In theory, of course, drivers should never run stop signs. It’s one of the most basic rules of the road. Every driver knows that they are supposed to stop and that they may need to yield the right of way before they continue through the intersection.
Unfortunately, drivers do run stop signs all the time. This is one of the things that makes intersections so dangerous. But why do drivers make this clear mistake and cause serious accidents? Below are a few reasons why this happens.
They got distracted
Distraction plays a major role, often because the driver doesn’t see the stop sign at all. They may be distracted by their radio, their phone or a passenger in the car. If they’re not paying attention to the road, they can inadvertently run the stop sign.
They slowed down
Some drivers will say that they slowed down, checked for other traffic, and then drove through the stop sign. They know they didn’t come to a complete stop, but they assumed that slowing down would be enough. Unfortunately, it often isn’t, and drivers will roll through stop signs and hit other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and more.
They didn’t see anyone else
One problem is when drivers treat stop signs as a judgment call. If they see other traffic, they’ll stop, but they’ll just drive through the intersection if they don’t think anyone is coming. But this is very dangerous because all it takes is a driver overlooking another vehicle—such as a motorcycle driving in low-light conditions—to cause a serious crash.
Have you been injured by a driver who ran a stop sign? You may deserve financial compensation for lost wages, medical bills and more.
