Five intersections in Sampson County were chosen to become all-way stops based on a safety review and crash patterns, according to state transportation officials.
Work scheduled in May and June at five locations
Multiple intersections in Sampson County will become all-way stops over the next two months, a move toward increased safety at those locations.
The work is scheduled to take place at the following intersections:
• May 1: N.C. 55 and Warren Mill Road
• May 15: N.C. 242 and Harnett Church Road/ Rabbit Street
• May 30: Bearskin Road and Zoar Church Road
• June 12: N.C. 55 and Green Path Road
• June 26: N.C. 242 and High House Road
The N.C. Department of Transportation will install pavement markings and stop signs on those dates. Drivers should use caution while crews are in the area.
These locations were chosen to become all-way stops based on a safety review and crash patterns, according to state transportation officials. All-way stops are said to be an effective and cost-efficient way to improve the safety of an intersection and reduce the risk of serious crashes.
According to state transportation officials, the project is based on safety review that identified crash patterns in the surrounding area. The locations competed with other statewide projects and were selected for safety funding.
“An all-way stop is an effective and cost-efficient way to improve the safety of an intersection and reduce the risk of serious crashes,” the NCDOT has stated. “Converting intersections into all-way stops has been shown to reduce fatalities and injuries by 77%.”
The N.C. Department of Transportation recommends an all-way stop only after a thorough evaluation of the intersection. That evaluation includes an analysis of the traffic volumes, crash history, sight distance and a field investigation.
Converting an intersection into an all-way stop has shown crash reductions. The NCDOT cited statistics from a study the agency conducted back in 2010 based on 53 locations.
It revealed the following reductions: 68% in total crashes, 77% in fatal and injury crashes and 75% in frontal-impact crashes.
On its website, the NCDOT touts the benefits of all-way stops and informs motorists of what to do at one.
Benefits of an All-Way Stop
• Improves safety while causing a minimal increase in travel time.
• Reduces the need for drivers to wait until there is a safe gap in opposing traffic.
• More predictable compared to traffic signals.
• Can serve as a temporary solution until a permanent improvement, such as a roundabout, can be funded and constructed.
• More cost-effective than other types of safety projects.
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. 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.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.