HILDEBRAN – A local intersection recently received improvements that will reduce crashes and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians.
N.C. Department of Transportation crews installed stop signs on South Center Street at the intersection of Main Avenue/Old State Highway 10. Drivers traveling between Interstate 40 and U.S. 70 will now stop on the roadway, along with drivers on Main Avenue and Old State Highway 10.
The low-cost project also includes installation of high-visibility crosswalks, additional pavement markings, and stop-ahead warning flashers that remain in a constant flashing mode to alert drivers. Contract crews are also upgrading sidewalk and curb ramps to ADA standards, with completion slated for the coming weeks.
These upgrades, and a requirement for all vehicles to stop, provide safer accommodations for pedestrians.
A five-year study of the intersection revealed 18 reported crashes including one serious injury crash and one mild injury crash. NCDOT traffic engineers will continue to monitor this intersection to determine if additional improvements are necessary.
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 have been shown to reduce total crashes by 68%, 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.