Back in 2002 or so, my father-in-law lived in Goshen, Indiana. One evening near dusk, he stopped at a 4-way stop and checked both directions and did not see any cars coming. The speed limit in the cross road was 55 mph, and there was a blind hill to his left. He pulled away from the stop sign and his world literally exploded. He was broadsided by another vehicle in the driver's side door with the airbags deploying and pushing his car across the intersection into a ditch. He was able to climb out of the car without any injuries and was able to help the other driver from her car. We never saw any pictures, and we don't speak of it has it was obviously his mistake. Have to admit, it's one of the reason's we own a Volvo today.
coffee_cup_1234
How was this his fault at a 4 way stop if he stopped?
To be honest I have never looked up the written law but from "tradition" these are sequential so if he was the only one there or "next" it was his turn to go.
"Right of way" used to mean without sign or direction to yield to the vehicle to the right but few understood that it literally meant right as opposed to something else. They recently changed that too since it affected most circles or roundabouts which relied on "main road" or "heavily traveled" has the "right" of way and I kind of like the Brit way of yield to the car in the circle.
To be honest I have never looked up the written law but from "tradition" these are sequential so if he was the only one there or "next" it was his turn to go.
"Right of way" used to mean without sign or direction to yield to the vehicle to the right but few understood that it literally meant right as opposed to something else. They recently changed that too since it affected most circles or roundabouts which relied on "main road" or "heavily traveled" has the "right" of way and I kind of like the Brit way of yield to the car in the circle.
This is why 'blind' hills and curves are another example of unsafe road designs, especially when side streets / side parking lots are involved.
I had to leave a parking lot at a restaurant a few years ago and the exit of the parking lot was onto a 45 MPH road with a blind curve close by to the left. If another vehicle is coming around that curve at a decent rate of speed (even "just" the speed limit) and you happen to leave the lot at just the right (or wrong) time and / or have a slower-accelerating car you have a good chance of getting hit, even if you stop and look carefully and do absolutely nothing wrong.
They need laws to prohibit building parking lots, driveways, side streets or other roads close to sharp curves, blind curves or hills etc. This causes many needless accidents that even the best driver could not avoid.
I had to leave a parking lot at a restaurant a few years ago and the exit of the parking lot was onto a 45 MPH road with a blind curve close by to the left. If another vehicle is coming around that curve at a decent rate of speed (even "just" the speed limit) and you happen to leave the lot at just the right (or wrong) time and / or have a slower-accelerating car you have a good chance of getting hit, even if you stop and look carefully and do absolutely nothing wrong.
They need laws to prohibit building parking lots, driveways, side streets or other roads close to sharp curves, blind curves or hills etc. This causes many needless accidents that even the best driver could not avoid.
In my opinion, the main problem is still the driver. First, wherever I've driven there are warning signs for the types of hazards you mention, and the driver should be picking up these signs and drive accordingly. Second, a driver should always be reading the road and surroundings as far as he/she can see, and this is one of the best method to minimize surprises. It all comes down to abysmal driver training in most North American states and provinces. 
some intersections are "blind" and you can't see anything at least in one direction, I took a 50MPH side impact on my driver's side, I had the green light at the street I was crossing and waited 2-3 seconds before crossing after the light turned green in part because it was raining and I was used to seeing people lock up their brakes and slide through the intersection. The street I was crossing happens to be lined with very large 100 year old+ oak trees that block visibility.
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