Let’s give up GIVE-WAY.
(Copyright Dieter Fischer - written 1996 / revised 2010)
Let’s give up GIVE-WAY.
Most driving instructors in South Australian are also driving-test examiners. When I was one of these, the hardest tests to conduct was retesting of migrants, who had had years and years of driving experience in London, Frankfurt or New York etc.
No worse than any other driver on the road these newcomers often failed the test by simply rolling through a stop sign, without having first stopped - completely and one hundred percent.
Unlike the speed limit, where candidates still passed, even when exceeding by 9 km/h for up to 10 seconds*, authorities gave examiners no leniency in this matter. If a candidate failed to stop dead at a stop sign, I had to fail them immediately.
*Why this was so at the time is surprising, since exceeding the speed limit today for 8 or 6 kilometers is punishable by a $ 150 infringement notice!
Every examiner has had an argument with customers, who swore that they had stopped at the stop sign, when in fact they had not. Their mistake usually was this: On the approach to the stop sign they kept moving forward, at crawling speed, while already checking for traffic. When the view opened up and no traffic approached, these drivers, subconsciously, saw no point in totally stopping. It was clear, they moved on and ... failed the driving test.
After convincing one young man that he had not completely stopped, he announced: ‘You mean, stop, stop?
A middle aged lady from South Africa informed me that over there they have to stop for 15 seconds at a stop sign. I found this hard to believe. (Africa is not that far behind the rest).
The most intelligent comment by a non-stopper was this: "Aha, you mean all four wheels must stop". (Dooh ... ???)
(This is not the humour section, these comments were made by my learners during lessons).
Here is my rather outlandish theory how this fiasco came about:
Turn the calendar back to the years of early motoring. Motor cars did not have synchronized gear boxes. Approaching a blind corner in second or third gear, drivers had to reduce speed greatly. To continue in second gear could not be done at a safe speed. First gear needed to be engaged.
To engage first gear, however, was mechanically impossible without stopping, without synchro-mesh gear boxes, which were eventually invented. Drivers had to first come to a complete STOP, to be able to engage first gear.
As traffic increased give way and stop signs were introduced. At blind intersections, those with limited visibility, STOP sign were erected. At intersections, where a clear view could be obtained, and therefore were safer, a Give Way sign was installed, since they could be negotiated slightly faster - in second gear.
Today, technology has progressed, thank goodness. Motor cars with manual transmission have synchronized gear boxes. Automatic vehicles dominate the our roads.
But the system of give-way and stop signs, stemming from ancient history, has remained !
Here is my outside-the-box solution:
Abolish give way-signs! Replace them with STOP SIGNS at controlled intersections. Psychologically, STOP is a stronger warning than Give Way. It will slow down motorists at intersections to negotiate the hazard at a safe speed.
Properly trained, intelligent drivers will be able to judge what a safe speed is. They will slow down enough, without having to totally stop, if no traffic approaches. Isn't this what drivers do in today's traffic at every T-junction, give-way sign or roundabout?
The idea could be taken further:
As a tool to assist drivers what kind of intersection they are approaching, the SIZE of the STOP sign could give drivers an indication as to the visibility of the intersection or junction.
Example: A small STOP sign, the size of a average computer screen would indicate that there is a reasonable view into the intersection.
A STOP sign, the size of a large computer screen would indicate lesser visibility.
A STOP sign, as large as a big TV screen is placed on dangerous, blind corners, suggesting to motorists they must come to an (almost) total stop!
Alternatively, colour-coding stop signs in red, amber and green, could achieve the same result (Red - blind corner, amber - visibility limited, green - visibility reasonable).
Conclusion: For an experienced driver to fail a driving test, or get a hefty fine, for rolling very slowly through a stop sign, does not create a safer driver, it only turns an otherwise sensible motorists into an angry, resentful one.
