Stopping at stop signs

detonator

Hi all,

What is the rsa's view when stopping at a stop sign in a situation where the sign is a distance in front of the road marking? Stop at the sign or road sign? If you can help, thanks.

Busi_Girl08

detonator wrote: »

Hi all,

What is the rsa's view when stopping at a stop sign in a situation where the sign is a distance in front of the road marking? Stop at the sign or road sign? If you can help, thanks.

If the line is clearly visible I would stop at the white line. If there is a stop sign but no line, and the sign is a distance from the turn, stop at the sign and edge out to the point of turn slowly.

greyc

detonator wrote: »

Hi all,

What is the rsa's view when stopping at a stop sign in a situation where the sign is a distance in front of the road marking? Stop at the sign or road sign? If you can help, thanks.

My instructor told me that if the Stop sign is set back from the end of the road, I should go up and stop at the line and not the sign. Even if there's no line there, you can still go past the sign and stop where the line would normally be, once you come to a complete stop. As far as i know, you won't be marked if you stop at the sign first, but there's no need.

Craftylee

Also make sure you come to a complete stop - not just slow down

MascotDec85

The rules of the road state:
"Stop signs appear at junctions with major roads. If you approach a Stop sign, you must stop completely before entering the major road, no matter how quiet it might appear"

and:

"The driver must come to a complete stop before entering a major road. The stop line sometimes appears with an upright Stop sign."


Sometimes these signs are placed ridiculously far back from junctions. There's a junction on the Navan routes with no markings and a sign a good car length back from the edge of the road, at least. The testers want the candidates to go to the edge of the road and stop, not the sign.

J_R

MascotDec85 wrote: »

The rules of the road state:
"Stop signs appear at junctions with major roads. If you approach a Stop sign, you must stop completely before entering the major road, no matter how quiet it might appear"

and:

"The driver must come to a complete stop before entering a major road. The stop line sometimes appears with an upright Stop sign."


Sometimes these signs are placed ridiculously far back from junctions. There's a junction on the Navan routes with no markings and a sign a good car length back from the edge of the road, at least. The testers want the candidates to go to the edge of the road and stop, not the sign.

Hi,

I would query the above with the RSA and seek clarification. My opinion, it makes a mockery of the law. And learner drivers will believe it is quite in order to disobey the law. (Unless the examiners explain that that situation is totally unique to Navan and that specific junction.)

The statute book says

Stop Sign and Line


20. (1) A driver of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle in advance of traffic sign number RRM 017 [stop line] or traffic sign number RUS 027 [stop sign].


(2) Where both traffic signs referred to in sub-article (1) are provided, a driver of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle in advance of traffic sign number RRM 017 [stop line].

Nothing about, If in your opinion the line is too far back, choose your own position.

My understanding of a stop sign/line was that you stopped safely outside the danger zone, you then proceeded cautiously forward. Granted, due to the incompetency of some County councils some lines may be too far back but the law must be obeyed. Failure to do so = 2 penalty points.

Regarding the positioning of lines/signs. At some junctions they may well be too far back but then also there could be a very valid reason for them to be positioned several car lengths back from the junction.

For example, I know a junction, both roads quite narrow and there is a building right on the corner. Therefore a large vehicle turning into the side road from the main road will invariably cross the white line of the side road. and just a little extra, the town planners (?) have also positioned a Bus stop approximately a bus length in from the junction. In that case the line is positioned correctly, well back from the junction.

If no line, stop behind the sign. If there is a line and sign then stop behind the line

If no line and you get marked for stopping behind the sign then your driving instructor should contact the RSA on your behalf. lodge a complaint.

MascotDec85

J_R wrote: »

Hi,

I would query the above with the RSA and seek clarification. My opinion, it makes a mockery of the law. And learner drivers will believe it is quite in order to disobey the law. (Unless the examiners explain that that situation is totally unique to Navan and that specific junction.)

The statute book says

Nothing about, If in your opinion the line is too far back, choose your own position.

My understanding of a stop sign/line was that you stopped safely outside the danger zone, you then proceeded cautiously forward. Granted, due to the incompetency of some County councils some lines may be too far back but the law must be obeyed. Failure to do so = 2 penalty points.

Regarding the positioning of lines/signs. At some junctions they may well be too far back but then also there could be a very valid reason for them to be positioned several car lengths back from the junction.

For example, I know a junction, both roads quite narrow and there is a building right on the corner. Therefore a large vehicle turning into the side road from the main road will invariably cross the white line of the side road. and just a little extra, the town planners (?) have also positioned a Bus stop approximately a bus length in from the junction. In that case the line is positioned correctly, well back from the junction.

If no line, stop behind the sign. If there is a line and sign then stop behind the line

If no line and you get marked for stopping behind the sign then your driving instructor should contact the RSA on your behalf. lodge a complaint.

I agree with you. I always teach them to stop at signs when there's no road marking. With this particular junction I explain exactly why they've to stop at the road edge and go on to explain that it might seem contradictory but to do or on that occasion during their test.

NipNip

You stop at the junction! Some are positioned well prior to the actual junction as if you were not forewarned, you might whizz around a corner and by the time you notice the sign and brake, you'd be in the middle of the road!
Btw, stopping means physically stopping ie going right back into first gear and taking the usual take-off precautions from a stopped position

MascotDec85

NipNip wrote: »

You stop at the junction! Some are positioned well prior to the actual junction as if you were not forewarned, you might whizz around a corner and by the time you notice the sign and brake, you'd be in the middle of the road!
Btw, stopping means physically stopping ie going right back into first gear and taking the usual take-off precautions from a stopped position

Read what it says in the statute book. That's the law

J_R

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Read what it says in the statute book. That's the law

Hi,

I liked the whizzing into junctions bit.

NipNip

J_R wrote: »

Hi,

I liked the whizzing into junctions bit.

You should live in the sticks lol. Junctions coming at you from every angle!!

J_R

NipNip wrote: »

You should live in the sticks lol. Junctions coming at you from every angle!!

Hi,

So, I think you hold the same philosophy of a Captain I sailed with. He believed that the faster you went the quicker you got out of trouble. With him it was always Full Steam Ahead, even in thick fog.

greyc

Traffic Signs: In all cases, the applicant should have a reasonable opportunity to see the sign on the approach. Where a ‘STOP’ sign is set back a distance from a junction, an applicant should stop at the stop line, (or where the line should normally be), but if the applicant stops at the sign, a fault should not be recorded.

The above is taken from the RSA Marking Guidelines, so it would appear that either practice is OK, once you stop.

NipNip

greyc wrote: »

Traffic Signs: In all cases, the applicant should have a reasonable opportunity to see the sign on the approach. Where a ‘STOP’ sign is set back a distance from a junction, an applicant should stop at the stop line, (or where the line should normally be), but if the applicant stops at the sign, a fault should not be recorded.

The above is taken from the RSA Marking Guidelines, so it would appear that either practice is OK, once you stop.

So I wasn't making it up? Thanks.