Drivers' Behavior at Stop Signs: A Deterioration

Abstract

In a 1985 observational study of 176 private car drivers at stop signs in eight locations in a town setting in Quebec, 42% came to a complete stop, 43% slowed, and 15% did not stop or slow. Relative to previous years (1979 to 1983), these data show a general deterioration in performance that cannot be accounted for by changes in the density of traffic. Further analyses showed that most of the 1985 decline in performance occurred in the absence of other vehicles, where complete stops were considerably fewer than in recent years.