"California stop" is the vernacular for not coming to a complete stop here - and "complete" means yer wheels gotta be at zeeero rpm! Some cops are sticklers on picking people off on this. My gf got ticketed in Costa Mesa a few years back - cost her more than $300. Just last week a friend got ticketed in San Marcos - $215.

My opinion is that while driving I should do everything possible to move as quickly as possible without impeding anyone's progress. If I roll up to a 4way stop and there is no traffic present, I will look carefully as I near the stop line for both other cars who may decide to blow the stop sign as well as cops. Seeing none of these things, I will generally roll through the stop sign at 5mph or slower. But there is zero chance I am stopping all the way. Zero.

Similarly, let's assume I am in a line of cars approaching a stop sign. As move forward towards the stop line in the 2nd position, the car in front of me has the right away and will be proceeding through the intersection. I would then be next in the queue, simply waiting for my turn in the rotation. If there were no other cars present, or the cars we moving in such a way that my movement would not impede their progress, then I will be following that previous car in my lane right on through the intersection (again assuming no police presence). I have know sped up traffic and helped to ease congestion at the intersection.

It is likely that some here will disagree with this driving style, but in 6 yrs of driving I have no accidents and only 2 speeding tickets. I have no stop sign, red light, or what I would consider to be more serious offenses. But I drive vigilantly looking for dangers.

I pretty religiously stop for stop-signs/lights on public streets. In college, I went for a late night McDonalds run at 3am. I stopped at a light, sat and waited, backed up a bit and moved back up to the light, did that procedure again, and then a third time. The third time, because there were no cars for a long direction (one set of headlights WAY down the road), I went. I was over a mile into campus going 35 when a cop came up behind me at what seemed like 90. He swore that I never even slowed down and just blew through the light. I tried to explain, but he'd have none of it. Even asked me if I'd been "smoking something". I didn't drink or smoke (anything).

I take it back. In your age group that is a pretty good record! :)

Best,
Tom

Ah, but, he does "everything possible to move as quickly as possible", so that six years could actually be the equivalent of an average, stodgy driver's, ohhh...7 or 8 years? :)

I should add the caveat within reason. And the wording should probably be changed to move as efficiently as possible, not necessarily as quickly as possible.

Many on here I have talked about how many cars they wrecked between 16-22. I haven't even had what I would consider to be to close a call, with the exception of when someone else has blatantly disobeyed some traffic law. In those instances, my speed has been at a reasonable pace so that I have been able to avoid the accident. Also, I do some cruising on the highway, but I almost never drive more than 5-7mph over the speed limit on surface streets. And on roads with limits 35mph and below that number is more like 2-3.