The chance of dying in a car accident is only 1 in 100 over my lifetime, so, it might as well be nothing... Well, 115 children in the US are abducted by strangers, sexually assualted and murdered every year. 115 yearly. That isn't an urban myth.
When driving in residential areas you should signal around 30 meters (100 feet) in advance of making a right or left turn. This is assuming there are no other turns on the same side of the road before the turn you intend on taking, else you will need to signal after this turn. For high speed roads this distance increases. 70 mph dual carriageways for instance, signalling should start from around 275 meters (900 feet) from your exit.
Before making any turn, it is important that you signal. If your vehicle's turn signals do not work, use hand signals. Make up your mind about your turn before you get to the turning point, lower your speed, move to the correct lane and give a turn signal to show your intention. Everywhere except New York city you're allowed to turn right on a red light.