PHILIPSBURG – You’re on your way home from work. It is storming, and power was knocked out to your office before you left.
As you think about all of the monthly reports you lost, you suddenly notice that the traffic light that normally greets you as you leave the complex has lost power. You inch ahead and try to remember from your driver’s education courses what to do.
Do you:
A.) Assume that you have the right of way
B.) Treat the non-functioning light as though it were a stop sign
C.) Wait until emergency crews arrive to direct traffic
D.) Cross your fingers and hope the power is restored to the light before you have to travel through it
If you paid attention all those years ago, you would know that the correct answer is B.
The situation — or at least a solution to it — created quite a conundrum for some GantDaily readers who contacted the news team to ask for assistance recently.
They had noticed some collapsible stop signs at a traffic light in Decatur Township. The signs were not unfolded to show the familiar white-framed red octagon, but the observant driver could make out the familiar shape. For those who called GantDaily, the concern was that they would be fined for “running” the stop sign, or worse, an accident could result if one driver obeyed the smaller-than-average signs while another did not.
The intersection of U.S. Route 322 and Irwin Drive in Decatur Township is a busy one. (Dawn Walls)
Decatur Township Police Chief Randy Killion said the signs have been in place for years, but within the past two or three weeks, he has fielded many questions on them.
The signs in question are on the U.S. Route 322 side of the U.S. 322/Irwin Drive intersection just west of Philipsburg. To some, they probably look like a strange addition to the intersection, the half-octagon shape standing to either side of the roadway.
Some drivers worried that the signs might be opened when they did not expect it, causing lots of braking and some shifting of gears, but Killion said that will not happen.
“The only people that have a key to that padlock are myself and the road master,” he said.
The padlock to which he refers keeps the sign from being unfolded, showing that it is, in fact, a stop sign.
The padlock can be seen in this photo to the left of the post and at the bottom of the sign. (Dawn Walls)
The only time the lock would be open is when the power is out at the light, and emergency crews would be dispatched to the scene.
This, Killion said, was the purpose of the sign, for use when the electricity is not working to power the traffic light.
When that happens, the signs will be unlocked and unfolded, and emergency crews will be called to the scene to aid in directing traffic.
“That’s normal when the power goes off for the fire police and the police to respond,” he said.
Killion noted that any intersection should be treated as though there are stop signs on all sides when a traffic light is not working.
“You have a duty to stop,” he said.
He said the signs were erected in the interest of safety, but the locks were only added later after someone unfolded the signs while the lights were still functioning.
The state Department of Transportation reported that it does not usually recommend the replacement of such signs, but if a municipality were to place them, they would not necessarily have to be removed.
If you are traveling and see a non-functioning traffic light, contact law enforcement or county control. They will ensure that the proper authorities are alerted to the problem … and always be on the lookout for road hazards, whether they be a rock on the roadway or an emergency crew stopping traffic due to a power outage.