Do Americans really come to a stop at every 'stop' sign?

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GurProfessional9534@reddit

Yes, we’re supposed to. Those who break the rules always exist, but our stop signs are usually placed in dangerous intersections where they are warranted, so we tend to follow them.

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UnbelievableRose@reddit

Do they not have them at every residential intersection where you are? I’m not saying they shouldn’t be there, just that I would hardly label most of the intersections with stop signs as dangerous.

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I’m confused too, as people seem to be implying that there are many intersections with NO stop signs, which is incredibly rare in my experience. Either one street or the other should always have them so it’s clear who has the right of way.

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littleyellowbike@reddit

There are residential neighborhoods in Lincoln, NE that have no signage whatsoever at the intersections. Freaked me out the first time I visited and realized that the cross streets I was merrily blowing through (at a reasonable residential-neighborhood speed, but still) were also not required to stop.

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Dlax8@reddit

A lot of times the main road will have right of way and no stop signs except for other main road, or a light. But roads connecting to that road will have a stop sign to give right of way to the main road.

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2whatextent@reddit

I ran into a town in northern Colorado that had no stop signs. Not even at four way intersections. It felt like a free for all. I asked locals how they dealt with that. They said, Eh, you figure it out.

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scipio0421@reddit

They don't have them at every residential intersection, no. My neighborhood has very few in total, for instance.

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lnsybrd@reddit

Not where I live in Florida.

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RunningTrisarahtop@reddit

Maybe it’s not dangerous for the car but for the pedestrian? I have been almost hit so often while running. Anything that slows and gets drivers aware is good

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GurProfessional9534@reddit

It really depends. Many of them do, yes. There are alternatives to stop signs like circles, stop lights, etc. In more rural areas there can be more unmarked areas. And so on.

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blacklig@reddit

Everyone knows that car crashes in residential areas are just practice car crashes for the real ones out in the wild, they don't actually do any damage.

?????? Wtf are you on about

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Haunting_Scholar_595@reddit

This is not true, every interaction in America has a stop, they can't all be dangerous.

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fhecla@reddit

Not really, they are pretty much every single intersection with a traffic sign. It’s incredibly rare to see a yield sign where two roads cross each other here in the US.

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tetlee@reddit

In Phoenix every residential junction is a stop sign. There is no need to come to a full stop at them which is why most people don't, they should be a yield.

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Bossyboots37@reddit

Not true. I drive down one street that has a stop sign at every cross Street. It isn’t a major road, several of the cross streets are dead ends…..

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GurProfessional9534@reddit

I’m not sure what part of my comment you are saying is untrue.

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Bossyboots37@reddit

I was commenting on another comment, I don’t know why it didn’t go to the thread

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Original_Ant7013@reddit

Depends on who’s watching me.

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Brute_Squad_44@reddit

You're legally required to. Most people at least slow down because they're usually placed in locations that you really don't want to just blow through.

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BigCommieMachine@reddit

We also can’t do roundabouts, so 4 way stops are extremely common.

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BaconContestXBL@reddit

This statement was true 20 years ago. They’re becoming increasingly common. In the town my kid goes to, they just replaced a fairly major four-way traffic intersection controlled by stoplights with a big roundabout and it’s been really successful.

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DryFig511@reddit

Where can't you do roundabouts? We have them in Jersey and NY🤷🏻‍♀️

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Murderhornet212@reddit

Roundabouts suck. Jughandles are a million times better.

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BaconContestXBL@reddit

Jughandles serve the same function and take up way more real estate. Also you still have to come to a complete stop at many of them. I fail to see how they’re better in any way.

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VegetableSquirrel@reddit

What are jughandles and where do they have them?

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Murderhornet212@reddit

New Jersey has tons of them (the person above me had mentioned that we have roundabouts in NJ but honestly a lot of circles got ripped out in the 90s and replaced with either traffic lights are jughandles.) I LOATHE circles and rotaries. I’m not a huge fan of the tiny roundabouts either.

We are the most densely populated state in the country and there are a lot of people on the roads. Jughandles fix the problem of all of those people stopping traffic trying to make left hand turns across traffic.

Basically you make a right hand turn to end up crossing the highway.

https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/s/ElkSQNegUO

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Buckskin_Harry@reddit

A jughandle is named due to the shape of the road that resembles an old fashioned handle on a jug. The best way to describe it on how it’s used is if you need to turn left at an intersection, you go thru the intersection and there is an “exit” ramp on the right you take that basically brings you either 180 or 270 degrees around from your direction. You either turn right (180) or merge like an on-ramp (270) going in the direction you would be had you been allowed to turn left at the intersection itself.

Some handles are after the intersection, and there are ones BEFORE the intersection without the same shape. They may also be called jug handles as a generic term. The ones before an intersection may be more prevalent when turning on a one way road.

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Jewish-Mom-123@reddit

Clover intersections, like at a highway ramp. A single lane entrance and another single lane exit for each direction of the highway.

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LemonSkye@reddit

They're only common in certain areas of NY. In other areas, the idea of putting one in always leads to a huge public backlash, and their implementation has usually been poorly done. There's a pretty notorious traffic circle where I'm from that's been the site of so many accidents that a bypass for it had to be built. They've also had to redesign the circle itself at least once. It's less deadly now, but still extremely frustrating. The issue is that it's a 2 lane traffic circle, where you have to enter to the inside and move to the outside to get to your exit. Depending on how heavy the traffic is, it's very easy to get trapped in the circle for some time before you're able to move to the outside lane.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

To be fair, NJ's are mostly retrofitted traffic circles that weren't originally engineered to roundabout standards (same in Mass).

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maclainanderson@reddit

Aren't roundabouts and traffic circles the same thing?

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

No. Traffic circles/rotaries were built for higher speeds in the circle (they are wider and multilaned), and give priority to traffic entering the circle. Roundabouts are (at least as engineered in the US) smaller, generally two-lanes maximum, entry points are flared to deflect and slow traffic, and priority is given to traffic in the roundabout.

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Satsuki7104@reddit

California has them but they’re not on the driving test so nobody knows how to use them.

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BigCommieMachine@reddit

I mean they exist, but we have WAY more 4-way stops. Your average American also can’t seemingly mentally handle them.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

That's ridiculous, if that were the case, I'd be seeing collisions every single day I drive to and from work through them.

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igotshadowbaned@reddit

Well yeah. Overall the US isn't very dense so we have a lot of lower traffic roads, and the foot print of a 4 way stop is a lot less than a rotary

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Illustrious-Pool-352@reddit

New Jersey is fucking bursting with roundabouts. Coming from Maryland I had barely ever seen one and now live in a town with a huge and dangerous one.

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LikelyNotSober@reddit

They’re very common in some states.

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DowntownEmu@reddit

I've found they're quite common in NYS outside of the five boroughs of NYC but I don't think I've seen any in the five boroughs

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BxAnnie@reddit

There is one that I know of, in the Bronx. It’s how you get to City Island/Rodman’s Neck/Orchard Beach and Shore road, which brings you into Pelham and Westchester County.

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xmetalheadx666x@reddit

Don't forget Columbus Circle

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BxAnnie@reddit

Oh derp. Of course. It’s literally in the name. I should stop posting before my corner.

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Strict_Violinist1164@reddit

who cant do roundabouts?

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everythingonit@reddit

“Can’t do roundabouts”? Sorry, what?

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Significant-Owl-2980@reddit

Come to New England. We have roundabouts everywhere. They are making 2 new ones in my town lol.

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Briilliant_Bob@reddit

We have roundabouts in Kentucky and Indiana.

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Euphoric_Ease4554@reddit

And Ohio

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Meekanado@reddit

And Michigan.

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lvdude72@reddit

And Nevada.

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Ahpla@reddit

And Kansas and Oklahoma

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sfdsquid@reddit

And all of New England

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Mam9293@reddit

And Florida

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mst3k_42@reddit

And North Carolina

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Thick-News-9415@reddit

And Illinois

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TearRevolutionary686@reddit

And WV and MT

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Bud10@reddit

And Ohio, hell my town has 4 of them with a 5th one being constructed soon.

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strawberryselkie@reddit

I'm seeing them increasingly more in California, too.

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gtne91@reddit

Not teue, I have a ton in my area. Depending on direction I am going, to get from my house to a major road requires 3 to 9 roundabouts.

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AwesomeWhiteDude@reddit

Roundabouts have become way more prevalent in the last 15 or so years, multi-lane ones too

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SockPuppet-47@reddit

As a semi truck driver I absolutely hate roundabouts. Trust me, they exist in America.

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apleasantpeninsula@reddit

are they too tight or is it the other drivers? They eventually widened one near me after so many trucks tipped over

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SockPuppet-47@reddit

Little of both.

They're usually small circles around and I need more than one lane plus the trailer rides up on the center. It's always smooth but it just doesn't feel right in my head to let my trailer go there.

It takes me a bit to get moving. I gotta shift 5 times to get up to 15 MPH since the truck is geared so low. Trying to find a spot to jump in with the 4 wheelers zipping around the circle is difficult. It's hard to judge if they're jumping off before they round the corner to cross in front of me or not. I usually look at the steer tires for signals but it's hard to judge since they're turning.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

The center is designed exactly for you to ride up over it. And what is the difference if you have to stop anyway at a stop sign, and still shift five gears to get back up to speed?

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SockPuppet-47@reddit

Yeah, it just doesn't feel right in my head when the trailer is riding at a angle. Screws with my sense of balance.

Stop signs have rules. Everyone mostly understands that everyone gets a turn. In a roundabout it's just a steady stream of 4 wheelers doing what 4 wheelers do Zoom Zoom Zoom

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Ellavemia@reddit

They exist, but “we can’t do them” I think as in, we’re not good at them. They completely throw me off and I wish we didn’t have them.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Dude, I drive to Hilliard every day, there are roundabouts all over the place, and people manage them just fine.

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

We call them rotaries and we have them.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

They are backward-retrofitted "roundabouts", they were not engineered as a modern roundabout, as they were originally designed for traffic priority to those inbound.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

We've been doing roundabouts for 30 years now, we are fine with then. We also engineered them better than (sorry, Brits) the monstrosities found on motorway junctions (really, FOUR lanes?).

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Current_Poster@reddit

Note: The above is extremely not-true. [In some states they're called "Rotaries", but they're the same thing. other states simply have roundabouts.]

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TSells31@reddit

They’re literally everywhere in my northeastern Iowa town. They tore up every single regular intersection down the Main Street, the even more Main Street (lol), as well as at the intersections on damn near every highway on/off ramp for miles and miles.

We started build them here like right as I was getting my license. Of course., being in Iowa, there was significant pushback because old people don’t know how to use them and refuse to change.

But now, basically the only people who complain about them are clinging to whatever conservative mindset made them so against them anyways. They’re otherwise pretty much universally loved and easy to use.

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Message_10@reddit

I live in NYC and drive all over the place, and while you might not come to a full stop, you slow down to a roll at every. single. one. lol. You said that well--stop signs are almost always in places where if you blow through them, you could get killed.

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streetcar-cin@reddit

Stop signs are frequently used to control speed in many suburban neighborhoods

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chaosrulz0310@reddit

Legally yes, the ones at major roads or intersections. Realistically on side streets and non busy areas it’s usually a slow and go. Especially if it’s a right turn and nothing is coming from the other way.

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rajb245@reddit

We call the thing you’re not supposed to do a rolling stop here and cops write tickets for them all the time. Yes, we come to a full stop to make sure we don’t have a to pay a few hundred bucks for a ticket.

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theegodmother1999@reddit

yes indeed! maybe not technically a "full and complete" stop every time if no one else is around but yes definitely we stop at stop signs hahaha

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-RedRocket-@reddit

One really is supposed to. If you don't and there is an accident, it is your fault.

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Yes 100%. I still do what I was taught as a teenager 35 years ago, and wait for the car to "settle" and rock back slightly before I ever go again, even if its clear.

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_meshy@reddit

Yup, we hate roundabouts and traffic circles so much that we just put 4 way stops everywhere and it is fucking annoying.

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No_Print1433@reddit

Not everybody does, but if you don't, you're taking a risk. You could get hit by someone already on the road (I had someone blow a stop sign in front of my on my way to work on Friday and had to swerve into the -thankfully clear - oncoming lane to avoid hitting him). Or if there's a police officer around, you risk a ticket. Please stop at the stop signs.

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DisneyDragonfly17@reddit

I live in a small town and I live right beside a stop sign. No, people don't stop every time, even when there's a car coming they look and go right into an oncoming vehicle's path. The only one's who always stop are semi truck drivers.

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uyakotter@reddit

I was given a $100 ticket by a California cop for not coming to a full stop on my bicycle.

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thatsonlyme312@reddit

Thats ridiculous. How do you even come to a full stop on a bicycle? And how would you get anywhere if you made a full stop at every intersection?

I get that some places are cracking down on bicyclists who blow stop signs and red lights with impunity, but I still think it's perfectly reasonable for a bicyclist to slow down enough at stop signs, to let other person go first.

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ScottJ6189@reddit

In NYC, most people don’t come to a full stop.. they’ll usually slow down and then keep going if no one is coming. But there are a lot of intersections where that doesn’t work.

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Legitimate-Log-6542@reddit

Where I live there are mostly stop signs and yes I come to a stop at every one. For safety most of all, and also cops like to hide out in the bushes for people that try to sneak in a California stop

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KingDarius89@reddit

Just reminded me of my brother. Years ago, he had the location of every local traffic cam memorized so that he knew where it was safe to speed/run red lights. At one point he also had one of those radar detectors. We made a trip between Fresno and Sacramento in about 90 minutes. That's normally a 3 hour drive.

He pretty much stopped that shit after he became a father.

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Jops817@reddit

Well it's never safe to run a red light, that's why it's red. Lucky you didn't kill anyone or get killed.

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balthisar@reddit

Often they’re red because they’re on a timer, and not because they possess knowledge that there’s dangerous cross traffic.

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Jops817@reddit

Yes, but the potential for cross traffic is in fact being told it's safe to go, and by running the red light, you are making it no longer safe.

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Isaacthetraveler@reddit

Also most american hate roundabouts bc 1. We are never really taught how to use them effectively 2. Ours of often times larger then they need to be.

It wasn’t until i lived in australia that I learned how much better a small roundabout is then our 4 way stop, they are faster, use less gas, are better for your breaks etc.

You are slowly starting to see more small roundabouts here in the US in different places, but you also get unnessesarly large ones as well that kinda suck.

And because we are never taught I would say a majority of americans still stop every time bf entering a roundabout which defeats the purpose of them.

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lsp2005@reddit

Yes

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SteampunkExplorer@reddit

Yes, because it's the law, and because not doing so is dangerous and could kill somebody.

They put stop signs specifically in places where you need to be careful.

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IntentionAromatic523@reddit

You better. Unless you want to be T-Boned.

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Perfect-Restaurant-9@reddit

Yes. I did a rolling stop at one just last month and got pulled immediately. Damn cop was parked hiding behind a tree. Waiting for us serious criminals. 🙄

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zoonazoona@reddit

No, they do not.

Part of the issue is that most junctions (where I live) are designed so that the stop line/sign is behind the junction. So you can’t see from the stop sign. So you are supposed to stop, then creep forward until you can see, potentially stop again and then go.

Being from the uk, I’m used to junctions where you stop, or have to give way being visible from that point of stopping. It’s annoying.
I think the style it is a factor in people rolling through the whole thing without stopping at all.

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Ceorl_Lounge@reddit

So you're familiar with the reputation American cops have right? Would you actively want to get their attention? Didn't think so. Stop at the bloody 🛑

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Sea-Bill78@reddit

Yes it is the law

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ayypecs@reddit

Yes. You really should bc some intersections have such poor sight lines that you really will be t-boned if you don’t

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Jendolyn872@reddit

That, or there are people who are not in cars and crossing the road. Pedestrians, people with prams/kids, people in wheelchairs, people on bikes. The roads are for everyone and we take turns at intersections.

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Unsolven@reddit

And some you can see 2 miles in every direction 20 feet back from the stop sign.

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Anyashadow@reddit

Those can be deceiving. I lived next to one of those and they eventually had to close it because people would misjudge the speed and get nailed. Had a few deaths there too.

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river-running@reddit

You're supposed to. Plenty of people don't and they help keep the cops in business.

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Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

Yes, I do. I do so to prevent my automobile from being involved in an accident.

Additionally, it is the law, and I don't want to receive a ticket from the police.

In many states, it is considered a moving violation (a primary traffic offense) and can impact your insurance.

In the US, we have a distinction between a Yield sign and a Stop sign, we have both.

In my city, many people ignore the rules of a Stop sign and don't come to a complete stop, they do a slide ("the Philly slide").

According to an internet search, as you stated, Stop signs aren't as prevalent in the UK.

However, it indicates that at a Stop sign (octagon, red) is a mandatory instruction. You must bring your vehicle to a complete cessation of movement before the white limit line, crosswalk, or intersection.

The Yield Sign (downward triangle, red/W white) is a conditional instruction. You are not required to come to a stop if the way is clear. You may proceed through the intersection or merge into traffic without stopping, provided you do not interfere with the flow of other vehicles.

So, it seems that the UK and the US both have Stop and Yield signs, and both have mandatory and conditional rules. The only difference is that stop signs are less prevalent in the UK.

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noviceartificer@reddit

Are you a cop? because yes I do absolutely

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Comfortable-Bike9080@reddit

i usually just slow down tbh

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sendme_your_cats@reddit

Yeah man I don't want my car to get t-boned.

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Meowmeowmeow31@reddit

Same. And I don’t want to hit a pedestrian.

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fhecla@reddit

And yet, even though we have yield signs everywhere, you guys would have a stop sign, we don’t have problems with cars being T-boned that much. It’s really not that hard, as you’re driving up to the intersection you slow way down and if no one’s coming, you keep going! If someone’s coming, you stop and the person goes first who has the rate of way just the way you do at a four-way stop in the US.

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SnooRadishes7189@reddit

Depending on location, you might not be able to see someone coming.

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fhecla@reddit

In that case, you might slow all the way down to a stop - the yield sign means, don’t go through the intersection until you are quite sure that it is safe to do so. It just adds a little bit of personal responsibility rather than saying, every single person needs to come to a complete stop regardless of if you can see a mile in each direction.

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that-Sarah-girl@reddit

Just because you have a stop sign doesn't mean the other direction does. You still have to look and make decisions. It's still your responsibility.

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she-dont-use-jellyyy@reddit

Why does it bother you that we have different laws here?

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fhecla@reddit

Because I have lived in both countries, and having experienced both I think the English siren with mostly yield signs is faster, easier and works fine compared to our system here in the US, which is mostly stop signs.

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goblin_hipster@reddit

It's also really not that hard to follow the law, and, as others have said, visibility is an issue. It only takes like 5 seconds, why not just do it?

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blueninja012@reddit

Having spent time in the US, most intersections seem to have absolutely no visibility. You sometimes can't see someone coming until they're right on top of you. I'd see people rolling through stop signs all the time, but I'd always come to a complete stop then very slowly inch out while trying to see anything at all down the road.

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sendme_your_cats@reddit

I didn't imply that people in the UK get tboned more often. I'm just saying that if I didn't follow the rules of the road and ran a stop sign there would be a chance my car gets hit.

We also have plenty of yields for both merging and 4 way stops. Official signs in the former and common sense right-of-way situations in the latter.

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Born-Business-2628@reddit

Actual factual. I’m also too scared to do a rolling stop because I just know gods gonna make an example out of me with the police. 😭

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SemanticPedantic007@reddit

Yes, ever since I got a ticket for not doing that out on a backroad with absolutely nobody else around except for the cop sitting across the street, waiting for victims.

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Tinsie167@reddit

Same!

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YouFeedTheFish@reddit

~~victims~~ filthy, dirty criminals.

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g1Razor15@reddit

You're supposed too by law

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whatiswrongwithme675@reddit

You're getting a range of responses as to why here because the US is so big there are different norm sets depending on the state, and sometimes town/city you live in. The general rule is yes, most Americans stop because we tend to follow traffic rules very precisely, except for speed, here.

To summarize:

In rural areas stop signs are generally for safety. Most intersections have them, but they may not be 4 way stops.

Urban areas tend to use stop lights instead for safety and so do highly trafficked roads in suburbs. Suburban side roads tend to use stop signs for safety and speed control.

But, just like other US laws, state to state rules sometimes vary.

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Cereal____Killer@reddit

Yes, I wait until the car rocks back and then go. If there is a cop around I stop, spell the work STOP in my head and then go to make extra sure I don’t roll the stop sign.

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woodwork16@reddit

In South Philly, all one way streets with stop signs.
You slow down, no one at the stop sign? Keep going.
I got ticketed for “hindering traffic” because I stopped at 3 stop signs in a row with out of state plates and a cop behind me.

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Wixenstyx@reddit

Missouri and Arkansas (especially Conway) too.

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Altruistic_Relief189@reddit

Yes. We stop at stop signs. If yielding if allowed, there is a sign for that, too.

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Electronic-Clock5867@reddit

All the yield signs have been replaced with stop signs because so many people don’t know what yield means anymore.

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Mikeseddit@reddit

I live in a residential neighborhood full of 4 way stops. My Dutch cousin came to visit, buy a car, and drive across the country and hit all the National Parks. He was astounded at all the stop signs. Said in the Netherlands the majority would be yield signs. Didn’t see why there should be 4 at every intersection. There’s very little traffic here and there is seldom a car at the same intersection at the same time. When there is a car behind me, I worry that I’ll get rear-ended if I come to a complete stop.

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pikkdogs@reddit

Do we? Nah. Is it the law? Yep.

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mads_61@reddit

I do typically. I don’t want a ticket. Also, in my neighborhood, people have a habit of blowing through both stop signs and red lights - I even catch myself hesitating at the intersection when I don’t have the stop sign in case someone is barreling down the street with no intention of stopping.

Sometimes I roll if I’m somewhere with not a lot of people around. Or if I’m somewhere more rural and I can see clearly that it’s clear.

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GoddessOfOddness@reddit

Yes. Even if you can see and there are no cars, you have to. And that means your car is not moving forward at all. A rolling stop (where you slow down a lot and inch forward while you look) can get you a ticket.

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plywooden@reddit

We do after being ticketed for not stopping. The man or woman in front of me who doesn't - I'm still right behind them when they don't, so it's not really worth not stopping.

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MetalEnthusiast83@reddit

I accelerate through them while blasting eagle screeching noises from the stereo and firing my gun.

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AStarkWinterfell@reddit

Yes, a stop sign means “stop” here.

A “yield” sign means “yield.”

Pretty straightforward and not ambiguous.

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mostlygray@reddit

Yes. It's common to do a "California stop" which is kind of a rolling stop but only if there's no one else on the road.

Stop sign intersections work fine. We're used to them. I much prefer them to roundabouts. I know studies say that roundabouts are better but I don't care. I'd rather stop, then go. It's what I'm used to and it makes me happy.

There are places with uncontrolled intersections. Those are considered rolling stops. You give way to the first person to reach the intersection. In the case of a tie, you give way to the right. There aren't many of those any more. You really only see them in small towns these days.

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IconoclastExplosive@reddit

A full on stop every time? No. Lots of us "California rolling stop" by slowing down to like 3 mph and making sure the way is clear, and then going if it is and stopping if it isn't. Technically illegal since you're required to fully stop for a few seconds but usually not an issue.

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Impressive_Star_3454@reddit

I lived in Glendale for about a year. The amount of 4 Way stops was insane. Also California, what's with the red/green light at the on ramps?

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EpiZirco@reddit

The red and green are to regulate the amount of traffic going onto the freeway. It helps prevent/mitigate traffic jams.

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Hoosier_Jedi@reddit

Yep, got a ticket for a rolling stop once. I was steaming, but it wasn’t worth it to fight it since I didn’t come to a dead stop.

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nounthennumbers@reddit

Here’s one most people don’t know. If you come to a T intersection that is uncontrolled (no stop sign, stop light etc), you are required to treat it as if there is a stop sign and come to a complete stop.

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NegotiationOk4424@reddit

The rules of driving must be followed

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MILK_FEELS_PAIN@reddit

You are supposed to come to a complete stop in the UK too btw

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NectarineNo4312@reddit

Depends. In high density areas with a stop sign on every corner, the ones with the white border around the edges are optional. Well, at least here in Philly they are.

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theyork2000@reddit

It’s called a stop sign for a reason.

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Altruistic_Cause9442@reddit

Yeah pretty much, sometimes people will do a “rolling stop” where you will almost come to a complete stop but are still moving, and that’s really only at not very busy intersections.

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FreeRange0929@reddit

Oy blimey wut ya stoppin at those playgrounds fer

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Dizzy_Description812@reddit

Yes, if there is a cop there.

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Fire_Mission@reddit

Yes. Legally you are required to come to a full stop at a stop sign. Not so if there's yield sign, where you just have to give way.

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Euphoric_Ease4554@reddit

And Ohio.

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Melodic_Pattern175@reddit

My neighborhood has stop signs everywhere which nobody observes. The norm is a rolling stop, which is exactly what it sounds like. However, the neighborhood everyone cuts through (to the homeowners’ disgust) is very much policed and also has a 30 mph speed limits limit. Every single day I see someone get pulled over there for not stopping or speeding. Those cops more than make their stats.

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Euphoric_Ease4554@reddit

Yes. A 4 second stop or risk getting a ticket.

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KryptonicxJesus@reddit

Those are yield signs in Philly

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Smokinsumsweet@reddit

Imagine some other idiot is making the same decision and now you two tbone each other. It takes two seconds lol

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No-Lettuce-5783@reddit

The sign says to "STOP," and that's what we're MEANT to do. I think we STOP at first, and then we inch forward to get a better view if it's clear to go. Sometimes there's things in the way. Like shrubbery, street lamp poles, mailboxes, pedestrians and the like. We stop and then we move forward a little to get a better idea if we can go or not I think would be a possible way of putting it properly.

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hypnoticbacon28@reddit

It’s the law in all 50 states that you must come to a complete stop at every stop sign. Many people still keep slowly rolling, prepared to stop instead of actually stopping, though.

When I was in driver’s education, we had an instructor who had a specific punishment for failing to completely stop at stop signs. He’d make you pull over, get out of the car, stand facing the stop sign, put both hands on your chest one over the other, and take a photo of you saying, “I’m sorry Mr. Stop Sign,” so he could send it to your school’s yearbook committee.

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mrggy@reddit

I wish there were more stop signs in the UK. I live in the UK and there have been so many times I've been crossing the street at an intersection as a pedestrian and a car comes out barreling out of nowhere at top speed. The car then gets mad at me despite the fact that I was there first, so I have the right of way. Things would be better for pedestrians if cars were in the habit of stopping at intersections

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Didn't they just changed the Highway Code not that long ago about pedestrian priority at junctions?

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mrggy@reddit

I feel like I've heard something like that, but it seems to have not had any impact on how people actually drive

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billymondy5806@reddit

No, but if you don’t stop, you can get a ticket for doing a California stop!

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Murderhornet212@reddit

Yes or you get a ticket. I stop and count to 3. Also, usually the sign is there for a reason like reduced visibility before the corner.

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Unsolven@reddit

There’s also the “Jersey Roll” through a stop sign.

Short answer: no.

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3X_Cat@reddit

We slow down and look for cops (and cars as an aside).

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SpaceC0wboyX@reddit

In my area theres a lot of stop signs. Like almost any intersection that doesn’t have a light has stop signs for the side street. That being said I live in the densest state in the country and we drive like maniacs here so it’s necessary.

Not sure what the rest of the county is up to

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Pretty much the same. It's less than a yield, but more than a stop.

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maple-belle@reddit

The "California stop" is not legal in California and happens everywhere (but not all or even most of the time). It's just a nickname for the action, a little bit of a stereotype, and has been called other place names, but California is the one that stuck. It's illegal pretty much everywhere in the US though.

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wolferiver@reddit

36 years ago I lived in a residential section of a town which had no stop signs at most intersections, although there were some at a few of the main thoroughfares, and particularly along the ones that were the main ways to exit the residential section. At that time the lack of stop signs was rare enough that I found it alarming. Of course, we have a driving rule that says we should yield at unmarked intersections to whoever reaches the intersection first. I was nervous about these unmarked intersections because I couldn't be sure every driver understood this road rule. By the time I moved away from there, the town had added stop signs at every intersection, although not all of the intersections were 4-way stops.

Every American does stop at a stop sign, or at least, puts on their brakes and coasts through at a very slow speed. This latter maneuver is illegal, and a traffic cop can give you a citation for it.

We even have stop signs along the main thoroughfares of large parking lots in large shopping centers. (As well as speed bumps.) That's mainly because there are just enough entitled a$$holes that would otherwise blow through at higher speeds and endanger everybody.

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Wrong_Work7193@reddit

Yes, very dangerous not to.

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cheetuzz@reddit

Cars do. Bicyclists don’t.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

That's pretty universal around the world. Bikers bitch about car drivers, but then blithely break the traffic rules.

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Persistent_Parkie@reddit

In some states bicyles don't have to as long as it is safe to do so. Google Idaho stops.

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Minimum-Attitude389@reddit

You are supposed to come to a complete stop, although the rolling stop as you describe is very common when it's not busy. But still illegal. Even in California, you can get ticketed for it.

There are "Yield" signs which allow for not stopping, or even just slowing down a bit.

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Well, you are supposed to slow down at a Yield, not just blow through it (on ramp/slip roads are slightly different, but still you need to give way to the main traffic - and I hate the driver entering the freeway puttering along at 40 mph expecting me to give way to him - that's not how that works, buddy!)

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OJSimpsons@reddit

We're supposed to. Most people slow down but probably only 20% stop if they dont have to. Pretty sure we're supposed to use turning signals when we turn or switch lanes too. That one seems about 50-50.

Keep in mind the bias. This is true where I live but lots of places are different.

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Mata187@reddit

Fun fact: i was stationed in RAF Mildenhall. The village didn’t have stop signs, but plenty of yield signs. But once on base, there were tons. Brits who drove on base ALWAYS got a ticket for NOT stopping at the stop sign. My friend said logically “why am I stopping if there’s no other cars around?” Ummm… because thats the law?

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Ask him "why do you stop on red at the traffic light, even when there are no cars around?"

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jmosley4915@reddit

Most don't stop until they have to pay traffic tickets.

Some of the stop signs here in school zones have cameras in them and if you roll through them with out completely stopping that's a $200 ticket.

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Benchod12077@reddit

No it’s called the California roll

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Only if it has avocados in it.

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sendme_your_cats@reddit

I prefer a Cowboy or Philadelphia roll, thanks

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Otherwise-OhWell@reddit

Go birds!

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epicenter69@reddit

STOP… Slow. To. Optional. Pause.

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JazzRider@reddit

You can get a ticket for not coming to a complete stop. I’ve gotten several for this.

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holymacaroley@reddit

Yes. I lived in the UK several years and got it forced into my head not to come to a complete stop, then I moved back home and within 2 months got a ticket for not conning to a complete stop.

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Pink_Flamingo91@reddit

Yep got pulled over once and ticketed for not doing so...never again.

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wwhsd@reddit

At least here in California it isn’t a cheap ticket either.

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bh0@reddit

You’re supposed to, but most people don’t stop do a full stop unless there’s other cars around. It’s far more annoying when people stop like 10 feet past the sign/line so you’re not quite sure if they are actually stopping or not…

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

Yes, mostly. Though more than a few will do the rolling stop and treat it as a give way ("Yield" in the US and Ireland) if the sight lines are clear enough. The reason the US has more stop signs is that most intersections didn't have the sight lines to allow it, and also the STOP sign was created first before the YIELD sign (which came about in the 1950s). American drivers would probably be fine if we could replace many of the STOP signs with YIELD signs, but road planners are slow to change.

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stankin@reddit

No we don't. Many do, but many don't. There can be so many stop signs in areas of very little traffic there really is no need to come to a complete stop. Many slow down to a few mph, check each way to be clear and then proceed. Other locations most come to a stop due to high traffic or lack of good sightlines to see oncoming traffic.

A lot of stop signs could be replaced with yield signs in my opinion.

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spud4@reddit

I used to do rolling stops. One ticket and found out running a stop sign or a red light and hitting someone is the same fine and points. failure to Stop they take seriously.

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Current_Poster@reddit

As a side question, does anyone else's state use a different term for a stop-but-not-really (what OP calls a California stop)? I'm from New England and we always called it a "New York stop" where I was from.

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MrLongWalk@reddit

Yes, if you think they’re common here wait til you hear about this place called “Canada”

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

And France, and Italy...oh, and Japan as well (though they use a red triangle and call it TOMARE).

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affectionateanarchy8@reddit

You have to or you'll get a ticket.

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Think-Departure-5054@reddit

There are definitely some people who feel the rules don’t apply to them, but generally yes we stop at every stop sign. Except for east St. Louis! You might get shot there if you stop.

And in a lot of areas, cops will hide near stop signs to catch anyone who blows through. It’s usually certain intersections that get run the most

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dbdiver@reddit

US invented the “rolling stop”

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zoppaTheDim@reddit

Yes

The rolling stop is the one kids do, but most adults don’t.

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sfdsquid@reddit

It made me laugh that you asked if we do "California stops" in other states. It's just a silly name. It's done everywhere.

It's illegal and can be dangerous (not always) and if you get caught it's usually a $200+ ticket.

All these people saying Americans don't know roundabouts/traffic circles/rotaries, followed by people citing a bunch of different states that have them... It's like i before e except after c around here.

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asistolee@reddit

No, no cop no stop when it’s appropriate

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kofunopochi@reddit

HA.. no. Most come to a rolling stop, at best.

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Endy0816@reddit

Yes. We use the right-of-way system rather than a give-way system.

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DryFig511@reddit

I am surprised so many people are doing "rolling stops." I wonder where they live. If I did this driving in NJ or NY I imagine I would hurt myself or someone else pretty quickly.

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

If I don't see a car coming I come to a full stop because I assume I've missed something. If I see another car coming then I can time my crossing and I go.

I'm semi-serious.

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R2-Scotia@reddit

You are supposed to. In suburban Houston there are streets that go for miles with a 4 way stop every 200 metres or so, serious PITA.

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Elle3247@reddit

Yes. It’s as $100-$300 fine where I am if we fail to completely stop. There’s also usually a good reason for a stop sign.

We also have yield signs that we treat the same way you use stop signs. Yield signs don’t require a full stop unless there’s something (car, person, bicycle) in the way.

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MillieBirdie@reddit

Yes lol, that's like asking if we stop at every red light. There will be people who don't, and they run the risk of getting into a crash or getting caught by cops.

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RTTXF89F@reddit

It depends on the situation. I have a three-way stop sign in my residential neighborhood. It’s customary for drivers to “pause” when there is no opposing traffic. Just slow down almost to a stop, but not actually stop, and carry on. Some drivers just blow through if there is nobody coming. Most folks consider this to be bad form.

There are a lot of places like this where a Yield sign would suffice, but Stop signs are in place.

A lot of intersections in urban areas have the additional element of pedestrians in the mix, so the majority of drivers actually stop for the additional attention involved in dealing with this.

I would say most Stop signs one would encounter in general are absolutely practical and obligatory. Sight lines are limited, and coming to a complete stop is necessary to determine if there is opposing traffic. The US is a big country with a lot of regional and local quirks, so there’s really no absolute answer to your question.

Some have mentioned police being particular about this matter. That’s completely true. I have to add that a lot of commercial and government vehicles now have cameras and software that will alert when a driver does not come to complete stop at a Stop sign.

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pupper71@reddit

Almost no one ever comes to a complete stop at stop signs in my area. Rolling stops which are absolutely not stops are nearly universal.

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_fenwoods@reddit

Around here? Most don’t. I do.

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WolverineResident947@reddit

The California stop is ONLY done in other states. In California, the rolling stop is called a Hollywood Stop. Its no more common in California than it is anywhere else.

A Hollywood/California stop is still closer to a stop than a yield. (Think of a pedestrian stopping with one foot in the air, vs the complete stop with both feet firmly on the ground.The chasis has to rock back for it to be a full and complete stop.) We take those signs seriously.

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mymbles_daughter@reddit

At an intersection near my house people sometimes blow through the stop sign. Cops know it and sometimes lie in wait in a side street to catch them especially in the morning. I see that scene at least once a week.

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jml510@reddit

Hell no. The law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at stop signs. Instead, I mostly see people slow down and NOT come to a stop unless there's a pedestrian in the crosswalk. People break all types of laws on the road as they're often in a hurry to get to nowhere important.

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FormidableMistress@reddit

Yes you legally have to stop at every stop sign. A lot of residential areas have one every block.

When I was little we lived in the same neighborhood as one of my great uncles. He crashed into my dad because even though he had a stop sign and my dad did not, he said he'd lived there since before the roads were paved and signs were put up, so he shouldn't be required to stop. He was grandfathered in. That was literally his legal defense. He did not win and had to pay my parents restitution.

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Shadow_in_Wynter@reddit

Why wouldn't we? You make it sound like we come across a stop sign every sixty seconds and that's it's perfectly safe to drive out into traffic when others are expecting us to abide by the laws of the road. You like getting t-boned by another vehicle?

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Bear_necessities96@reddit

I got 2 tickets when I was younger for “not fully stopped at a stop sign” I would definitely stop in every freaking stop sign I see

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kirbycobain@reddit

Yes its actually pretty serious and most people stop, even in California (at least NorCal...). I used to live in a neighborhood with yield signs and it felt a little scary at times. Drivers can't really be trusted without a complete stop at a stop sign, yield signs assume drivers are actually cautious.

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DontReportMe7565@reddit

No. I wish 90% of stop signs were replaced yield signs. That said, ive been out with friends/coworkers and had them scream at people who do a rolling stop in an open area with plenty of visibility. So im starting to think people just like telling people what to do.

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GreenBeanTM@reddit

Why would we not?

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shessocold1969@reddit

I do. If you barely stop it’s called a California stop, maybe only in California. I know too many people that have gotten tickets for not stopping long enough.

I stop, count to 3, and go.

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Imaginary-Duck1333@reddit

Here in TN there are stop signs at near every intersection- including residential. Some of it is visibility issues, but mostly seems seems to be order of operation. I have the stop sign so you get to go by first. A lot of people do the rolling stop.

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Traditional_Trust418@reddit

It's illegal not to stop. Some people still don't, but most people do

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CaptainSwift11@reddit

Yes, admittedly it's quite common to slowly roll through them in less busy areas, but it's legally required to come to a complete stop.

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WhiskeyDeltaBravo1@reddit

In rural areas a stop sign is just a suggestion.

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B_A_Beder@reddit

Are you asking what the law is or are you asking what people tend to do?

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Clear_Task3903@reddit

yes

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CupBeEmpty@reddit

Of course we do 100% of the time.

You think anyone ever would commit a rolling stop!?

Seriously though, anyone that says they haven’t cheated a bit on a stop sign is probably lying intentionally or not.

We take stop signs seriously but at 5am on a deserted road maybe you don’t fully come to a stop and look both ways 3 times like you learn in driver’s ed.

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ctoal1984@reddit

Never would have thought there was places without stop signs

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officerboba@reddit

I do it the Californian way

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LzTangeL@reddit

Traffic is enforced much harder in the states than in Europe.

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Rimurooooo@reddit

It honestly is very regional. Each region drives differently and drives the other regions crazy when they transplant

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FoggyGoodwin@reddit

There are definitely some stop signs that are just there for legal reasons (DOT says one goes at each minor crossing) that locals don't always full stop.

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Blutrumpeter@reddit

I "California stop" all the time but it's not a yield at all. It's more like I'm going to 1-2 mph while checking both ways twice. I've seen videos in the UK where it's more like the yield I do while entering a roundabout

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PavicaMalic@reddit

Yes. I live in a densely populated urban neighborhood with many children. Someone ran a stop sign and killed a neighbor's child.

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ryguymcsly@reddit

Californian here: we stop if someone else is coming and it’s a 4 way stop. We stop if it’s a two way stop (crossing traffic does NOT stop at those). Otherwise we almost stop.

In California it’s also legal to come to a complete stop then creep forward for visibility. Some people omit the complete stop part of that and just roll slowly until they can see if it’s clear to go.

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CorrectCondition9458@reddit

We have couple of intersections that you have to creep up to see. The cops like to sit there and wait to see if you make a full stop at sign bf rolling forward to look for cross traffic.

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EnlightenedCorncob@reddit

Yes! There might be someone from the UK coming and they don't stop! Lol

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Standard-Outcome9881@reddit

I do and most other drivers I see seem to stop. Sometimes they drift through but bicyclists and scooter riders often seem to think road signs don’t apply to them.

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divinerebel@reddit

Yes, and count 1-2-3 if no other drivers are there. I don't want a ticket!

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Dio_Yuji@reddit

Obeying traffic laws, like stopping at stop signs, for most Americans is plan B

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greekmom2005@reddit

yes. of course!

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Trinx_@reddit

Usually coming to a crawling speed is enough, but moreso than just a yield. You don't want to blow right through it. But if a cop wants to be a dick they can get you for not coming to a "full and complete stop." A friend had to retake her driver's test for this reason. And I once did get pulled over in the middle of nowhere when the only car anywhere nearby was behind me and it happened to be an undercover cop car. He admitted he only pulled me over because of my car description and the hour, that he was trying to nab a theif in that neighborhood. Let me go no issue. This was in Michigan.

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Arrowdodgingace@reddit

Yes and many people still don’t understand how they work despite being the most basic traffic concepts lol. I prefer roundabouts. People are actually forced to slow down so it’s safer.

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rogomatic@reddit

Nah. I'm tired of people in roundabouts trying to yield to me.

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OK_Stop_Already@reddit

just drive with confidence

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Thedeadnite@reddit

More roundabouts might fix that though.

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bjanas@reddit

We have both "stop signs" and "yield" signs. Yeah, if you blow through a stop sign you're just signing (hah) up to get T-boned.

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FormalConcern4862@reddit

Other states have different equally amusing names for the California roll. We do really stop at the signs. Some intersections have a two way stop or yield or lights so it's not like we do a full stop at every intersection we pass

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Infinite_Crow_3706@reddit

Depends if you want a ticket or not

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OK_Stop_Already@reddit

....yes?

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Unhappy_Performer538@reddit

If you don’t and a cop sees you you’ll get a ticket

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Many-Rub-6151@reddit

Yeah but personally, depending on a the street I do a rolling stop but its absolutely an infraction every single time

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69FourTwentySix6Six@reddit

I hate when they don’t change to “go”

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mouglasandthesort@reddit

If no one is coming I’m rolling right on through

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SummitJunkie7@reddit

We also have yield signs, stop signs and yield signs are two different things.

Some people, sometimes, run stop signs of course - it's illegal and dangerous, and invites getting t-boned.

Otherwise yes, we stop at stop signs.

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kcdashinfo@reddit

I've never met a stop sign yet that I haven't tried to roll. The only time I stop is if there is traffic or another car to yield to. Otherwise, slow down, see if anyone is coming, quick check in the rear view mirror, and go. Life is to short. Nowadays the city is installing roundabouts. People hate them but they have proven to reduce traffic accidents.

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buried_lede@reddit

Yes, unfortunately, we don’t have an equivalent here except maybe an on-ramp into merging traffic. It’s embarrassing

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Ryebread095@reddit

You're supposed to come to a complete stop and only proceed when the way is clear. Tickets, car crashes, and other consequences may ensue if you don't.

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PretendJournalist234@reddit

This American does!

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RepresentativeAir149@reddit

If you don’t, you can get a ticket. Some people are fine with that, or are simply bad at driving

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miketugboat@reddit

Yes and I've gotten a ticket for a "rolling stop" (slowing down enough to check for pedestrians and other vehicles, but not coming to a complete stop)

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webbitor@reddit

Often when there are stop signs its to give cars on one road priority over those on the other. We have plenty of intersections with no stop signs as well.

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Healthy-Attitude-743@reddit

No. If clear sight lines and no one coming, slow roll.

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manderifffic@reddit

Yes. Traffic signs and lights aren't optional.

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SnooPineapples280@reddit

Yes, we do.

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donnacus@reddit

absolutely during busy hours. If I am driving a 2am I might "pause" instead of come to a full stop (assuming the crossing is clear)

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Altruistic_Relief189@reddit

Yes. We stop at stop signs. If yielding if allowed, there is a sign for that, too.

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ranch_commercial@reddit

Im 25 and im only right about to get my license, but yes i believe in coming to a full stop despite being a Californian (the term for not fully stopping at a stop sign is called a “California roll”)

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Eastern_Table9151@reddit

Mostly

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Nickvv52@reddit

Yes bc I'm not trying to pay a ticket or go to the courthouse

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Smart_Engine_3331@reddit

If there's a cop around. Lol

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SilentAcoustic@reddit

Most of the time yes

If it's a dead empty road with no one in sight, california roll is fairly common

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