Traffic laws are not that difficult to grasp

By Staff
Scot Beard
Columnist
Anybody who has traveled through downtown Russellville in recent months, especially on Jackson Avenue, knows the current construction project makes driving the street a pain in the backside.
When traffic lights regulated the flow of vehicles, driving through downtown was not too bad.
Now a driver cannot go more than a block without running into a four-way stop sign.
Many communities throughout this great nation have four-way stops and there are not many problems navigating through them.
For some reason, the drivers here in Russellville have yet to master them, despite having several months of practice.
Some drivers do not stop. Others stop, but resume traveling before it is there time to go.
Many simply follow the vehicle directly ahead of them so that two or three vehicles go through a sign at one time.
All of these drivers are wrong.
The rules for four-way stops are simple. The first car to reach the stop sign is the first to go.
This does not mean that if you were stopped behind two other cars at the sign and finally reach the intersection that you have the right to go before somebody who did not have to wait behind other cars.
If that vehicle was at the stop sign before you were, they have the right of way.
It is a surprise that there have not been more wrecks at these intersections considering the number of cars that have failed to obey the law when it comes to four-way stops.
Maybe the fact that there have not been many wrecks is the reason so many people are willing to bully their way through the intersection instead of waiting their turn.
Perhaps a few days of heavy monitoring of these intersections will remind motorists how four-way stops work.
Surely the city could use the revenue that all of the potential traffic tickets would generate.
Yes, we are all in a hurry and four-way stops slow us down quite a bit. They will not, however, slow you down nearly as much as being pulled over for a traffic violation.
Show a little courtesy to your fellow drivers and use a little common sense at these stop signs.
Soon enough the traffic lights will be back and traffic will begin flowing smoother.
Until then, remember that you are not the only person driving on the road.