Disagreement over need for four-way stop at busy intersection in Randburg
SANDY HEIDSTRA, CHAIRPERSON OF THE KENBRINK RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION WRITES: We have been trying to persuade the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) to put up a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Milner Road and Frere Street in Kensington B, Randburg.
There have been numerous crashes there because people ignore the stop sign in Frere Street. One homeowner has put up a huge barrier on his corner as cars are constantly driving through his wall.
The JRA and JMPD have said the road is not busy enough to make it into a fourway stop street but we disagree.
We had another accident there this morning. Someone didn’t stop and hit another car, causing the driver of the other car to end up in hospital.
Milner Road is a main thoroughfare through our suburb and is busy, contrary to what the traffic people say. THE JRA REPLIES: Thank you for your enquiry. We referred the matter to the JRA Traffic Engineering Department and the response is as follows:
The function of a stop sign is to control movement through an intersection and not to act as a traffic-calming device.
The need for new stop signs is based on the delays experienced on the side road due to high volumes of traffic on the main road, or in cases of road safety, such as where sight distance is restricted.
The reasons we prefer not to use multi-way stop signs as speed-control devices are:
Stop signs that are used as traffic-calming measures can cause high incidences of drivers intentionally violating the stop and other trafficrelated issues.
When vehicles do stop, the speed reduction is often only effective in the immediate area, since motorists will then increase their speed to make up for lost time. This can result in increased mid-block speeds.
There is also often an increase in rear-end collisions near the inappropriate stop sign.
In order to avoid the extra stops and starts on streets with these stop signs, there can be a redistribution of traffic to adjacent streets.
Stop compliance is poor at unwarranted multi-way stop signs. Unwarranted stop signs mean they do not meet the warrants in terms of the Road Traffic Signs Manual. This is based on the drivers feeling the signs have no traffic control purpose. There is little reason to yield the right of way because there are usually no vehicles on the minor street. This also encourages a behaviour of non-compliance at other stop signs.
Safety of pedestrians is decreased at unwarranted multi-way stops, especially small children. It seems pedestrians expect vehicles to stop at the stop signs, but many motorists have the unfortunate habit of running the “unnecessary” stop sign.