Michael O'Neil: When did the definition of ‘stop’ change?

Full disclosure: I haven’t always been perfectly compliant when it comes to stop signs. Like many drivers, there have been times when I’ve treated a stop sign more as a slow-down-to-an-almost-stop-and-look sign than what it is. But I’ve never completely disregarded them.

Today, however, it seems as though the definition of “stop” has changed entirely.

Forget the slow roll-through. More and more drivers of all ages are blowing through stop signs as if they don’t exist. On my routine walks with my dog, we pass at least seven stop signs. If two or three drivers come to a complete stop, that’s a lot. Most don’t even attempt a rolling stop. They accelerate through intersections as if the stop sign is the starting line of a drag race.

In nice weather, people are out enjoying our community. Runners are getting in their miles. Families are pushing strollers. Dog owners are walking their pets. Children are reveling in the freedom of riding their bikes around the neighborhood. Every one of them is put at risk when drivers decide that basic traffic laws don’t apply to them.

The statistics are sobering. According to the Federal Highway Administration, roughly one-quarter of all traffic fatalities and half of all traffic injuries occur at intersections. Stop-sign-controlled intersections account for nearly one-third of all intersection crashes, and more than 40 percent of fatal intersection crashes. Every time a driver chooses to ignore a stop sign, they aren’t just breaking a traffic law — they’re increasing the likelihood that a neighbor, a child on a bike, a runner or a member of a family out for a walk will become the next statistic.

Almost every one of us uses our roads every day. That’s why basic traffic safety matters. A stop sign is one of the simplest and most effective safety devices ever created. It requires only a few seconds of patience, yet those few seconds can prevent a lifetime of regret.

Perhaps equally concerning is the example we are setting for the next generation. Young children are constantly watching the adults around them. They learn how to treat others, how to behave in public and how to respect rules by observing parents, grandparents, neighbors and other drivers. When children repeatedly see adults ignore stop signs, speed through neighborhoods or otherwise treat traffic laws as inconveniences, they begin to view those behaviors as normal. We shouldn’t be surprised when future drivers develop bad habits if we are teaching those habits today.

I’ve become so aware of this problem that I now make a conscious effort to come to a complete stop at every sign. Ironically, that seems to infuriate some of the drivers behind me. A number of times, I’ve had people swerve around me as I was slowing down, and pass me while I was stopped at a sign. It’s hard to believe people do this when those same impatient drivers race to the next corner, only to find themselves sitting at a red light, watching as everyone else catches up. In the end, they save little or no time, and put themselves and others at unnecessary risk.

What is so frustrating is that many of these drivers aren’t thinking about the safety of their neighbors, friends or even their own families. The only thing that seems to matter is getting wherever they’re going a few seconds faster.

The reality is that intersections are among the most dangerous places on our roadways. Many crashes are caused not by bad weather, poor road conditions or vehicle defects, but rather because someone decided that a stop sign was merely a suggestion.

Traffic laws are not arbitrary. Stop signs exist because someone recognized a dangerous condition and took steps to prevent tragedy. Every time we ignore them, we gamble not only with our own safety, but with the lives of everyone around us.

The next time you approach a stop sign, take those extra two seconds. Come to a complete stop. Look both ways. Be patient. Because no appointment, errand, text message or cup of coffee is worth a life.

And remember — the stop sign hasn’t changed since you took driver’s education class. Our behavior has. The good news is that we can change it back.

Michael O’Neill is the mayor of Amityville.