Crashes caused by drivers failing to stop or failing to yield at right-of-way to cross traffic after stopping are becoming increasingly frequent occurrences at some rural intersections on state highway systems in the USA. Since the relatively high speed of the cross traffic, accidents can be severe and the accidents continue to occur even though traffic control devices in place meet or even exceed requirements set forth in MUTCD. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify the factors that contribute to these accidents; and (2) determine what traffic control devices or other measures could be effective in reducing the frequency of these accidents. A literature review, field investigations and analyses of crash reports for a sample of accidents were carried out. Some of the conclusions are that there is no evidence that crashes are directly related to stop sign violation. Rather the majority of accidents seem to be due to drivers entering the major roadway and do not (or cannot) accelerate quickly enough to avoid being struck by vehicles on the major road. This, in turn, suggests that drivers entering the major road do not correctly estimate the available gaps. Treatments could be focusing on reducing the speed on the major road at intersections. (A)
Abstract