Businesses lobby Willoughby Council to rethink ‘chaotic’ four-way stop sign crossing

A set of road rules at a Sydney intersection is causing chaos and confusion among motorists as local businesses warn the crossing is an “accident waiting to happen”.

A photo of the four-way intersection where each road has a stop sign.

A set of road rules at a north shore intersection is causing chaos and confusion among motorists as local businesses warn the crossing is an “accident waiting to happen”.

Motorists travelling through Artarmon are being left dumbfounded by a four-way stop sign intersection that requires all vehicles to come to a complete standstill before passing through.

The four stop signs at the intersection of Clarendon St and Dickson Ave have sparked frustration among surrounding business owners who are now calling on Willoughby Council to rethink the layout of the crossing.

Several business owners say there is a “daily occurrence” of near misses as cars hesitate at their respective stop signs before crossing the intersection – often attempting to travel through the intersection at the same time.

Sinora Pamang – manager of the Little Lion Early Learning childcare centre which fronts onto the intersection – said the crossing was so dangerous she refuses to let children cross it while under the centre's care.

A photo of the four-way crossing.

“It’s dangerous because the cars don’t know what to do and as a pedestrian you’re having to second guess where each car is going,” she said.

“We’ve wanted to take the children up the street to the fire station for an excursion but we’ve decided we can’t because the road’s too confusing and dangerous.”

The intersection has caused complaints from local business owners.

Another business owner, whose shop fronts on to the intersection, said the potential dangers caused by the stop signs were exacerbated by motorists turning off the Pacific Hwy onto Dickson Ave before approaching the crossing.

“Cars and trucks come streaming off the Pacific Hwy and as they’re going down Dickson Ave they come over a crest and can’t clearly see the stop signs until they’re almost on top of them,” he said.

“For trucks, they have 20m to pull up.

“You can clearly see who’s a local and whose passing through because locals know everyone stops whereas everyone else looks like a deer stuck in the headlights.

Cars and trucks travel into the intersection from connecting roads including the Pacific Hwy.

“We have close calls on an hourly basis. I’m honestly surprised there hasn’t been a serious crash.”

Willoughby Council – which sets the road rules for the intersection – says the crossing has the “effect of creating a safer environment for all road users particularly pedestrians”.

When asked about the correct procedure for travelling through the intersection, the council sent a diagram essentially showing drivers should give way to their right – as well as any pedestrians – before crossing.

“(The intersection) ensures that all traffic is stopping as it approaches the intersection, and all turning vehicles have to give way to pedestrians,” she said.

A diagram supplied by the council showing who has right of way if each vehicle arrives at the same time.

The council spokeswoman said in the last five years, there had been one crash at the intersection – resulting in one moderate injury – and the crossing was “not considered a black spot.”

The council has received a total of seven submissions from residents raising concerns about the crossing.

Although uncommon in Australia, four-way stops – also known as all-way stops – are common overseas including in the US and Canada.

Willoughby Council said the Artarmon crossing was the only intersection in the local government area that has four-way stop signage.