‘Michigan left’ should reduce car crashes
By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer
The new intersection of Blacksmith Road and U.S. 74-76 should be a safer one, as well as a hint of things to come, according to the state.
Drew Cox of the N.C. Dept. of Transportation said recently the so-called “Michigan Left” – officially called a “directional crossover with u-turns” – will cut down on side-impact crashes at the intersection, and keep traffic flowing through the area better than a traffic light.
“The statistics show this will cut down on collisions at the intersection,” Cox said.
The intersection is the first of its kind in the county, and one of only a few in the eastern part of the state.
Michigan lefts require a driver to merge into traffic, cross into a hard turn lane, then wait before rejoining traffic to either cross or travel on a larger highway. A Michigan left installed two years ago at a deadly intersection on the N.C. 87 Bypass in Elizabethtown cut wrecks by almost 90 percent, according to Highway Patrol reports.
Traditional crossover intersections often require drivers to look left, cross two lanes of traffic, then stop and look right before continuing.
“Most of the wrecks at those intersections occur because someone misjudges or doesn’t see another vehicle coming in the second set of lanes,” Cox said. “If we eliminate that decision from the process, it makes for a safer intersection.”
Most crashes that occur in directional crossovers are sideswipe collisions, Cox said, and are far less likely to result in fatalities.
“We’ve gone back and checked the statistics where these crossovers are used,” Cox said, “and an average reduction of 75 to 85 percent is not uncommon.”
Directional crossovers are less expensive to build than bridges, Cox said, and easier to maintain than traffic light controlled intersections. They also help keep traffic on the main highway flowing with fewer interruptions, Cox said.
“I believe you’ll see more of these in the years to come,” Cox said. “They take some getting used to, but they make a difference.”