Stop Sign Guidelines

If you're like me, you often find yourself pulling away from a stop sign wondering, "Did I actually stop long enough just then? Or was that a 'rolling stop'?" (This concern over rolling stops should not be confused with Tennessee residents who live in our apartment complex who seem completely oblivious to stop signs. Even a rolling stop is better than no stop at all.) This "was that a full and complete stop?" question is especially front-of-mind when I happen to notice that I have a cop car right behind me as I'm pulling away from the stop sign. Yikes!

A few years ago, I saw a "bit" about full and complete stops on Comedy Central's spoof cop show Reno 911. Whenever I am sitting at a stop sign, this scene from the show plays itself out in my head. One of the officers is teaching a traffic school class for delinquent drivers and is reviewing various traffic laws. His guideline for pausing appropriately at a stop sign was that you should say aloud, "One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four TO THE FLOOR!" Although I don't often do the one-two-three counting part, it is rare for me to pull away from a stop sign without saying, "Four to the floor!" Whee!