Unnecessary obstructions at intersections are dangerous

Myrtle Beach drivers, how many times a week do you pull up to an intersection and wish you could see further down the road to see what is coming?

We have too many intersections with insufficient sight distances. The South Carolina Department of Transportation Access and Roadside Management Standards address this issue in chapter seven, pages 59-70. The best I understood those standards to be was a driver should be able to see 245 feet down the road when approaching cars have a speed limit of 30 miles per hour. When the approaching cars have a speed limit of 45 miles per hour, the driver pulling out should be able to see 400 feet down the road.

Perhaps our mayor and chief of police can ask their employees to make note of these limited sight intersections that make our roads more dangerous than they need to be. Perhaps we as citizens can note these intersections, too, and say a few words to neighbors who have trees or bushes that limit these sight distances.

We need to improve these sight distances - and soon.

This story was originally published June 1, 2017 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Unnecessary obstructions at intersections are dangerous."