Do stop signs and traffic signals always make intersections safer?
A. STOP SIGNS AND SIGNALS Myth Versus Reality Myth 1: Having a stop sign is always better than no stop sign, OR, more stops signs are always safer than fewer stop signs. Reality: Unwarranted stop signs create problems at both the intersection and along the roadway by: 1. Encouraging motorists to drive faster between intersections in order to save time. Placing stop signs on every low-volume local street promotes speeding as drivers view the additional delay caused by unwarranted stop signs as “lost time” to be made up by driving at higher speeds between stop signs; 2. Encouraging violations of traffic laws. As the number of stop signs increase so that nearly every intersection has one, the rate of stop sign violations tends to increase; 3. Encouraging the use of alternate routes. Placing too many stop signs in some areas often causes traffic to use other neighborhood routes to avoid a sequence of intersections that may be controlled by stop signs; and 4. Increasing the chance that driv
