A North Vancouver resident is highlighting a common traffic issue by taking video and posting it online.
Ian Batchelor recently set up his camera outside the End of the Line General Store at the popular intersection of Lynn Valley Road and Dempsey Road.
“This is one of the busier intersections in North Vancouver because of where it is, in relation to the parks and schools,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I’ve observed far too many people, cars and cyclists, who don’t believe stop means stop.”
Batchelor said he set up his 360 camera and caught about 40 stop sign violations in about 45 minutes.
“There’s a lot of activity here,” he said.
Batchelor said he wanted to bring attention to public safety.
“We should, as drivers know better,” he said. “We were trained that at a stop sign, we’re supposed to come to a full and complete stop, (but many) aren’t.
Const. Mansoor Sahak, media relations officer for North Vancouver RCMP, said he has seen many drivers fail to come to a complete stop at intersections.
A ticket for running a stop sign will cost the driver $167 and three points on their licence.
“There are quite a few intersections all across North Vancouver that I could think off the top of my head that are problematic,” Sahak said. “And this isn’t just one of them. There’s quite a few that are across North Vancouver and people are just under the perception that if they slow down, or they’re just rolling, then it’s fine.”
Grant Gottgetreu, a forensic consultant for criminal and traffic offences with Gottgetreu Consulting, said the North Vancouver example is indicative of a larger problem everywhere.
“We used to call them stop signal signs back in the day because most people didn’t come to a complete stop. In fact, the only time they would come to a complete stop is if it was a four-way stop and there were multiple cars there and everyone would freeze.”
Gottgetreu said when it comes to enforcement, if people made an attempt to stop or significantly slow down, they likely would not get a ticket but anyone who didn’t attempt to slow would be ticketed.
“But to enforce it to the letter of the law with a complete cessation of movement is pretty impossible because no one comes to a complete stop, like it’s so infrequent,” he said. “Maybe one out of 100.”
Gottgetreu said that pedestrians are the most vulnerable in these situations.
“Look right, look left and then look right again, the direction you’re going,” he said. “It’s a really easy concept. But you know, as we get older, we develop bad habits, lazy habits where, you know, it doesn’t matter how much enforcement (there is, we just keep doing it).”
The best practice, he said, is to treat a stop sign like a four-way stop.
“We’re in a society now where we’re in a hurry. Everyone’s in a hurry to go nowhere fast.”