Stop signs

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

My friends daughter had her new fiesta smashed into because she had stopped at a stop sign.
The girl who rear ended her asked her why the hell she stopped when there were no cars coming....
I personally stop at all stop signs but i dont know why people even slow down for them if they arent going to fully stop?
From what ive seen at least 8 out of 10 people dont stop... ive nearly had a few cars slam up my *** because they havent expected me to stop!

While there are some drivers behind you in this instance not concentrating, I always SHOW MY INTENTION TO STOP. Basically, I don't roll up to the line then slam on the brakes, I brake early, and keep my brakes applied so the brake lights show cars following that they too must prepare to stop and not stove in my rear bumper.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Another point is the number of people who cruise straight through Give Way signs without even looking...they're conditioned to see Give Ways as "optional areas to take notice of what's around you".
Stop signs however...people have had it drummed into them to STOP.

That's a good thing for the more "casual" motorists out there...

Ive got a give way sign near where i live that theyve changed in the last few years which directions now need to give way. Countless times ive seen people run the give way sign right infront of me and every time i go through there with it in the back of my mind.

Theres also another intersection near here that confuses people. I cant remember how it used to be, but it is 2 roads intersecting that has been reconfigured into 2 T intersections. As such, those coming east have to stop at a stop sign, before having another stop sign when facing north. Those facing south have a give way sign, and those facing west have complete right of way. Countless times ive been sitting facing north at the stop sign, with someone facing south at the give way sign flashing me with their headlights. Theres also several times people have cut infront of me when ive been facing west.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by Vincenzo

As a formerLicence Testing Officer with the Motor Vehicle Registry (NT) I can assure you that it is not just parents who have a weird idea of the rules. I have no idea how many students I failed from one particular driving school who taught their students that, and I quote "don't bother stopping at a stop sign if there are no vehicles coming".

Ten years of Defensive Driver Instructing also, I always made sure the students stopped completely before moving off.

Also, to the best of my knowledge of the Australian Road rules, you must stop forward movement behind the solid line of a stop sign. there is nothing there about how long you need to be still for. HTH


Cheers Vincenzo

I agree with everything in this post. There are some stop signs near me where you need to be forward of the white line to actually see oncoming traffic. A bad design flaw sometimes.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

While there are some drivers behind you in this instance not concentrating, I always SHOW MY INTENTION TO STOP. Basically, I don't roll up to the line then slam on the brakes, I brake early, and keep my brakes applied so the brake lights show cars following that they too must prepare to stop and not stove in my rear bumper.

I decelerate for stop signs, but only brake when stopping (at the end). Too often in traffic people brake (by braking I mean brush the pedal to show lights) when nothing is actually happening in front of them, and they are not slowing. Creates a lot of sympathetic breakers causing mini bottlenecks.

[Franco Cozzo]

I don't really stop at stop signs when there is light traffic, mostly do the first gear crawl up to them, see if its alright then get moving normally through it like any intersection.

I just treat them like give way signs.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

I think the overall lax attitude to stop signs is indicative of the overall lax attitude alot of the younger generation have, by that I mean the under 35s', to authority in general. It starts in school when they learn that they can get away with just about anything short of GBH with nothing more than a stern talking to at best, so have a complete lack of respect for authority and anyone they disagree with in general.
Give parents and teachers back the ability to give a ratbag child a swift kick in the behind when they step over the line and I believe kids would grow up with a bit more respect for everyone and everything around them. This would translate into less flouting of formal and informal rules and laws that we all live by as well as less agression as a first response.

I'm sure there's those that will disagree but I know a quick clip round the ear didn't do me any harm when I was young and the same has worked on my kids who are respectful of others and don't start fights or flout rules, unlike a couple of the ratbags at the small school they go to.

I teach my kids that agression is the last resort; never start fights and talk your way out of a fight if you can.

but if the fight comes to you and you have no choice, then make sure you FINISH the fight.

I see some of the laziest driving from older tradies (I am one). They run stop signs, don't shoulder check, do illegal maneuvers and just generally drive slow. I don't think age has a factor in this. Just a speed campaign that has numbed people to the other risks associated with driving, other than speed.

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by irish2

I agree with everything in this post. There are some stop signs near me where you need to be forward of the white line to actually see oncoming traffic. A bad design flaw sometimes.

As long as you stop before the white line, you can legally roll forward over it, and stop again to check.

I have a crazy one on the way to work. Leaving a small street that goes onto a main road. The unbroken line, and the stop sign is a car length back from the intersecting road, because the footpath beside that main road is a bike track as well (complete with dotted lines). There is also a painted line right at the corner too, but no stop sign. I always stop at the first line with the sign, then roll forward and stop again at the second line before pulling out. I was always taught that the solid line across the road meant stop, even if there is no sign there.

Over the last 6 years, a few of my colleagues have been pulled up there by the cops, and mostly warned, but occasionally they have been fined for not stopping at the 2nd line.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by irish2

Just a speed campaign that has numbed people to the other risks associated with driving, other than speed.

Thats what appears to have occurred.

And if there is a fatality due to someone not giving way at a stop or give way sign, more than likely the speed limit on the intersecting roadway gets lowered.

Only because speed can be measured and recorded automatically by cameras to produce a fine. Stop and give way sign infringements cannot be recorded, just like distracted driving.

So the GIVE WAY requirement at Stop and Give Way signs tends to get ignored by some drivers.

[Feathers]

My Grandmother got booked years ago for failing to stop at a stop sign near her house.
It had very poor line of sight to the right, so she rolled over the line and stopped, but they booked her for not stopping behind the line, and only then moving forward if she couldn't see sufficiently.

Once I got my licence 10 years later, I used to drive through that intersection every morning at about 5.30am to go to work, and I made absolutely sure I stopped behind that line.

[Phildo]

I got rear ended at a stop sign in my taxi a couple of years ago.

I was ****ed off at the time, but the bloke was insured.

I got a quote for $1,100, told the insurance company to pay cash and I'll sort it out myself later.

Ended getting it fixed for $550. Wasn't so ****ed off after that.

[Vincenzo]

Originally Posted by Vincenzo View Post
As a formerLicence Testing Officer with the Motor Vehicle Registry (NT) I can assure you that it is not just parents who have a weird idea of the rules. I have no idea how many students I failed from one particular driving school who taught their students that, and I quote "don't bother stopping at a stop sign if there are no vehicles coming".

Ten years of Defensive Driver Instructing also, I always made sure the students stopped completely before moving off.

Also, to the best of my knowledge of the Australian Road rules, you must stop forward movement behind the solid line of a stop sign. there is nothing there about how long you need to be still for. HTH

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

As long as you stop before the white line, you can legally roll forward over it, and stop again to check.

combine both and you have the perfect answer, especially for partially blind intersections.


Cheers Vincenzo

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by Honest Gaza

While I agree with your sentiments about attitudes in general, people not stopping at Stop signs has been happening ever since I began driving more than 30 years ago....so let's not blame that on the current generation.

Some idiots just refuse to stop.

But then let's take that a little further. If we think someone is wrong for not obeying a stop sign....that is, you should stop at a stop sign...then is that any different from someone who decides it is ok to go faster than the speed limit because there were no cars around ?

I'm not saying it never happened, of coarse there has always been stupid drivers ignoring road rules including failing to stop at stop signs, as you say,"some idiots just refuse to stop."

What I am saying is that the practice has become more prevalent in the last few years along with the general decay of driving standards, including road rage, and I believe that quite a bit of that can be attributed to what I said in my first post.
As for your second point, I agree that in a metro or in a built up area you should be sticking to the speed limit no matter what.............. but on a deserted country road somewhere, it's not going to cause you or someone else to get T-boned if you happen to be going 120 in a 110 zone so on that basis I don't think your comparison is a particularly good one to make..... and before you go getting all pedantic about T-junctions on country roads and accidents, IMO you and/or them will be just as farqued at 110kph as 120kph if someone pulls out on you on a country road.

Originally Posted by irish2

I see some of the laziest driving from older tradies (I am one). They run stop signs, don't shoulder check, do illegal maneuvers and just generally drive slow. I don't think age has a factor in this. Just a speed campaign that has numbed people to the other risks associated with driving, other than speed.

See my first point above........