One of my first students said something that I have never forgotten and have often repeated to my students over the past 6 years. On our way home after a lesson one day we came to the stop sign at the end of Riley Road in Mt Helena. As we stopped at the sign, once I reminded them had to, they said to me
“I don’t have to stop at stop signs once I’ve passed my PDA do I?”
“WHAT?, of course you do”
“Oh for goodness sake (maybe not their exact words but cleaned up for this purpose) there are so many things you have to remember when you’re driving!”
Well yes there are, its not a mindless auto pilot thing to do this driving caper (not what I answered) my actual reply “there is a big red sign, you don’t actually have to remember it”
As I said, I have often repeated this story and received many a chuckle from my students. Stop signs do seem to have become a suggestion to many people that I see when I am teaching these days but did you know that the penalty for not stopping at a stop sign is 3 demerit points and a $300 fine.
Below is the actual rule copied from the Drive Safe Handbook so you know what to teach your leaners.
‘STOP’ sign – stop and give way to traffic on or turning from the intersecting road.
Stop at the line marked across the road before ‘STOP’ signs. If you have to stop back from the line, stop again as close to the line as you can when you move forward.
If there is no line, stop as close to the intersection as practical but before entering it.
Give way to all traffic coming from the left or right, including turning vehicles.
In the image, YOU must give way to Car A and Car C. Car B must give way to YOU, Car A and Car C.
