Most drivers think they understand STOP signs. But at a T-intersection with two STOP signs, who actually goes first? Is it whoever stops first? The driver turning left? And do you really have to stop for three seconds? I'm a former police officer, police prosecutor and now a Sydney traffic and criminal defence lawyer. In this video, I explain the NSW road rules that settle the argument. Subscribe for free answers to the legal questions you actually ask, and tell me which road rule you want explained next. #australianlaw #roadrules #nsw #police #driving I'm James Glissan, a Sydney-based traffic, firearms and criminal lawyer, and former police officer and prosecutor. My goal is to make Australian law understandable, practical and accessible.
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"For some unknown reason, people really struggle with stop signs." I can actually explain this; It's because every "authority" will tell you something different. When I was in highschool we spent a week at a driving school. They told us you stop at the white line for AT LEAST 3 seconds. I then had private driving lessons and the instructor told me that it was a complete stop within the white line and the stop sign and the length of time didn't matter, that you could stop for 3 seconds if you want to be super-safe, but that it was a waste of time. Then after I got my full license I went and got my Heavy Rigid. While out for the first drive with the instructor I pulled up at the white line of a stop sign and he told me it was a good thing this wasn't the final test, because I would have just failed, because you're suppose to stop at the stop SIGN, not the white line and apparently all the other driving instructors were completely wrong. Then a few years later I had the chance to ask a cop and he said it was the white line and there was no time limit, but 2-3 seconds was a good way to do it. That's 4 different people who should all know what the rules are, who all gave different, conflicting, information. That's why people struggle with it.
I always have done 3 second rule, so the police can see without a doubt that i stopped. Any quicker and their small brain doesn't register.
Such intersection should probably be roundabouts if there is room to put one in.
So now we know, lets hope the other car knows when we get into this situation.
Be honest. Before watching, who did you think went first? 🚗 Whoever stopped first 🚙 The driver turning left And have you ever been told you need to stop for THREE seconds?
I don't recall seeing an T intersection like that in VIC, we seem to turn the terminating road and one of the sides of the T into "a road" and give the other side of the T a giveway or stop.
That’s always been an awkward intersection to navigate. Thanks for the info!!
Just build a roundabout although most Australians don't know how to use those either
When i lived up in Newcastle I was confronted with intersections with 4 way stop signs. These don't exist in Sydney and when i asked locals what the go was, they told me that the normal rules of right off way applied except if two cars were going straight on perpendicular streets, the car that stopped first got right of way.
This needed a satellite view during explanation.for me. I got nothing out of it. I appreciate the attempt you made. I'll look for a clearer explanation elsewhere.
It’s an indicator of who Should and shouldn’t be on the road
I was always taught the person hierarchy for traffic is this order. Left, straight, right
My understanding is that they each give way to the right. If the guy turning right goes first, he ends up on the close guy's left. If the close guy goes first, he is always to the right of the far guy and hence has right of way.
And what about the other problem where drivers who are often new to the country will stop because they are on the terminating road of this T, causing chaos as the other drivers take a guess at what they are up to. I have a similar intersection near home, but with give way signs on both sides of the thru road. Fools always stop at the T when they don’t have to, and then wave for the person at the give way sign to go.
I'm still confused😅 both cars are close to the road
When my mother first started driving in 1980, she was stopped by the police for not stopping at a stop sign for three seconds. So, unless they were wrong, in Victoria it was true, at some point at least.
For some unknown reason, ppl really struggle with roundabouts🤦♀️
If you turn right you give way
Generally you take away the stop sign and ask who would go first. So turning across traffic, you wait. Turning left or straight you proceed. Having said that if you are stopped and the other vehicle is still in motion but very close to the stop sign, you should be able to turn right, as the other vehicle must come to a stop, and once you enter the priority road, you are traffic in that priority road. It's an American thing that whomever stops first goes first, due to the large number of four way stop sign intersections about the place. I also see a lot of people waiting at roundabouts when they are fine to proceed, and I often expect people to not know the rules at intersections so I err on the side of caution.
Driver turning left. This is the one circumstances where I think America did it slightly better with the all way stop signs with taking turns (where there is no roundabout). Also notice traffic at broken down traffic lights tends to flow better in the states since people know the logic from the all way stop.