Around here it seems that stop signs are either suggestions or to be completely ignored. Apparently, it's gotten bad enough that our local paper wrote an article stating that yes, you must actually stop at every posted stop sign.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/ne...ea-56b64c4987b8.html

Do you have the same issue at your location?

Happens everywhere I suspect. When people run them (or red lights) and cross in front of me I usually gun it right at them and throw my hands up theatrically, horrified expression on my face. I’ve gotten some pretty good “oh shit” faces out of it.

I like to think those drivers will give doing it in the future a little more thought.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Happens everywhere I suspect. When people run them (or red lights) and cross in front of me I usually gun it right at them and throw my hands up theatrically, horrified expression on my face. I’ve gotten some pretty good “oh shit” faces out of it.

I like to think those drivers will give doing it in the future a little more thought.

You can't teach those that already know everything though. They probably told the story of how some maniac tried to kill them with his car.

Narcissists are made, in the past usually by their parents but now by society in general. Not following the rules is just a symptom.

I routinely almost stop at an intersection close to my house where I have the right of way because so many people roll through the stop sign. It's ridiculous.

I live in a gated community. There are stop signs at the entrance and exit gates. Of the eight hundred and some homes here, I think that there might be one person besides me, who stops for these stop signs.

I have been rear-ended three times at these signs, by people who want to squeeze through the gate, despite the large, prominent, "One Vehicle At A Time" sign.

My town of Park City is in the process of systematically installing traffic circles everywhere. That's great; I'm a fan of traffic circles (or roundabouts if you prefer)... except no one knows how to freakin' drive them!

No, lady. You're not supposed to slam on the brakes when you're already in the middle of the roundabout. And no, you jackass, you don't have the right of way as you approach a circle. You yield to those already in it. And use your turn signal!

And yes. Stop signs in my neighborhood seem to be a mere suggestion to most people.

I almost slammed some woman last week that blatantly blew a stop sign just to get in front of me.

And of course it was on video.

Nobody stops for them by me and a 4 way stop sign it's as if there is nothing there.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
My town of Park City is in the process of systematically installing traffic circles everywhere. That's great; I'm a fan of traffic circles (or roundabouts if you prefer)... except no one knows how to freakin' drive them!

No, lady. You're not supposed to slam on the brakes when you're already in the middle of the roundabout. And no, you jackass, you don't have the right of way as you approach a circle. You yield to those already in it. And use your turn signal!

And yes. Stop signs in my neighborhood seem to be a mere suggestion to most people.

Thats the point actually. Roundabouts reduce crashes by like 90% and fatality crashes to near zero. Worst ome ive been in is bardstown roundabout at 5pm.

It has been shown in some cases that a yield is better than a stop.

People as a group tend to drive appropriately. If 90% of people are driving 40 in a 30, then 40 is likely the best speed to be posted on that road. Same with stop signs. If 90% of people roll through them with no issue, then perhaps a yield sign would make more sense than a stop sign in that particular location.

We have several neighborhoods in the area that have yield signs instead of stop signs at the minor intersections. The more traveled main streets do still use stop signs. Seems to work OK for them.

I have been bitching about the mass ignoring of stop signs, as well as other traffic laws for years. Not even considering the total ignoring of the laws of physics!

As in, those little roughly 4x6 inches of rubber and their efficiency at sudden stopping on wet pavement! Or, tailgating other cars at 60+ MPH.

We have a main road about 300 yards from our house. The posted speed limit is 55. I try to stay within about 5 mph of that limit. I get yelled at, honked at, get the "bird" by people who scream past at 70+. And they have no idea of how long it takes to stop a car at those speeds!

I have often said that if the local LEO agency wants to increase their funding, they might consider setting up speed traps on various roads around here. More people seem to violate those laws than those who abide by them.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Around here it seems that stop signs are either suggestions or to be completely ignored. Apparently, it's gotten bad enough that our local paper wrote an article stating that yes, you must actually stop at every posted stop sign.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/ne...ea-56b64c4987b8.html

Do you have the same issue at your location?

I'm at the opposite side of the state, last exit before NJ. They just started working on the new on ramp/off ramp. When you roll up the on ramp they had a STOP sign there because there was traffic coming around from the northbound side that had the right-of-way. But people would routinely just run the stop sign. So they changed it to a YIELD sign and now everybody has to come to a complete stop. =/

Traffic is just getting bad all over the northeast. Police don't really pull people over for "minor infractions" anymore. At least that's my experience.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
It has been shown in some cases that a yield is better than a stop.

People as a group tend to drive appropriately. If 90% of people are driving 40 in a 30, then 40 is likely the best speed to be posted on that road. Same with stop signs. If 90% of people roll through them with no issue, then perhaps a yield sign would make more sense than a stop sign in that particular location.

We have several neighborhoods in the area that have yield signs instead of stop signs at the minor intersections. The more traveled main streets do still use stop signs. Seems to work OK for them.

Let's not mention yield signs. Of course those mean "get in front of that guy at all costs".

I don't mind the single lane roundabouts, but the double lane roundabouts suck if you have to go more than half way around.

We lived 20 years in the Tampa Bay area without a wreck. In the 18 years we have lived in the Panhandle, we have been in three major wrecks, one car totaled with major injury, due to another driver running a stop sign or stoplight. Two other major wrecks, one from being side swiped, and another from a person turning left into oncoming traffic. I have been surprised that USAA has not dropped us.

I blame a combination of poor traffic engineering, lousy drivers, distracted drivers, and a lack of sufficient traffic enforcement of hazardous violations. Three of those wrecks were caused by distracted drivers, one by a drunk, and one by a driver with head up ass. Speeding also contributes to a lot of red lights and stop sign violations. Traffic is the single greatest threat to public safety in most of our communities.

quote:

Let's not mention yield signs. Of course those mean "get in front of that guy at all costs".

All of the four way stops around here turn into parking lots if there is more than one car within 100 feet.

Nobody can stop then go. They have to stop, wait for everybody else to stop, and then everybody sits there waving at everybody else trying to get them to go first.

I just roll through those while everybody else tries to figure out what they're going to to.

While stationed in West Germany, I liked the "Priority road" system and most of the "driving culture" of the state.

Priority road system was that at an intersection, one of the roads was given "Priority" and it was treated much like a "Yield" by all.

The Priority road had yellow diamond signs on the priority route before the intersections,



and a sign to show what road had Priority.



There were stop signs, but far fewer, and pretty much in very slow or congested areas, parking lots and such.

Pedestrians were given precedence by drivers and they would do their best to stop, so you made sure you looked for pedestrians.

They were expected to step into the road, and when you were a pedestrian, you moved your ass quickly into and across the street. Hesitation got you honked at, a motion with a hand and often a look of disdain.

When driving on the autobahn, you best keep an eye on your six at all times, you see someone approaching, you move your butt over, if they have to flash their lights, you waited too long to move your butt over.

If an emergency vehicle was coming people split and allowed them the middle on two or more lane roads.

If you passed or were passed, you did not freak out on the closeness or closing speeds of the cars, you "ooched" and "allowed" traffick to work it out.

Now, the down side was the bad dicisions made in passing that seemed to be the first cause of bad crashes, the second being black ice.

And most always the crashes were fatal for someone.

But overall, driving was a serious task and taken with the same German determination as any other. Pretty much, no humor and all quick, efficient business.

I do not ever recall one incident of "road rage" type thing, but that was almost 40 years ago.

I live in small rural town of less than 1,000. Main street is 11 blocks long. Three people in town stop at the stop signs coming onto main street...everyone else just blows thru them. Speed limit on main is 35...average speed is 45-50. I am surprised we do not have a wreck a day. We would if the population were more.

Town is about a mile off of a major 4 lane road with a 75 MPH speed limit. There is a stop sign there and you can see for 3/4 of mile each way but still we have 5-6 major accidents there a year because people do not stop and look.

The white-bordered stop signs are optional, right?