Do Stop Signs Make Streets Safer?

When communities feel like street traffic is unsafe, they usually demand stop signs or traffic lights to be installed. But studies show that those devices may actually make streets less safe.

1 minute read

April 26, 2011, 12:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Noah Kazis talks with Prof. Reid Ewing of the University of Utah, author of the book Traffic Calming: State of the Practice. "

"They're good for traffic control," said Ewing of stop signs and traffic lights. "They're not so good for traffic calming." In other words, they help make traffic flow in a more orderly fashion, but not necessarily in a safer one.

"We kind of panned stop signs as a traffic calming measure," continued Ewing. "They don't do a lot for speeding, because there's a tendency for drivers to make up for the lost time."

Much more about the effectiveness and politics of traffic calming vs. stop signs at Streetsblog.

Thanks to Noah Kazis

FULL STORY: To Get Safer Streets, Traffic Lights and Stop Signs Aren’t the Answer

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 in Streetsblog

Transportation United States Traffic Calming Traffic Signals Stop Signs Traffic Control Devices View More

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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