Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Restricted Crossings are Designed to Make Roads Safer
Road safety is everyone’s goal, including the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Even with improved vehicle safety efforts, the number of accidents and traffic fatalities is not decreasing. North Carolina and other states are always looking for ways to improve traffic safety. One of the options is to install restricted crossings, particularly in busy areas.
What are Restricted Crossings?
Restricted crossings, also called restricted crossing U-turns or RCUTs, are specially designed to improve efficiency and safety at intersections and full access control highways. RTUs limit turns at intersections and instead provide a way for drivers to more safely maneuver using a U-turn. These crossings can also make intersections less complex because they eliminate left turn lanes. RCTUs allow drivers to make a right turn onto a path that leads them to a U-turn that will safely get them in the direction they wish to travel.
Benefits of the RCTU
RCTUs, also sometimes referred to as superstreets, offer a safer and easier driving experience. They are helpful in large and busy intersections that can often be confusing for drivers. They are also helpful for full access control on highways. Confusion at intersections can cause serious accidents, so the RCTU is used as a method to reduce the number of traffic crashes in a particular intersection.
Drivers can more easily negotiate a turn using an RCTU than they would in a typical intersection. The RCTU allows for better efficiency at an intersection, along with better traffic flow. The RCTU relieves traffic congestion. RCTUs are also utilized on full-access control highways. Full access control highways do not have at-grade intersections. Drivers access these highways through interchanges.
North Carolina Vision Zero Initiative
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has adopted the Vision Zero initiative. Vision Zero is a global strategy with the intent to bring traffic injuries and fatalities to zero. The initiative utilizes a variety of strategies to accomplish improved road safety. They study and review accident data to determine the areas that require improvement and then find solutions that can be put in place. One such safety strategy may be the RCTU. North Carolina has several RCTUs currently in place. They are in place on U.S. Route 17 near Wilmington in Brunswick County as well as along a corridor of N.C. 55 in Holly Springs.
Intersection accidents and accidents on highways are among the most common types of crashes and may result in serious injuries or fatalities. NCDOT continues to study and evaluate the use of restricted crossings and may recommend installing them in other intersections and highway corridors in the state. RCTUs, along with other options, are ways to potentially reduce traffic problems as well as accidents with injuries or fatalities in our state.
If you were hurt in an accident that was not your fault, you may be owed compensation from the negligent driver. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to request a free initial consultation with our legal team.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
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