​JACKSONVILLE – Two Onslow County intersections will be changed into an all-way stops this month to improve safety.
The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to install and implement the new traffic patterns as follows:
The installations are weather-dependent and could be rescheduled. At each location, NCDOT workers will begin around 8 a.m. and complete the improvements by lunchtime. Drivers should proceed cautiously through these areas while the improvements are implemented.
The department has similarly converted two other Onslow County intersections over the past year. The department is installing all-way stops where they are warranted, based on the crash and traffic data, among other considerations. All-way stops are an effective and cost-efficient way to improve safety.
Converting such intersections has shown to reduce fatal or injury crashes by over 70%, as this NCDOT webpage explains.
Here are some reminders for drivers encountering all-way stops:
- 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. 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.