As summer blooms, stop signs on Ironton city streets can become difficult to spot in time for accident prevention.

Monday, May 22, 2000

As summer blooms, stop signs on Ironton city streets can become difficult to spot in time for accident prevention.

Although the Ironton Street Department trims the trees every spring, until all of the foliage is cut - and even after –  it is best to exercise caution while driving, Ironton Police Department officials say.

When entering the city, motorists are notified of a 30 mph speed limit. But, going slowly and paying close attention at intersections is best way to avoid a costly accident, IPD Chief Rodney McFarland said.

"People should reduce their speed at every intersection, regardless of whether or not there is a stop sign posted," he said. "Even if they know the streets and there is no stop sign at a certain intersection, the driver still needs to be careful. You don’t know what the other driver is going to do.

Even if drivers obey the posted speed limits and stop at every intersection, accidents still happen, Detective Captain Chris Bowman said.

"There are accidents at intersections," he said. "It is important to drive carefully no matter what the legal speed limit is."

Ironton police officials and patrol officers catalog stop signs in the city each year, and any report of damaged, overturned, faded or covered sign is taken care of immediately to prevent accidents, officials said.

"We turn in a report of the signs, where they are located and other information, every year," Bowman said. "A lot of things change over every year. Motorists should be careful and drive slowly through the city streets."

Not stopping at an intersection at a stop sign will result in a fine – or worse, Bowman added.

"In my opinion, people should stop at every intersection, even if there is not a stop sign in that particular place," he said. "It doesn’t always end in a ticket –  a lot of times it ends in a citation for causing an automobile accident."

While the growth of trees is dense, extra caution is imperative in avoiding a potentially deadly accident, McFarland added.

Obeying speed limits at all times and slowing or stopping at every intersection won’t guarantee an accident free summer, but it could save lives, especially as school lets out for the summer.

"There is about a month left of school, and after that, there will be more children out playing," McFarland said. "Speed limits are different in different sections of town, but remember to be careful is the best advice we can give."