Obviously stop signs are placed at busy intersections and in neighborhoods to control traffic and keep pedestrians safe. While stop signs are found in combinations of two-way, three-way, and four-way stops, often wrong assumptions about the rules of the road result in accidents.
At two-ways stops, accidents are often the result of a driver who follows the rules and comes to a complete stop at the sign. The driver sees an oncoming car, assumes he or she will also stop, and progresses forward. A side impact accident is often the result.
Failure to yield the right of way is another common cause of stop sign accidents. It often occurs when both cars stop at the sign but proceed into the intersection at the same time causing a collision. Rear end collisions are equally common at stop signs as well. Running stops signs, for reasons like impatience, reckless or distracted driving, or driving under the influence, often causes stop sign accidents.
Liability, though difficult to establish, often comes as a result of a driver failing to comply with traffic laws, such as coming to a complete stop at the stop sign. In some cases, both drivers are held responsible in a stop sign accident. When two vehicles come to an intersection at the same time and both have stop signs the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right, so failure to yield the right of way can also determine fault in stop sign accidents.