What to do at a traffic intersection when the power goes out
North Carolina drivers should treat intersections as four-way stops when the traffic lights are out.
Thousands of people lost power as an arctic wind hit the Triangle area Friday, knocking out power lines and leaving intersections in the dark.
A tree that fell over N.C. 54 near Hope Valley Road before 9 a.m. knocked out power to traffic lights along the highway in southern Durham.
It’s state law for drivers to come to a complete stop at an intersection when traffic lights go out.
The first vehicle to arrive at the intersection has the right away, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the one to the right goes first.
DOT reminds people not to drive over downed power lines and to report debris, downed trees or signs to NCDOT.com/Contact.
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 11:53 AM.
