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Orange City officials urge drivers to treat dark signals as four-way stops during storms
Summary
City of Orange City communications and the Orange City Police Department advised residents to treat intersections with nonworking traffic signals as four-way stops, make a complete stop at the stop bar, and yield to the vehicle on the right when arrivals are simultaneous. Officers used the Volusia and French intersection as an example.
Maddie McAllister, a host for the City of Orange City communications, and Officer Hoffman of the Orange City Police Department Traffic Unit told residents that intersections with nonworking traffic signals should be treated as four-way stops and that drivers must come to a complete stop at the stop bar before entering the intersection.
"The first vehicle to arrive is the first vehicle to leave the 4 way stop," Officer Hoffman said, adding that if two or more vehicles arrive at the same time "the vehicle on the right has the right of way." He warned drivers not to assume they have the right of way and to make sure the intersection is clear before proceeding.
Speaking on camera, McAllister framed the message as part of storm safety preparations, telling viewers, "At Orange City, our top priority is to keep residents safe and informed, especially when there's a storm approaching our coast." She closed by reminding drivers that "hurricane season can be unpredictable, but your response doesn't have to be. Stay safe, stay alert, and we'll see you at the next OC Before the Storm."
Officer Hoffman used the Volusia and French intersection as an example of a busy location and clarified how multi-lane approaches should operate when lights are out: vehicles traveling north and south in the two lanes should proceed together when they have the right of way to reduce confusion for side-street traffic. He said treating an intersection as a four-way stop when traffic signals are out is required by law.
The guidance reiterated three practical points raised in the segment: come to a complete stop at the stop bar before entering an intersection with a nonworking signal; yield to the vehicle on the right if arrivals are simultaneous; and coordinate movement when there are parallel lanes in the same direction to avoid conflicts on side streets. The segment did not cite a specific statute or municipal ordinance; the statement that this is "the law" was made on-camera by Officer Hoffman.
