowed only from a one-way street into a one-way street, after stopping and unless a sign prohibits it (§ 11-202(3)(a)–(b)).

When drivers disagree about the color of the light, signal timing records from the city or ODOT, video and witnesses may matter.

Source: 47 O.S. § 11-202, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=82270 (read on OSCN 2026-10-28)

Is the left-turning driver always at fault?

Fault depends on the facts. Section 11-402 puts a yield duty on the turning driver, but the oncoming driver's conduct can matter too, for example:

• speeding;
• running a yellow or red light;
• distraction;
• driving without headlights at night.

Oklahoma's comparative-negligence statute governs shared fault:

• Your negligence doesn't bar recovery unless it is of greater degree than the negligence of the person, or the combined negligence of the people, who caused the harm (23 O.S. § 13).
• If you can recover, your damages are reduced in proportion to your share (§ 14).

For more, see who is at fault after an Oklahoma car accident.

Sources: 23 O.S. § 13, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=71131 ; 23 O.S. § 14, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=71132

If you were the one turning left

You may still have a claim if the oncoming driver was speeding, ran the light, or wasn't close enough to be an "immediate hazard" when your turn began. Your own share of fault, if any, reduces what you can recover (23 O.S. § 14). Don't guess about fault when you talk with an insurer. See insurance calls after a wreck.

If a left-turning driver hit you

The turning driver's yield duty under § 11-402 is usually the starting point. The other side may still raise your speed, your lane position or the signal phase. Evidence that pins down timing is often the most useful:

• video;
• vehicle event data;
• witness statements.

If you were on foot in the crosswalk, see pedestrian crashes in Oklahoma City. If the turning driver was a teen, see crashes with a teen driver.

What to do after a left-turn crash in OKC

1. Give your information and reasonable help to anyone injured. In a crash that injures or kills someone or damages a vehicle someone is driving or attending, each driver must give their name, address and vehicle registration number, show their driver license and security verification form on request, and give reasonable assistance to anyone injured (47 O.S. § 10-104). Notify police "by the quickest means of communication" if anyone is hurt (47 O.S. § 10-107).
2. Note the agency. In Oklahoma City, the report may come from the Oklahoma City Police Department or the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. See how to get your Oklahoma crash report.
3. Photograph the intersection, including signal heads, turn-lane markings, any "left turn yield on green" signs, and where the vehicles came to rest.
4. Look for cameras right away. Business and traffic cameras may overwrite footage.
5. Ask about vehicle data. See vehicle event data after a crash.
6. Get medical care and keep records. See who pays medical bills after a wreck.

Sources: 47 O.S. § 10-104, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=82248 ; 47 O.S. § 10-107, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=82251

Insurance after a left-turn crash

The at-fault driver's liability insurer is usually the first place to look. Oklahoma requires liability coverage (47 O.S. § 7-601). If that driver had no insurance or not enough, your uninsured-motorist (UM) coverage may apply unless it was rejected in writing (36 O.S. § 3636). See uninsured motorist claims and property damage and rental cars. For how losses are measured and what can reduce them, see what shapes car accident compensation.

Sources: 47 O.S. § 7-601, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=82225 ; 36 O.S. § 3636, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=87144

Left-turn crashes in Oklahoma City: what federal data shows

Federal data covers fatal crashes only. NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) recorded at least 30 fatal crashes in Oklahoma City from 2022 through 2024 coded as a left-turn crash, meaning a vehicle's movement just before the crash was coded "turning left" (2024 data may be revised).¹ This count doesn't include non-fatal crashes.

Source: NHTSA FARS national data files, 2022–2024 (vehicle file, pre-crash movement P_CRASH1 = "Turning Left", city code 3550), https://static.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/downloads/FARS/2024/National/FARS2024NationalCSV.zip and the 2022–2023 equivalents; 2024 is the preliminary FARS file (downloaded 2026-10-28)

¹ FARS vehicle file, crashes in STATE 40, CITY 3550 (Oklahoma City) with any vehicle whose P_CRASH1NAME contains "Turning Left". This is a text match on a vehicle-level pre-crash field, combined across vehicles, so the count is a floor ("at least"). P_CRASH1 is pre-crash movement, not fault. 2022: 12 crashes, ST_CASE 400019, 400091, 400108, 400170, 400173, 400300, 400305, 400334, 400397, 400399, 400547, 400585. 2023: 9 crashes, ST_CASE 400030, 400031, 400192, 400282, 400354, 400453, 400553, 400601, 400621. 2024 (preliminary FARS file, may be revised): 9 crashes, ST_CASE 400049, 400088, 400252, 400343, 400375, 400392, 400420, 400472, 400496. Generated by content/fars/fars_crashtype_405.py, output fars_crashtype_405_results_2026-10-29.json. City caveat: NHTSA's FARS Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), element C7 "City", https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/813794 , says the city element "records the location of the unstabilized event with regard to the City", so FARS places a crash by where it happened, which is not always the same as a mailing address that says Oklahoma City.

Deadlines

For most Oklahoma injury claims, the lawsuit deadline is two years (12 O.S. § 95(A)(3)). A crash with a government vehicle has written-notice rules that come sooner. See Oklahoma car accident deadlines.

Source: 12 O.S. § 95, https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=439150

Common questions

Who has the right of way when turning left in Oklahoma?

Generally, oncoming traffic. A driver turning left must yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction that are close enough to be an "immediate hazard" (47 O.S. § 11-402).

Do I have to yield when turning left on a green light?

Yes. On a circular green, turning vehicles yield to other vehicles and pedestrians lawfully in the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk (47 O.S. § 11-202(1)(a)).

Can I turn left on red in Oklahoma?

Only from a one-way street onto a one-way street, after a full stop, and only if no sign prohibits it. You must still yield to pedestrians and other traffic (47 O.S. § 11-202(3)(b)).

Can I recover if I was turning left and the other driver was speeding?

Possibly. Oklahoma compares fault. Your negligence bars recovery only if it is greater than the negligence of those who caused the harm, and any share that's yours reduces your damages (23 O.S. §§ 13–14).

Who has my crash report?

The agency named on your paperwork. See how to get your crash report.

What to do next: see Oklahoma City car accident questions and next steps.

Information, not legal advice. Every crash is different.