I was distressed to hear that the council is looking to create two new 4-way stop sign intersections in town.
Since the 4-way stop was implemented recently on Clark & Dudley, it has changed that once safe intersection at the end of my block, into one so dangerous, that I now drive out of my way to avoid it.
The danger created by 4-way intersections is caused by three different situations: Careless/aggressive drivers assume the crossing driver will stop at their stop sign, so the careless driver runs through their stop sign setting up a collision situation with a crossing car that had already come to a full stop, and then starts through the intersection.
When multiple cars in a row come to a stop sign, when the first car in line (CAR #1) proceeds, many times the careless driver behind (and sometimes 3 in a row), tailgate the first car and runs the stop sign when they get to it. This sets up a collision threat, when the crossing car that had come to a full stop, enters the intersection to cross behind car #1.
An additional major issue that makes 4-way intersections so dangerous is that most N.J. drivers don’t know the right-of-way rules at a 4-way stop. So, when drivers come to the intersection without knowing the right-of-way rules, mayhem breaks out. This problem is so pervasive that radio station New Jersey 101.5 actually did a big web-based story on if, available at: https://nj1015.com/message- to-those-in-nj-that-hesitateat- 4-way-stops/. To see how big a safety issue this is, just Google “N.J. 4-way stop” and see how many attorneys are advertising their services after all intersection accidents caused by 4-way stop signs.
I drive through the Park/ Westfield Ave. intersection on a daily basis. This intersection does not need a 4-way stop sign. That will make the intersection far more dangerous, just as it did to the Clark St./Dudley intersection.
Please reconsider this proposal, and stop the proliferation of 4way stop signs in town. 4-way stop intersections don’t improve safety, they decrease it. To improve intersection safety in Westfield, the police department should increase watching for drivers running stop signs, and issue tickets to those violations, to force compliance.
