Yield and stop sign

starlit

I am totally confused by this, I know you come to complete stop at a stop sign and not necessary at a yield sign to come to a complete stop if its clear only halt if its not clear, and you stop but in the case of no traffic coming from either side in particular its clear from the right.

Is it ok to move on even though you stop but almost ready to move on as if you be at a yield sign even though its a stop sign is that ok like especially on country road if its clear is it ok to stop at a sign but not to a complete halt but slow down stop for a split second and move off when its clear?

Just a matter of slowing down in 2nd and getting back to 1st pronto and moving off like you would at a yield sign? Different if you in town you stop completely even if its clear but when on country roads is it ok to stop briefly and then go when clear at a stop sign?

When with my instructor they say to stop totally at a stop sign even when clear, go then after coming to complete stop and not move on until then.
While with my accompany driver, it could be clear from the right, I stop at a stop sign but only slow down come to a halt for a few seconds but move on then, is that ok?

**Timbuk2**

No, completely stop at a stop sign. Even if it's just momentarily - you need to come to a complete stop before the line.

But as you are slowing down to a stop, just before you come to a stop, when you put your foot on the clutch (as you always do just before coming to a stop), you can change from 2nd to 1st as you are just about to stop - this means you will be ready to emerge if there is a gap. The more you do it, the quicker you'll be able to slow down - stop - move off in quick succession if there is a gap. I know a lot of drivers with their full licence do treat it as a yield sign, but you should stop at stop signs, as it is the law, and it is a Grade 3 fault in your test if you don't (automatic fail!).

mrsoundie

A man was driving down a local street one day and approached a stop sign.He barely slowed down and ran right through the stop sign after glancing for traffic. What the driver did not know was that a officer was watching the intersection. The officer pulled out after him and stopped him two blocks away.

Policeman: License, registration, and proof of insurance please.

Man: Before I give it to you, tell me why you pulled me over.

Policeman: Well you ran right through that stop sign back there…

Man: Man, I slowed down, what’s the difference?!

The police pulled his nightstick and begun pelting the man’s car, leaving small dents. “Now, do you want me to stop or just slow down?!

starlit

Thanks, Just a bit concerned when I see cars at a stop sign and don't stop when I am coming along the road, I'd expect them to come to a complete stop before they move on. I asked my accompany driver and says that they move on cause they have time to do so before come along the road and pass the junction.

Was going for a driving practice today and was at a junction with a stop sign and my accompany driver told me to move on though I slowed down, got to 2nd then 1st and moved on and edged forward, my accompany drive more or less told me move on and not really come a complete halt and kept moving on as the traffic from the right was clear.

So basically did the wrong thing so and would have been consider a fail on my part despite it being clear to the right. So basically not treat the stop sign as yield sign like other drivers do!?

I am always wary of the gardaí but luckily never had anything on my licence cause I always stay within the speed limit.

Might accidentally go onto the grass margin. Though I am not so bad, more control of the car now these times just my judgement is still not to a tee. Need to brush up on that before doing a test, town and country driving sorted making improvements with roundabouts and reversing, and get hillstarts mastered then might attempt test!

**Timbuk2**

I'm not sure who your accompanied driver is, but in my case it was either one of my parents, and sometimes accompanied drivers can pass on bad habits (unknowingly).

In general - always listen to your driving instructor over your accompanied driver, if they contradict each other. When I was learning, my driving instructor told me not to change down gears while stopping (as in 5th-4th-3rd-2nd, when I could just go 5th-3rd, or similar), whereas my father was adamant that changing down gears is the correct thing to do. It was what was advised years ago when brakes weren't as good as they were now (the idea being, the dropping of the gears helped slow down the car, without relying completely on brakes). Nowadays brakes don't need any help, so the recommend advice is to not change down gears unnecessarily (you don't have to stop in 2nd, for example, you can stop in 3rd if that's the gear you are in).

And just to reiterate what I said above - drivers very commonly just 'yield' at stop signs (i.e. not come to a complete stop). This is technically illegal (but in fairness to them, not always dangerous if they can see it's clear).
For example this junction has a stop sign, but 90% of people don't stop, and others only stop when there isn't a gap. I've even seen a garda car behind a bunch of cars who didn't stop, and the garda car didn't do anything (nor did it stop itself). A yield sign would probably be sufficient here. There are some junctions where yield signs would be sufficient, and there are some junctions which have yield signs where stop signs would be more appropriate (e.g. bad visibility).

Hillstarts and stuff will come with practice. As for the driving on the grass verge thing, I imagine that's a problem judging where the left of the car is - that should come with practice. you could try practice driving beside a low kurb, so you'll feel when the left of the car drives onto the kurb.

ANSI

Last week I saw a man drive through a stop sign outside a garda station while using a mobile phone

dceire

Did you ever see the RSA campaign that said 'Take longer to look for bikers'?

You need to stop and actually looking at what's coming when you reach a stop sign. I've been driving cars for years and bikes for a while now too.

I've been in an accident where another car driver didn't stop at a stop sign. The two cars were written off but luckily enough neither of us were hurt; I dread to think what would have happened if I was on the bike. One of the most common bike collisions is called a SMIDSY (Sorry mate I didn't see you).

So please STOP and look when you get to a stop sign.

mlumley

To be pedantic, You stop at a stop sign, and apply handbrake. You can and will fail if you dont, depending on how the tester feels that day.

Oh, and as above, look out for us bikers before moving off.

Mycroft H

I was told a stop at a stop was literally coming to a 1-2mph crawl at the junction if it was clear. Of course if it wasn't clear I'd come to a halt.

I passed the test with no faults doing it like that

MascotDec85

STOP means STOP

No two ways about it

MascotDec85

mlumley wrote: »

To be pedantic, You stop at a stop sign, and apply handbrake. You can and will fail if you dont, depending on how the tester feels that day.

Oh, and as above, look out for us bikers before moving off.

You aren't required to apply the handbrake

challengemaster

MascotDec85 wrote: »

You aren't required to apply the handbrake

You are during the test AFAIK

mlumley

MascotDec85 wrote: »

You aren't required to apply the handbrake

OK, I learned in UK, but still a good idea as it stops you rolling forward if you aren't carefull.

MascotDec85

challengemaster wrote: »

You are during the test AFAIK

It isn't a requirement to use it during the test. Advisable if you are on a hill but not required.

mlumley wrote: »

OK, I learned in UK, but still a good idea as it stops you rolling forward if you aren't carefull.

I learned in the UK too.

**Timbuk2**

challengemaster wrote: »

You are during the test AFAIK

No, it definitely isn't strictly necessary, unless it's a hill.

It's a bit ambiguous to know when to use a handbrake for test purposes, but in general, when a pause becomes a wait, use the handbrake!

challengemaster

MascotDec85 wrote: »

It isn't a requirement to use it during the test. Advisable if you are on a hill but not required.

I think (don't quote me 100% on it) when I was being taught I was told to always do it when stopped, just to make it very clear to the tester that you are FULLY stopping

**Timbuk2**

challengemaster wrote: »

I think (don't quote me 100% on it) when I was being taught I was told to always do it when stopped, just to make it very clear to the tester that you are FULLY stopping

There's never any doubt if you'e stopped - no matter how gently you brake, there's always a small 'jolt' (I'm sure there's a more appropriate word) when you are stationary. The tester will know you have stopped! If you see a gap immediately after stopping, then you can immediately move on. Someone once told me that you should wait at least 3 seconds (!!) while stopped just to make the tester know that you've stopped before moving, but that doesn't make much sense - you want to show understanding of the rule "Stop sign = stop", but also to make reasonable progress.

dceire

A useful tip I was given by my instructor, back in the day, was to look straight ahead until I had stopped the car at the stop sign/marking. It served me very well. Basically, you don't look for traffic on the major road until you have come to a complete stop. This way, you are not tempted to continue on without stopping. Also, I'm 99.99% sure that you don't need to use your handbrake, once you stop.

ADIDriving

Stop means stop. Not: nearly stop, kinda halt, yeild, slow to 1 or 2 kmh, drive at a 1st gear speed... It is a complete stop, not moving, 0.0 kmh, stationary, fully halted. There is no grey area.
After stopping you may need to creep forward to position yourself better, to see the road.
The handbrake is not always necessary. Some instructors get there students to apply it to trick them into stopping. Excessive use can increase the risk of a mark for lack of progress. A non-official guideline for when you should use it is: If you are going to be stopped for at least 3 seconds or if you are on a hill.

MascotDec85

challengemaster wrote: »

I think (don't quote me 100% on it) when I was being taught I was told to always do it when stopped, just to make it very clear to the tester that you are FULLY stopping

The tester's aren't stupid. They know if the pupil has come to a complete stop or not, the same way me, as an instructor can tell if someone stops or not. We see it day in day out.

The handbrake can impact on progress. I teach my pupils to use it if they need to i.e. they might roll. I'll teach my brand new pupils to use it initially to help them get the biting point first and wean them off it as they get a better appreciation of the clutch and how to use it properly at junctions

MascotDec85

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

There's never any doubt if you'e stopped - no matter how gently you brake, there's always a small 'jolt' (I'm sure there's a more appropriate word) when you are stationary. The tester will know you have stopped! If you see a gap immediately after stopping, then you can immediately move on. Someone once told me that you should wait at least 3 seconds (!!) while stopped just to make the tester know that you've stopped before moving, but that doesn't make much sense - you want to show understanding of the rule "Stop sign = stop", but also to make reasonable progress.

Some people shouldn't dish out advice

starlit

So basically if you stop at a Stop sign even if your way is clear you still stop at the sign regardless.

**Timbuk2**

doovdela wrote: »

So basically if you stop at a Stop sign even if your way is clear you still stop at the sign regardless.

Yes basically - but once you come to a full stop, you can move off as quickly as you like, provided there is a gap. At junctions with limited visibility, you are supposed to stop at the line, then peep and creep forward until you get an adequate view. The exit from the driving test centre in Dundalk is exactly like this, apparently people have been faulted for stopping at a point past the line.

MascotDec85

doovdela wrote: »

So basically if you stop at a Stop sign even if your way is clear you still stop at the sign regardless.

Yes

If there is no white line stop the car so that the front of the car is in line with the pole.

ANSI

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Yes

If there is no white line stop the car so that the front of the car is in line with the pole.

If there is no white line then you stop behind the sign. If there is a white line then you stop behind the line.

from drivingschoolireland post two

REDLINE@

For the test
If there is no line, stop your car where the stop line should normally be….
It’s also No problem stopping at the sign itself. Nether are marked for the test. Once you STOP