Safety Tip of the Month

Stop Rolling Stops

One of the most common traffic offenses is the “California roll.” Other places call it a rolling stop. A “California roll” or rolling stop involves a driver failing to come to a complete stop, meaning all four wheels have ceased moving at a stop sign or red light.

Why do drivers do it?

Even though stopping is the safe and legal thing to do, there are many reasons why drivers decide to keep their wheels turning:

– Bad habit: When a driver rolls through a few stop signs without any consequences, it reinforces the behavior.

– Tight deadlines: Drivers are under increasing pressure to make on-time deliveries, perform multiple services a day, and keep up with the surge in e-commerce shipping. Rolling through a stop sign can inaccurately seem to add up in time saved.

– Distractions: Distracted drivers may not see an upcoming stop sign.

– Momentum: Drivers don’t want to lose forward motion. They think it takes too long to start up again.

– Road fatigue: Drivers spend days on the road away from their families. They often rush on their routes because they want to be home faster.

Drivers who decide to roll through a stop sign without fully stopping take several risks, including:

– Striking a pedestrian or bicyclist crossing or preparing to cross the intersection. They often think you will stop properly, especially children.

– Collision with other vehicles, including T-bone accidents that result when another driver assumes you are going to stop.

– Inability to react to changing conditions, especially if another driver violates a traffic law.

– Not enough time to assess the traffic rules for drivers on opposing or intersecting streets, making it easy to assume another driver has a stop sign when they don’t.

When you roll through a stop sign instead of stopping, your behavior is unpredictable to other drivers and pedestrians. A person on foot usually assumes a driver will follow the traffic rules and stop where they are legally required to do so, giving them the opportunity to cross the street safely. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 10,011 deaths occurred at intersections in 2018, including 1,771 pedestrians and 355 bicyclists.

What You Should Do at A Stop Sign

When approaching a stop sign or intersection, think, “STOP.”

Stop: Come to a complete stop at the painted line before the crosswalk or just before the stop sign.

Think: Count to at least three after stopping to ensure you have taken the time to scan for any oncoming vehicles and that they have had time to see you.

Observe: Keep a close eye on approaching vehicles from all directions, including the street directly across from you.

Proceed: When it is safe, move forward through the intersection. Remain aware of all approaching vehicles so you can react appropriately.