STOP SIGNS – A SIMPLE REGULATION? – YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED!
There are probably more “STOP” signs in North America than all other traffic signs combined. It stands to reason that encountering so many, the understanding of this regulation would be second nature to every driver. In the hundreds of classes I have taught over the years I spend about 10 minutes talking on this one subject, stop signs. As often as we are faced with this sign, the majority of the motoring public do not understand what they should know in terms of the regulations.
First of all let’s talk about the difference between ‘stop’ and ‘slow’. Webster defines ‘stop’ as to cause to cease motion or prevent further movement. That means that when approaching a stop sign, the tires of your vehicle must come to a complete halt. Webster defines ‘slow’ as gradual movement. I know this seems fundamental, but in evaluating drivers on a road test, many will swear they came to a stop when in fact their tires were still rolling. We are so use to slowing instead of stopping at intersections; our mind truly believes we actually stopped. Imagine how frustrating it is when 2 or 3 vehicles approach a 2 or 3 way stop. Generally, the first to stop is the first to go, but if you don’t come to a complete stop, how do the others know when it is their turn? These are additional frustrations we don’t need on our roads. Want a simple way to know if you stopped completely? Stop and count, one thousand one, one thousand two, (2 seconds) before pulling away from the intersection; it is a good rule of thumb that works.
Now let us talk about the position of your vehicle when you stop. One common occurrence that is repeated by drivers is the myth that one must stop at the stop sign when coming to a complete stop. This myth has been perpetuated for years and unfortunately has been taught by mom and pop – see my previous article on teaching one to drive – and the next generation continues to perform this driving technique incorrectly.
A stop sign isan indication of “what to do” at an intersection, “not where to do it”. Stop signs are placed at various distances in relation to the intersection. Most are adjacent to the intersection, some are a few feet back and others are placed several feet from an intersecting roadway. When approaching the intersection, a sign will tell you what you must be prepared to do in relationship to other users of the intersection. Just as a ‘yield’ sign or ‘merge’ sign give you the information as you approach the intersection, so too does the stop sign. Nowhere in the Motor Vehicle Act or your Provincial Handbook does it say to stop at the stop sign itself. So that begs the question, “where do I stop when faced with a ‘stop’ sign”?
There are four places you may have to bring your vehicle to a complete stop when approaching an intersection. Before we tackle this situation we have to know about another misunderstood section of the regulations and that is the one governing crosswalks.
There are two typesof crosswalks:marked and unmarked. Unmarked crosswalks are the most common and usually found in residential areas. This is where a sidewalk, pathway or pedestrian walkway ends at a block. As a pedestrian, when continuing to traverse across the road to the next corner you have entered a crosswalk, which is not painted or marked, and this is an unmarked crosswalk. It holds all the rules, and penalties as if it were painted, so treat it with respect. The marked crosswalk is painted and is the one we are most familiar with. Remember whether painted or not, whether the lines are hidden by new asphalt or snow, that area at the end of a block is the beginning of a pedestrian crosswalk. Now we will continue with where to stop when faced with a stop sign at an intersection.
The first position is a common place found in many residential intersections. This is the area just described above where the crosswalk isn’t identified by painted lines. In this instance, as a driver approaching a stop sign, you must draw an imaginary line from sidewalk to sidewalk, as if the sidewalk continued across in front of you. You must then bring your vehicle to a complete stop just before the nearest point of the imaginary sidewalk. This is stop #1.
The next position is identical to the paragraph previous except instead of an imaginary line you now have two (2) distinct painted lines that mirror the sidewalk extension. You must bring your vehicle to a complete stop before the closest painted line. This is the second example, stop #2, of where to stop.
Municipal officials will sometimes apply a heavy white line closest to your vehicle side of the crosswalk, in addition to the normal painted crosswalk identification. This additional crosswalk line can be found at intersections close to coliseums, arenas, large apartments and senior citizen complexes, industrial parks, educational institutions, etc. Wherever the pedestrian traffic will be such, as to completely fill or overflow the crosswalk on a regular basis, to further protect the pedestrians, you now must stop your vehicle before the heavy white line. This is the third example, stop #3, of where to stop your vehicle.
Finally we have another position you may encounter to correctly stop your vehicle when faced with a stop sign. This example is usually found in rural areas where there is no sidewalk or defined pedestrian pathway, but an intersecting roadway has a stop sign to obey. At this location facing the stop sign, you will stop your vehicle at a position before the closest portion of the intersecting highway. This is stop #4.
I have often heard the remark “if I stop back of the crosswalk most times I can’t see up and down the road”. This is a real life situation but easily overcome by remembering that your initial LEGAL stop is at those areas we just discussed. If you can’t see traffic clearly at that position, and you have made a legal stop, you can now move up and stop again, if necessary, or proceed into the intersection, if it is safe to do.
So there you have it. A stop is a stop is a stop. There are 4 positions you may encounter to satisfy the rules of the road at these intersections. Remember, you don’t stop at the stop sign and you don’t do your initial stop on the crosswalk.
With each article I will endeavour to pass along an item from the world of the professional driver called “A TIP FROM THE PROS”.
TIP FROM THE PROS:
Whenever you are fuelling up your vehicle and you notice the large tanker supplying the underground tanks at the service station you intended to use, don’t fuel up your vehicle at that time. Either go to another service centre or come back after the tanker has left. Why? Those tankers provide huge volumes of fuel under high velocity, in a short time, to the underground tanks. This causes the sediment collected at the bottom of these underground tanks to stir around and if you are fuelling your vehicle at that time that sediment will go directly into your vehicle’s fuel tank. Do everything you can to keep the fuel entering your tank clean.
Wayne Loftus
Note from the Safety Council:
Wayne instructs some of the Safety Council’s traffic safety programs. His extensive background in traffic safety includes positions as a fleet manager and as a driver examiner.
In the weeks ahead, we will post another opinion/information article from Wayne. His next article will deal with backing, a manoeuvre that is “.0000001%” of our total driving, yet accounts for a disproportional amount of property damage. It is the most preventable of all collisions.