Stop means stop - except to Wanganui's drivers | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Some Wanganui city drivers are breaking the law and putting their lives at risk by ignoring mandatory stops signs at a number of busy intersections.

The Chronicle monitored one particularly notorious spot, the intersection of Great North Rd and Parsons St at the top of St Johns Hill.

Traffic turning out of Parsons St on to this section of SH3 must stop whether they are heading up the highway or downhill to the city.

But in the space of about 15 minutes on Monday afternoon more than half the vehicles coming to the intersection along Parsons St ignored the stop signs altogether.

We counted 35 vehicles approach the intersection, which is controlled by two stop signs and 19 of the vehicles - a mix of cars and commercial vans - drove straight through.

And if it had not been for traffic travelling on Great North Rd, it is a fair assumption that more motorists would have breached the rule.

Regulatory signs - those that must be obeyed by law - have a red border or background. Red on a road sign indicates there is a road rule that will be broken (and with a subsequent fine) if the sign is disobeyed.

Stop signs require a vehicle be stopped at an intersection and not proceed until the way is clear. Stopping is mandatory, no matter what time of day or the traffic conditions.

The fine for failing to stop at an intersection is $150, but over the past five years accidents at stop and give way signs have had a social cost of nearly $100 million.

The latest NZ Transport Agency crash statistics for the Wanganui's urban area covering the past five years, show that crashes caused by drivers ignoring give way and stop signs was the second most common cause of accidents behind poor observation.

And that continued ignorance of the give way/stop signs is well above the national average.

Glenda Leitao, Horizons Regional Council's Roadsafe co-ordinator, said people ignoring stop signs was a major problem throughout New Zealand "and especially in Wanganui".

"Stop means you must stop, but too many drivers are taking an unnecessary risk and thinking they're okay driving through these controlled intersections," Ms Leitao said.

She said while learner drivers stopped, older or more experienced drivers often broke the rule.

"This is a dangerous practice and sends all the wrong sorts of messages to younger drivers."