Far too many accidents take place at intersections each year. Often these intersection accidents occur because someone runs a stop sign. Depending on the vehicles’ speeds and direction(s) of travel, stop sign accidents may be minor “fender bender” encounters or life-altering, vehicle-destroying crashes, with the Federal Highway Safety Administration noting that accidents at intersections without traffic lights accounted for roughly 27-28% of all traffic fatalities for the years 2018-2022. If you have been injured, or suffered vehicle damage as the result of another driver running a stop sign, consider reaching out to Lott Law by calling our Pascagoula office at (228) 215-2787 to discuss your legal options for securing compensation to cover the costs of vehicle repairs, medical bills, and other expenses – legally known as “damages” – arising from the accident, whether large or small.
Why Do Drivers Run Stop Signs?
There can be several reasons why a driver may fail to stop at the appropriate spot. Inattention, lack of visibility, and misunderstanding the rules of the road can all lead to stop sign accidents.
Driver Inattention
The dangers associated with distracted driving are well-known. While “driving distracted” may often call to mind images of a driver barreling down the highway or navigating stop-and-go rush hour traffic while texting or taking selfies, the distractions that can impact a driver’s performance are not limited to the use of digital devices and many of these distractions can be present anywhere and at any time – from two-lane routes in and out of quiet residential neighborhoods to high-traffic urban way-meets to country roads, from early-morning commutes to afternoon joyrides to overnight cross-country travel.
Regardless of the time of day or cause of distraction, a driver who is not giving his or her full attention to the task of driving is at an increased risk of missing a stop sign and continuing through the intersection because they failed to notice any indications that they should do otherwise. Drivers who run their stop signs because they are distracted at the wheel may be legally responsible for the harm they cause through their negligent driving behaviors.
Lack of Visibility
Obviously, drivers are unlikely to stop for stop signs they cannot see. Poor visibility of the stop signs themselves can present a traffic hazard by making it difficult for even careful, attentive drivers to see the stop signs in time to respond appropriately.
Another kind of poor visibility stop sign accident can occur when a driver has difficulty seeing oncoming traffic, due to obstructions such as trees, buildings, or even poorly-placed signage located too close to the intersection. Stop sign accidents caused by this kind of poor visibility may be especially likely when the driver’s view of approaching cross-traffic is obscured: In this situation, a driver who has stopped appropriately at their stop sign may think the road is clear and pull forward in front of a vehicle they were previously unable to see, with potentially devastating consequences for all involved.
Misunderstanding Road Rules
Sometimes stop sign accidents may be caused by misunderstanding of the rules that apply. Particularly if the view of signage placed for traffic approaching from the opposite direction, or for traffic proceeding perpendicular to the driver’s direction of travel, is completely or partially obscured, a driver may misunderstand whether they are entering a two-way stop, a four-way stop, or another configuration (such as a one-way stop, found at many T-shaped intersections). Mistaking a two-way stop for a four-way stop and mistaking a four-way stop for a two-way stop can both lead to serious, potentially fatal stop sign accidents.
How Many People Actually Stop at a Stop Sign?
A 2003 study available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) examined four years’ worth of police accident reports from stop-sign controlled intersections in four cities in the United States. After reviewing 1,788 police reports, the researchers found that roughly 70% of the reported accidents were attributable to stop sign violations – making stop sign accidents among the most common causes of roadway collisions.
Factors Influencing Types of Collisions Resulting From Stop Sign Violations
The types of accidents that result from these moving violations can vary widely, depending on factors such as:
- Whether all drivers approaching the intersection have a stop sign
- Whether the driver who has the right of way is turning vs. continuing straight
- Whether the driver who does not have right of way actually comes to a stop before continuing (common in poor visibility stop sign accidents)
- The size and speed of travel of all vehicles involved
Generally speaking, the consequences of stop sign accidents are likely to be more severe when a much larger vehicle, such as a large semi-truck, traveling at speed, encounters a smaller vehicle, such as a passenger car, either stationary or moving in a different direction from that of the larger vehicle. In these situations, the outcome is all too often deadly for the occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Common Types of Stop Sign Accidents
There are several types of collisions that can result from stop sign violations, but two of the most common are rear-end collisions and broadside or “T-Bone” crashes. Rear-end collision stop sign accidents tend to occur when a driver who stops before making a turn fails to notice oncoming traffic, sees a vehicle approaching but misjudges its speed and distance, or believes they have the right of way and that the other vehicle(s) will stop. In this mistaken belief, the driver makes their turn and pulls into the path of an approaching vehicle, which is unable to stop in time to avoid crashing into the rear of the vehicle that has just made its turn.
Broadside or “T-Bone” stop sign accidents, on the other hand, often occur in the context of perpendicular traffic (without a turn). These accidents can be especially likely when a driver who is continuing straight either “runs” a stop sign by failing to stop altogether, or stops but – as in the turning scenario that often leads to rear-end collisions – fails to recognize that vehicles in the cross-traffic approaching the intersection do not similarly have an obligation to stop. The difference in outcome between this type of stop sign accident and the turning violation that provides conditions for a rear-end collision is that a driver continuing straight is more likely to be hit “broadside” – with the front end of a vehicle that had no stop crashing into the side of the vehicle that pulls inappropriately into the intersection. Depending on the circumstances and speed of travel, the driver failing to obey the stop sign can also be the one who strikes another vehicle; this may be more likely if the driver with the moving violation misses the stop sign altogether, and therefore enters the intersection without slowing down.
You May Have the Right To Receive Stop Sign Accident Compensation
Stop sign accidents stem from various causes and can range widely in their severity. An injured party’s right to compensation does not depend on the severity of the accident, however, but on who was at fault in the collision. If you have been injured, or suffered expensive damage to your vehicle, in a stop sign accident that was caused by another driver’s traffic violation, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver or the driver’s auto insurance provider, to cover the costs of your medical care, vehicle repairs or replacement, and other expenses occasioned by the crash. Reach out to an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer today to discuss your legal options. Schedule a consultation with a member of the Lott Law team by calling our car accident lawyers in Pascagoula at (228) 215-2787.
