Are Stop Signs in The Villages really just suggestion?
 

Am I the only one who comes to a full stop at stop signs, only to watch a Lexus or SUV barely slow down an blow right through the intersection? Doesn't mater if you are in another car, a cart or walking....your safety is of no concern to them. Where is the community watch or the sheriff's deputies? Here's a hint, watch Belle Meade at Argyle or Nancy Lopez, you'll make your quota in a day. Also, if it's bad now, what's it going to be like in season?

What if I sit on the corner and video the license plates of those who refuse to stop, will anybody care?

Anything's an option
 

Anyone who can do anything about blowing through stop signs and red lights will not be at the right place at the right time to do anything about it. It's part of driving here. If you go about your day anticipating that people won't stop for lights or signs then you can drive defensively and avoid an accident or worse. Some people don't care who they hurt as long as they get to their destination. I've saved my own life multiple times while driving here just by being prepared when others to do the wrong thing. Also, don't expect for cars to stop when a gait is broken even though there is a stop sign at the broken gait. My husband was on the cart at the Liberty Park gait, which is broken, and a car blew right through the double stop sign. If my husband hadn't anticipated the car not stopping he could have been killed. It's where we live so you may as well get used to it.

I can't stand it! I also can't understand why people don't use their directionals! As far as I know, that's not optional equipment on cars, and I hate the fact that my mind-reading skills have deteriorated so with age.

I stop for stop signs, and I use my turn signals,(even turning into my own driveway at 2 in the morning) that is the way my grandfather taught me to drive. So what do you think of a program to have fellow villagers do the same? No idea how we would accomplish this but I think it would be a great idea. Bumper stickers??

Posts Are Correct!!
 

Come on Sheriff's Dept. get with the program... you see it as we see it also.. what's the reason for not coming down with that summons book.
As the old saying goes "You will not catch all the fish but there will be a few caught" and believe me the word gets around in several months of enforcement.

I also wonder about many folks in The Villages how they make it this far in life without being killed by a moving car many years ago... I am telling you I have never seen more adults walking out of stores right into moving traffic from the grocery stores, home improvements etc etc.. some even look at me right on top of them, hoping I will stop! Not too much value on their life as I see it... Accidents will happen but to knowingly walk directly into moving traffic.. tell me what I should be understanding here...

But back to original thread... You are most correct on the stop signs.. or slow down sign?

When we moved to Florida 25 years ago, I quickly realized that the use of directional signals were optional!!:confused:

There are people that actually believe that the roundabouts should be removed and replaced with stop signs. I can just imagine what a nightmare that would be.

Seems like it is no turn signals, tailgating, and "I am going to make it through that light" is the standard. Of course with age comes changes in driving habits, not as aggressive and more defensive since we have such a melange of drivers here from all over the country and what is standard somewhere else may not be in Florida.

I find the same thing here. Rolling through Stop signs and not stopping before Right on Red is the norm. I come from "up north" and one reason I can think of is that it is so flat here that drivers feel they can see far enough down the road. If there is no traffic within what they feel is a safe distance they just blow rich on through many times with no turn signal on.

No.1--Community Watch has nothing to with stop signs...no enforcement power at all.

No.2--There is no quota system in FL.--Quotas are against the law.
Don't believe me?, just ask the cops in Waldo.

In season will be a whole lot worse.

Here is an idea... put on some dark clothing and a black or dark blue baseball cap... grab a hairdryer and stand on the side of the road aiming it at traffic. See how fast they hit their breaks!

Spending the summers in TN countryside we have to watch out for pick-up trucks pulling their bass boats down the middle of the narrow country roads. In the winter we deal with the Village Idiots LOL. Life is alway a challenge so pay attention.

No enforcement = no fear!

A sure fire, 100% effective incentive is to offer something for free for stopping at stop signs.

When we get back from being away for any length of time it is extremely noticeable how aggressive the drivers are here. And thet for sure expect them not to stop and if they are waiting to enter the road you are on they will 99% of the time pull out in front of you.

Forget the speed limits....they are optional as well.

And traffic circles.....GOOD LUCK!!!

The traffic here is not a problem. The abundance of unlawful and discourteous driving is my only complaint about living in TV. Defensive driving is the order of the day here.

:1rotfl: and, who is going to believe the cops in Waldo, or anywhere in Florida for that matter!!

I've lived in several different states in this country and don't notice any difference in the way drivers drive here and any place else.

As far a "blowing though" stop signs, I really don't see people doing that either. I do see some people come to a complete stop and seemingly count to five or something when it is perfectly safe to proceed. I also see some people slow down enough to see that it is perfectly safe to proceed and then do so.

As far as enforcement, the Sherrif's Dept or most other LEs are not going to harass people when they are not posing a safety risk. A driver that slows down to five miles per hour at a stop sing and can see for a half of a mile in either direction, then continues without make a "full and complete stop with zero rotation of the wheels" is not endangering anyone.

And before everyone starts with the letter of the law, I am quite aware of what it says. I'm just saying that as long as drivers proceed safely it would be unreasonable to ticket them.

I had a woman who was fully stopped at an intersection pull out in front of me when I was only few yards from the intersection. I was approaching from her left. she looked right at me and then turned to look to her right. when she saw no one coming from her right she puled out and went straight across the intersection. She must have forgotten that I was coming from the other direction. So much for the full and complete stop being so safe.

Now if someone truly blows through a stop sign and causes an accident or causes someone to jam on their brakes in order to avoid a collision they deserve to be ticketed.

Driving defensively is the order of the day here in TV. I can't count how many times I've seen a car come down a side street to my right and blow thru the stop sign not even looking to their left to see if someone is there. How these people are still alive is beyond me.

I agree with the Doctor, I haven't noticed it any different or a big problem. The exception would be 'turning right on red'. It seems if your oncoming car is not within 50' of the intersection they will turn right in front of you even if you're going 50 mph. On 466 and 466A people really should consider the speed of the approaching vehicle combined with the distance before pulling into your path. I know many years ago when I drove a motorcycle, I had to learn to be a defensive driver for these type events or it would adios.

My biggest gripe is not using turn signals and driving in the left lane on 466 and 466A at a slow speed. Everyday I'm going either east or west on 466A and cars will clog up the left lane, I guess in anticipation of some turn they need to make in 3 or 4 miles. How inconvenient it must be to have to drive in the right lane and let faster cars go by.

Turn signals should be for warning drivers of your intentions in advance and not to already state the obvious. If you're in the turn lane, then putting on your turn signal after you've entered the lane is rather useless. If you had put on your turn signal 50 yards before changing lanes to enter the turning lane, then you would be providing some notice and would be labeled a considerate driver.

You got the perfect answer,that's exactly what I do,it is called defensive driving.

I'm seasonal. In my home county everyone uses turn signals and stop at stop signs.

We also have 3 reported rapes a week and average 20 murders per year.

We sure have a serious problem here in The Villages

:agree:

Naw. Beatings and public stocks at all squares is my suggestion.

http://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/arts/pro...ces/stocks.jpg

In my golf cart I was stopped at a stop sign, being sure I was clear and a guy in his golf cart went around me.

I have already told about this several times on this forum. Some will remember that I noted what team sticker was on his golf cart.

Drivers come to a rolling stop everywhere. We use to live on a relative busy street in Illinois and one house from the corner stop sign. About half of the cars came to a complete stop. I know because I sit on my front porch sometimes drinking my morning coffee. I can remember only one accident in the five years we lived there and that was a rear end accident.

TV is no different from any place else IMHO.

What??????? Could you explain your post??

I agree that completely blowing through a stop sign without slowing down or looking is very dangerous.

The thing is that so many of the intersections here have great visibility. You can often see a quarter of a mile in every direction when you are approaching fifty yards from the intersection. In those cases people that slow down and proceed safely are not driving dangerously.

Although I'm sure it happens, I don't think I've personally ever seen anyone down here completely blow through a stop sign without slowing down any looking.

I regularly see the Tour de France re-enactors blow thru stop signs, yield signs and red lights. And the accident reports are pretty clear that lots of folks blow thru stop signs. Collective death wish?

This entire thread does much to validate my thoughts about the largest portion of the Villages population. They think the world owes them and they are going to do what they darn well want to. It is a prevalent attitude in this place !! if the shoe fits, well.......

Thought it was compulsory to stop at a red light before turning right etc etc, rolling through the light is illegal and rewarded if caught, by a fine, unfortunately there don't seem to be any red light cameras here! In Lakeland, they constantly caught people doing it and the police constantly reminded everyone that it IS compulsory to come to a complete stop before turning right. Seen people turning left on a red light in front of oncoming traffic, they don't seem to care much if they kill themselves or anyone else. You have to drive with your wits about you all the time, and anticipate what these crazy drivers are going to do next.

THANK GOD....they are nothing more than another government money grab....can you spell TAX!!!:cus:

You have access to accident reports that show a good number of accidents caused by people blowing through stops signs? Where can I see them? How many of this types of accidents have there been?

I am beginning to think that rolling stops are a way of life for citizens of the USA. it is nation wide not just here in The Villages.

There must be a literacy problem here regarding the STOP signs. Stupid is as stupid does. :police:

stop signs
 

I don't need a taxi thanks, I obey the rules of the road and the laws of the state , thanks very much!

I had traffic circles where I come from and they are very common in Europe. There have also been studies that show they are safer and more efficient than intersections. I know how to drive around them and most people that I observe while I'm driving seem to know how to drive around them as well. We're not a bunch of morons.

I would agree that if you're from a place that doesn't have round a bouts then it may take a few times driving in them to get used to it. In addition, when I came to pick up the keys for my house, a Villages representative went over the rules for driving in them. It's pretty simple.

Do you have any statistics on how many accidents occur in round a bouts in this community of over 100,000 residents?

Those that roll through the red lights probably also are the ones who don't pick up after their dogs, don't thank or tip for good service, do drop litter, are rude to shop assistants and so on, ad infinitum! All part of their mind set that says no-one going to tell me what to do! So happy I am not one of them for sure and you don't pay fines for red light running if you don't run the red lights!

Also believe the world is THEIR ashtray as they throw the cigarette butts out the window of the car or on the sidewalk.

Excuse me,BONANZA, my question was to Rambo.....what County would have 20 murders? And there is nothing humorous about rapes and murders.

How about a sign at the Village entrances that say; You're now entering a 55 and older Golf Cart community. Please leave your old habits behind. Some of us are slowing up so you should too!
P.S. It's a law to stop for pedestrians, red lights and stop signs.

LOL Christine....check back, the word in the post was tax, not taxi....too funny!!