Stopping at the line

[leyorkie]

Opinions please on this situation.
Stop line at junction, so you must come to a stop.
If you stop behind a car and you can see that the road is clear, can you just drive straight out following the car in front?
You have stopped but not at the line.
Is there a limit to how far back you can be but still be classed as stopped.

[CoolHands]

I can’t see why you would even bother thinking about this, unless you’ve been done for it and want a way out.

[fido]

leyorkie said:

If you stop behind a car and you can see that the road is clear

If you can see that the road is clear at the point you have stopped at, whether it be 50cm or 100cm or 150cm etc, then I would have thought this would be sufficient. I suspect that if you were behind a car, this would be 4m or thereabouts at least - so did you have full visibility of the the road at this point?

[matchmaker]

The law is clear - you MUST stop AT the stop line.

[Alucidnation]

I thought assumed 'stop' lines were at junctions where you had to stop because of not being able to see clearly to proceed.

[Bigends]

You must stop at a stop sign - but not necessarily at give way lines if its safe to proceed

[Riley Blue]

leyorkie said:

Opinions please on this situation.
Stop line at junction, so you must come to a stop.
If you stop behind a car and you can see that the road is clear, can you just drive straight out following the car in front?
You have stopped but not at the line.
Is there a limit to how far back you can be but still be classed as stopped.

The place at which you must stop is in the first two words of your second sentence. What you do elsewhere is up to you.

[Cat]

matchmaker said:

The law is clear - you MUST stop AT the stop line.

That isn't what the law states, it requires you to stop before crossing the line not at the line:-

TSRGD. 2016 said:

1. Subject to paragraph 2, the requirements conveyed to vehicular traffic on roads by a stop sign are that—

(a)every vehicle must stop before crossing the transverse line

It would ultimately be for a court to decide if the place where you stopped satisfied the above requirement.

Cat

[Wings]

I was pulled over by the police for not stopping at a junction line, but I believe the same was really an excuse to catch a drink driver et.c

[TooMany2cvs]

Cat said:

matchmaker said:

The law is clear - you MUST stop AT the stop line.

That isn't what the law states, it requires you to stop before crossing the line not at the line:-

TSRGD. 2016 said:

1. Subject to paragraph 2, the requirements conveyed to vehicular traffic on roads by a stop sign are that—

(a)every vehicle must stop before crossing the transverse line

It would ultimately be for a court to decide if the place where you stopped satisfied the above requirement.

"I did stop, Officer - five miles back, at the petrol station."

It isn't rocket science to realise that what's meant is stopping as the first vehicle before the line, at a reasonably short distance from the line, and immediately before crossing the line.

Otherwise, it's no different to any Give Way.

[Dixy]

TooMany2cvs said:

It isn't rocket science to realise that what's meant is stopping as the first vehicle before the line, at a reasonably short distance from the line, and immediately before crossing the line.

Since when has British law had anything to do with rocket science and "what's meant" comes a long way down the interpretation route.

[TooMany2cvs]

Dixy said:

TooMany2cvs said:

It isn't rocket science to realise that what's meant is stopping as the first vehicle before the line, at a reasonably short distance from the line, and immediately before crossing the line.

Since when has British law had anything to do with rocket science and "what's meant" comes a long way down the interpretation route.

Good luck with that in court, assuming you'd not just accept the FPN...

[Willy Nilly]

leyorkie said:

Opinions please on this situation.
Stop line at junction, so you must come to a stop.
If you stop behind a car and you can see that the road is clear, can you just drive straight out following the car in front?
You have stopped but not at the line.
Is there a limit to how far back you can be but still be classed as stopped.

You certainly can't in France

[Dixy]

TooMany2cvs said:

Good luck with that in court, assuming you'd not just accept the FPN...

Fortunately the cant prosecute service are a tad more erudite than you and would rely on real law.

[anonymous-user]

matchmaker said:

The law is clear - you MUST stop AT the stop line.

That isn't true, when you do your motorbike test they encourage you to not stop if you can see that the way is clear

[SS2.]

hucumber said:

That isn't true, when you do your motorbike test they encourage you to not stop if you can see that the way is clear

Are you confusing a Stop sign / line with a Give Way sign / line ?

[anonymous-user]

Very possibly...

[Sheepshanks]

leyorkie said:

If you stop behind a car and you can see that the road is clear, can you just drive straight out following the car in front?

It's seems there isn't a definition of distance, but I would say that the road between you and the stop line needs to be clear, so going when the car in front does may well get you into trouble.

[Sheepshanks]

hucumber said:

Very possibly...

God help us.

[Bigends]

There are give way lines on roundabouts - I dont suppose we all stop at them