Patch Readers Sound Off on Stop Signs in Rancho Santa Margarita

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA - If you’ve noticed an intersection in your neighborhood that could use a stop sign, you’re not alone.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that one-third of all intersection crashes in the United States occur at crossings controlled by stop signs. While they aren’t a perfect solution to dangerous intersections, studies have shown that installing all-way signs can reduce accidents by 40 to 60 percent.

When we asked Patch Readers in Rancho Santa Margarita where they wanted to see a stop sign, some asked for stoplights while others just requested that drivers stop at the signs that are already in place. That’s not too much to ask according to a report from the Federal Highway Administration that showed the simple, and cheap, addition of “Stop Ahead” wording on roadways reduced accidents at controlled intersections by 15 percent.

We realize that no one knows the roads in Rancho Santa Margarita better than its residents. Here’s what Patch Readers shared with us about their neighborhood’s intersections:

• "The cross walk behind target on Richard Reese. Biggest issue in the city."

• "I walk to every store here as we only have one car. The amount of times I have almost been hit (tires screeching to a halt, people looking down at their phones, etc) is worse then when I walked every where in Miami, and that is saying something. Very rarely does anyone yield for pedestrians, even the cops."

• "Los Alisos and Paseo Primero"

• "While you're on the topic, I know of a couple corners that could use "No Turn on Red" signs. (Antonio/Empresa & Antonio/Sweetwater). It's hard to see traffic coming down Antonio at 55+ MPH."

• "On Avenida de Las Flores people tend to drive too fast. I wonder if more stop signs would help."

• "Not a stop but the right hand turn lane from Plano Trabuco to Robinson Ranch needs to be a double turn lane. It will prevent the cutting off and accidents at the turn before. Especially after the new town houses go in."

• "Not sure about Stop signs, but a cop with a radar gun could make a fortune for RSM in speeding tickets on Antonio Parkway & the 241. It's like living above a NASCAR track 24 hours a day!"

Is there a dangerous intersection on your block that didn’t make the list? Share it with us on our Rancho Santa Margarita Patch Facebook page or in the comments below.