ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.
A viewer asked Trooper Steve, “Is the fine or traffic ticket the same if I completely blew a stop sign or slowly roll through?”
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“I think we should start out by saying a stop sign requires your vehicle to come to a complete stop prior to proceeding through it,” he said. “A complete stop would be when your vehicle comes to a final resting place prior to proceeding forward.”
Blowing through or rolling through a stop sign are both a violation of not stopping at a stop sign, but Trooper Steve says the severity it is done could result in different outcomes.
“For example, if you’re approaching a stop sign and you’re able to see both ways and you choose to treat it as a yield sign, the outcome could be less compared if you decided to completely ignore the traffic control device and speed right through it,” he said.
A police officer has discretion when it comes to writing traffic citations, Trooper Steve added. Based on the severity of the violation, an officer can choose whether or not they want to write a ticket.
“This does not mean that you can yield to stop signs rather than make a complete stop because you think the officer might give you a morning,” he said.
The ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign is an excess of $160 and multiple points on your driver’s license.
“I can promise you that stop signs are in their locations for certain reasons,” Trooper Steve said. “Whether it’s a residential stop sign or located in a place to alternate traffic it has a purpose, completely running a stop sign can lead to a serious crash where others are expecting you to do the right thing.”