MORGANTON – An intersection with an elementary school on one corner has been converted to an all-way stop in the interest of safety.
N.C. Department of Transportation staff installed new stop signs and pavement markings to Old N.C. 18 at its intersection with Mount Home Church Road and Colony Road near Mull Elementary School. The operation also included new “Stop Ahead” and “New Traffic Pattern Ahead” signs in the area.
With the traffic change, drivers from each approach must now stop. Previously, traffic on Old N.C. 18 could speed by the school and through the intersection.
This treatment is an effective, low-cost measure that will improve safety in the area.
All-way stop installations across North Carolina have dramatically reduced the total number and severity of crashes across the state — saving lives and saving property. All-way stops reduced total crashes by 68%, reduced injury crashes by 77%, and frontal-impact crashes by 75%.
NCDOT has additional information about All-Way Stops online:
What to do at an All-Way Stop
• The first vehicle at the intersection has the right of way;
• When two or more vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, the vehicle to the right has the right of way and may go straight or, if legal and after signaling, turn left or right;
• When two facing vehicles approach an intersection simultaneously, both drivers can move straight ahead or turn right, after coming to a complete stop. If one driver is going straight while the other wants to turn left, the driver who wants to turn left must yield; and
• Even with the right of way, drivers should remember to use appropriate turn signals and watch for pedestrians and other vehicles.