Why this British crossroads was so dangerous

[@TomScottGo]

Update, January 2022: the crossroads has been fixed, as so many folks hoped for, by turning one of the two approach roads and making a staggered junction. Accordingly, I've changed the title of the video to past tense!

[@MrEogin21]

Think it's worthy of another video Tom, could now be called the most expensive section of road in the UK. Re-foresting the original few hundred metres and creating the new offset which is all of 100m cost somewhere over £400,000 and there were suggestions that it could have been nearer £500,000 and took 4mths after they unexpectedly discovered that New Forest subsoil lay beneath the New Forest - who'd have thought it.

[@amberhernandez]

Let's gooooooo! Glad to know the world is getting a bit safer, one crossroad at a time!

[@fergusontea]

We may have overloaded their servers for the moment. Oops!

[@Fairyslash]

the page won't load :(

[@colonelpopcorn7702]

That's super cool

[@seanbm39]

The amount of people who ran the stop sign in the background is astounding

[@ricardoabh3242]

Addapp crazy... do they have tickets camera with fins in the Uk?

[@techniamaster3152]

I live not too far from this place (which was weird seeing Tom Scott monologue outside a place you frequently drive past 🤣) but from how drivers are in this part of the New Forest, I’d assume it’s because people don’t bother to stop. They just assume it’s clear and carry on as if it doesn’t apply to them because ‘they didn’t see anything’. A silly thing to assume when it can literally endanger lives but some people are really selfish and don’t want to waste time stopping 😓

[@DonnaChamberson]

I feel like in America we are VERY strict on our stop signs. Just blowing through the stop sign seems so reckless. But maybe British drivers are different?!

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

Ryan Kerns nah, nobody comes to a complete stop, everybody just rolls right through them.

[@jaydolphin7516]

9 in 4 minutes

[@IronMan-qi3yg]

Why does Tom Scott always sound like he's not angry he's just disappointed in you?

[@IStMl]

Because he's disappointed in the whole species

[@thestudentofficial5483]

I know, that's why each of his words stuck like my parent's scolding

[@FireController1847]

@@jbellfield worse @ 0:14

[@yoavshati]

He's British

[@chemicalfuzzy]

Yoav Shati beat me to it

[@HiyasuJ]

"this is certainly a contender" *Bloke passing by without stopping*

[@MianCowell]

good spot

[@quoththeraven5631]

I scrolled down for the comments on that after replaying it once to make sure I had not imagined it.

[@1andonlyguyStudios]

I saw at least five cars not stop.

[@RichardFelstead1949]

Darwin contender for the brain dead.

[@wayneyam1262]

I don't get how EVERYONE keeps blaming the drivers. OK, we know they're wrong as per law, then what? you're gonna sacrifice your life because of other's mistake? Cyclists' death isn't due to "reckless drivers" and "innocent cyclists". They're both reckless

[@ctyoung0271]

The fact that multiple cyclists went by and multiple drivers didn't stop during the recording of this short video gave Tom's words even more gravitas.

[@ReidTheRulesGuy]

Gravity I'd say

[@nikitademodov3446]

@@ReidTheRulesGuy how can words "have gravity"?! Gravitas, -atis f. is a latin loanword and means dignity or seriousness.

[@zebragoboom]

@@nikitademodov3446 how can a situation have gravity?

[@ReidTheRulesGuy]

@@nikitademodov3446 Gravity 2. extreme or alarming importance; seriousness.

[@UwUOnDatBeat1101]

People getting worked up about grammar rather than people running stop signs into potential bikers

[@tuplaluusto]

Just as before the "failed to stop" is said, car indeed does not stop in the background

[@swan1098]

I was just about to Comment that Lmao.

[@cabfish8339]

Canned_gull That car was a paid actor smh

[@MrKytman]

I actually lost count of the amount of people not stopping...

[@jimmyryan5880]

his timing is always amazing.

[@msphere760]

Haha, the op got there before I did!

[@TomScottGo]

I should stress that the simulations here aren't tweaked or faked to make it more dramatic! Quoting Mat Hill, who made the graphics for this video: "I was horrified the first time I lined everything up and played back ... with just the correct road angles, the blind spot is perfect until the last moment."

[@joeyhardin5903]

h

[@chrispypatatato6033]

Why is this comment 2 weeks ago?

[@noahberkley]

Why does it say 2 weeks ago?

[@demonjunkie6588]

unlisted video?

[@ali2633]

Unlisted video or private?

[@stormrider8576]

Title: "Why This British Crossroads Is So Dangerous" 0:13 [car runs stop sign] well, guess we answered that, thanks for joining us

[@andrewrichardson3135]

Exactly

[@darude1420]

Well spotted guys

[@Rainaman-]

Why don't they stop?

[@DragonMaster1804]

@@Rainaman- Because they're twats in a hurry.

[@FireWyvern870]

@@Rainaman- humans are dumb. I can't wait for full autopilot to be polished.

[@StephenHind]

1:25 a driver did exactly what you were explaining - failed to stop at the stop sign!

[@mastertrams]

Don't think there's any "failure" here... That suggests to me that they made an attempt to succeed, which I think it's clear there wasn't...

[@thomasm123]

"Failure" is the language the police use (such as "failed to stop for police"), specifically to not imply anything about drivers' intentions. Whether you refused to stop or just didn't see the police asking you to (an issue in itself), you didn't stop. It's about *failing* to meet your obligations rather than failing an attempt. But yes, there was definitely no attempt made there!

[@StephenHind]

@@thomasm123 semantics

[@cmutton359]

You missed the car at 15 seconds!

[@phdtobe]

More than one… MANY more!

[@poparena]

As an American who deals with stop signs every day, I'll admit to a bit of anxiety seeing so many cars just casually ignore them.

[@postie10111]

Are you anxious because people need to stop at a stop sign, or because there may be a police who pull you over for not stopping correctly? (serious question) I m Brit that's driven in the US. The stop sign thing was crazy in suburban cities and towns. Literally having to stop at every intersection. In the UK, with about 30 years of driving experience, I've only seen a handful of stop signs here.

[@jb1032]

Paul Sarjantson Both. The system here (US) is designed assuming people will stop, and it’s a really easy way to get an expensive ticket.

[@jaysonesguerra]

@@postie10111 Same question to you about seat belts, would seeing someone not wear one make you anxious because you know if they got in a crash they would likely die, or because the police will fine you? The former of course. Same answer for stop signs here in the states. It is taught very strictly here in drivers ed how dangerous not taking those signs seriously can be.

[@TealJosh]

@@postie10111 It gives us anxiety seeing people ingoring the stop sings. Road safety relies on them because of the road network desing.

[@LimitedWard]

@@postie10111 Can't speak for OP, but in the US, drivers can be very reckless. We can't expect other drivers to use safe judgment when approaching intersections with blind spots. For this reason, respecting stop signs is ingrained in our culture. Ironically, some would argue that stop signs actually make roads less safe since they distract drivers by forcing them to take their eyes off the road. I'll defer to experts to make that call. It seems like this video demonstrates how many variables come into play regarding the effectiveness of different safety mechanisms.

[@ryan-wj4gp]

0:14 that person didn't even consider stopping at the stop sign.

[@kwinzman]

license plate MF09LBZ ?

[@myownsite]

Quite telling that the car's MOT history has fails due to worn out tires - though obviously there could have been changes in ownership.

[@grahamlive]

@@kwinzmanGrass.

[@cedi2615]

@@kwinzman its weird thats its even visable, in germany for exanple you need to censor everything, plates, faces, etc. And filming a traffic violation and reporting it goes as self justice

[@JimFortune]

@@grahamlive Your license plate?

[@TheCorship]

The amout of cars failing to stop while filming this was too damn high.

[@LF-hj8kk]

They were probably locals who knew the story and move their head to watch out for cyclists and cars. If you check your blind spot, the risk are extremely low since the visibility is good.

[@rewardilicious]

I like how no one's talking about the actual solution... stop giving the cyclist the right of way. Add a stop sign on their end too, and add a sign to thoroughly check for vehicles/cyclists on both ends. Then at least that way only cyclists that also don't follow the law can get hit in that very specific situation. It's as if the cars in this are like trains, they are failing to stop, for whatever reason, and they can kill others. Their solution is to make the trains more aware when it should just be to ensure the people know a train is coming by and may not stop.

[@LF-hj8kk]

@@rewardilicious blame the victims. Good idea. Cyclist should not have to stop because cars are not following the law. Always blame it on the cyclist or reduce it to a second-tier véhicule that should not impeed whatsoever on cars. Lame solution for motorist who aren't able to follow sign or at least check if no one's coming. Ridiculous

[@ala0284]

@@rewardilicious cars don’t have the right of way on roads. Cyclists have equal rights. When on a major road, cyclists have complete right of way over any cars coming from minor roads to the side. This is 100% the drivers fault for breaking the law and failing to stop at a stop sign.

[@Scotch20]

Comparing cars and trains makes no sense. You have advanced warning of trains, and they come through rarely. You may say that cars are slower, so you can see them from farther, meaning that the cyclists have vision and a safe way to know when to stop. But in this case, that's a moot point, because the cyclists can't see the cars coming if they look straight ahead. Should the cyclist road have a stop sign too? People don't obey stop signs if they don't see anyone, it's just the same problem except you can blame someone else. That doesn't solve the terrible intersection. You can't give cars the right of way on an intersection with cyclists because it's dangerous for the cyclists, and a more complicated system such as alternating cars and cyclists requires a light.

[@dneary]

I counted 6 cars that rolled through the stop sign - three going straight on without slowing down! 0:15 - dark blue salloon 1:28: dark grey (?) car 2:15 silver van (turning left) 2:48: Dark blue minivan (slows down but doesn't stop) 3:25: Silver car rolls through 3:33 - Red car turns left without stopping

[@talongreenlee7704]

Well, to be fair, it’s Britain. Turning left without stopping would be like turning right without stopping here in the US.

[@PotterPlaysGaming]

@@talongreenlee7704 yes but no. in the US you still need to make a full stop at a stop sign, most people here stop fully no matter what. The worst thing that happens is a rolling stop but rarely do you witness someone blowing past a stop sign. (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it most certainly does, but not as often as I just witnessed in that video)

[@talongreenlee7704]

@@PotterPlaysGaming oh, well I’m from Michigan, and here we have something called the “Michigan rolling stop” because nobody actually stops fully for stop signs.

[@PotterPlaysGaming]

@@talongreenlee7704 Wow, I can’t speak for everyone here in Pennsylvania but growing up in a small town, I’ve rarely seen people run stop signs or red lights. I find cities to be the most dangerous though. Pittsburgh is awful when it comes to drivers 😂

[@talongreenlee7704]

@@PotterPlaysGaming I mean, they’re not running red lights. It’s mostly at stop signs or if they’re turning right on red, and they slow down, they just don’t come to a *complete* stop.

[@nj586]

I love how in the end when Tom says: "for drivers to stop at the stop sign" the blue car conforms and in that moment ACTUALLY stops at the stop sign. Kudos to the driver of the blue car.

[@gabor6259]

No. Kudos is for achievement. That driver did what everyone should do. No kudos for that.

[@paxundpeace9970]

This is easy they had to negotiate

[@onlineo2263]

@@gabor6259 they should but in the UK there really are very few stop signs and they are virtually never enforced. As there are so few they are never enforced like in the USA where by cops hide at a junction waiting to ticket cars only slowing down to 5mph so as to raise funds.

[@keeyan2166]

I'm thinking that may have been staged for the video. The car stopped for a really long time when there were no cars coming

[@SamZZZZZ526]

And the car at the start of the video just ran the stop sign

[@EllitopiaGaming]

And that's why a STOP sign means "must come to a complete stop before proceeding" even on an empty road

[@campkira]

most people just slow down but not complete stop.... in that kind of place...

[@SakuraNyan]

@@campkira Anywhere, really.

[@sasdagreat8052]

You people have stop signs?? We have traffic police and *even then* the drivers refuse to stop at times.

[@tylern6060]

"empty" road.

[@jumpfok]

Just beat the drivers of the cars who don't stop. And if they yell STOP, just slow down a bit but keep beating. They will sure know what the meaning of stop is now.

[@iFFXIshadowlina]

As of July 2020, there's now plans to change this exact junction to a staggered Junction, exactly like Tom suggests within the video.

[@kevinrussell2718]

Excellent! Common sense needs to prevail!

[@AlexTrusk91]

roundabout would also solve the problem

[@kevinrussell2718]

@@AlexTrusk91 How?! You'd still have the blindspot problem whereby cyclists would be hidden by the window pillar on the driver's side.

[@craveleaks8102]

@@kevinrussell2718 Check at 3:32. They will have to stop cause there is no road in front and drivers will have to take a slight left turn before connecting to the road ahead.

[@kevinrussell2718]

@@craveleaks8102 But currently drivers tend NOT to stop at the junction, because they can't see another vehicle on the other road - even thought there is a prominent "Stop" sign! That is my point concerning the installation of a roundabout at the junction!

[@anty.]

that visualization was scary, for a second i legit thought that they just added in the cyclist at the end until they showed the arial perspective that shows the cyclist being exactly in the blind spot

[@sexyscientist]

I rewound 5 sec to check back.

[@chriscurtain1816]

The same thing can happen at just about every roundabout which has an approach curving to the left.

[@neurofiedyamato8763]

IKR scared the hell outta me.

[@peachierose3356]

me too!

[@MrMisterDerp]

*PUT IT IN VR AND RAMP UP THE GRAPHICS*

[@brandonm8901]

I cycle through here all the time and wasn't even aware of why it seemed particularly horrible to get through 😅 Tom Scott is teaching me about things right on my doorstep

[@birichinaxox9937]

Stay safe

[@MintRobin]

I'll start praying for you now

[@Jimmy_Jones]

Now you better turn your head.

[@DrCJones]

🙌🙌🙌

[@brandonm8901]

@@birichinaxox9937 thanks will do :) because it's such a quiet area, if you are a cyclist and paying attention you do hear any other cars before you see them, but you just have to assume they won't see you

[@LEFT4BASS]

As an American, stop signs are a lot more common here. It’s honestly wild watching people just blow through like that.

[@LEFT4BASS]

Max Figura for real. People here will treat stop signs like yields and roll through, but they at least slow down, they don’t shoot through at full speed like these people do.

[@BennyBsolo]

Watching that was pure insanity .... Do these people not fear for there own safety even ? Very strange

[@Leon-ub8pe]

America is terrible

[@BennyBsolo]

@@Leon-ub8pe hmmm , very educated.

[@dariusaston2540]

@@Leon-ub8pe Well maybe, but at least we can obey simple road signage.

[@ulalaFrugilega]

"Anyone‘s safety shouldn’t rely on faith in human nature" chillingly true.

[@JaimieWFYT]

Seeing all the people rolling through the stop signs, AND seeing that bike roll by really had me worried for a sec

[@toddlincolna95]

the other road has no stop sign and right of way

[@marccox7371]

@@toddlincolna95 it appears to have, you can see the word STOP on the road behind Tom and also the back of the Octagon shaped sign, presumably saying STOP - unless you're talking about the road running across the screen rather than up and down it.

[@toddlincolna95]

@@marccox7371 I'm referring to the cross road going left to right

[@gaberimer7695]

@@toddlincolna95 why would they need stop signs on that road, because the other road has them

[@chartle1]

@@toddlincolna95 Yes this is not a 4 way stop. In the US it would usually say that with extra little signs if ambiguous. And for this intersection they may even add a sign saying cross traffic does not stop.

[@KyrieFortune]

"Why is this one of the most dangerous crossroads in the UK?" Four cars proceed to not even slow down at the STOP sign, and the only one that does is luckily the one that deals with a cyclist. It's not the roads, it's the people who don't know what a red octagon with STOP on it means.

[@cowsgomoo4917]

No they are fully aware what it means, they just don't care

[@arandomstartreknerd7261]

I found it interesting that stop signs are not common in the UK, they're very common here in America. People still blow through stop signs here but my guess is that because people encounter stop signs less often in the UK, they aren't used to following them.

[@ninjacell2999]

@@arandomstartreknerd7261 they are definitely common enough that everyone will be used to them. I think Tom's words are a bit confusing, they are certainly not rare.

[@bermal209]

@@ninjacell2999 theyre a lot more rare than the Give Way signs, thats for sure

[@harrier331]

They are fairly rare, rare enough that i can only remember seeing two whilst driving in the last three years. I think you will find it comes down to human perception to filter out things not percieved as important in the moment, IE: people arent used to looking out for them therefore some people dont notice them.

[@theyutubepro555]

I live there and have driven through this junction many times and never understood why there were such big STOP signs at such a seemingly quiet junction - guess this explains it!!

[@brendonhalverson5178]

I hope your someone who actually comes to a complete stop.

[@raingram]

@@brendonhalverson5178 they are now!

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Quietly deadly

[@FoxBlocksHere]

Maybe that's the explanation? People don't stop at that stop sign because they don't see the reason why?

[@theyutubepro555]

@@FoxBlocksHere I think also because as you approach from either side it seems like your vision is so clear - there's no trees, bushes, buildings etc so people think there's no way they wouldn't see something

[@okEanra]

Imagine being a cyclist, going down this road and hearing Tom talking about how easy cyclists get hit

[@BitcoinKing100k]

hahahahah

[@drpibisback7680]

I'd just hop right off and start walking. Don't care if I'm miles from the destination, I ain't crossing that.

[@sage_x2002]

@@drpibisback7680 Same, I'd probably put a tent there and wait for a big big lorry to take me across the intersection

[@jlj2169]

Imagine being a cyclist and thinking that you belong on the road with all the cars and that you, the cyclist, have all the power.

[@okEanra]

@@jlj2169 you do know that cyclists are legally allowed to go on the edge of the road

[@phdtobe]

Gotta “love” how that several motorists blew right through that stop sign as Tom was recording.

[@finnhollowbread2317]

I cycled through here today, ngl I was a bit terrified when I remembered where I recognised it from

[@almosthuman4457]

i'm glad you survived to tell the class about it

[@pineapplesandjellies]

I guess as a cyclist your safest option is to keep looking back over your left shoulder

[@stephenwaldron2748]

@@pineapplesandjellies And or yield at the crossing, right of way or not

[@crazyloon9994]

As a local who lives about ten minutes from this place, it’s always been a dangerous junction but it feels weird seeing why. We’ve posted this on our local Facebook page to make other people aware of how dangerous it is.

[@thePronto]

All they have to do is plant some (local) shrubbery around the junction so that drivers can't see if nothing is coming until they get to the junction. Cheap, doesn't impact the national park, doesn't require permits.

[@williamrgrant]

@@thePronto brilliant!

[@daisukebaek]

Probably because it feels like the speed has to be a magic bad number, but it isn't.

[@howardsternisbatman]

Pronto wins today's Internet.

[@javiercs006]

@@thePronto All they have to do is have a cop start writing citations for people just blasting through stop signs (I mean even doing a sushi roll is better than what these people are doing.)

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

"a budget estimated at £100,000" That's....that's almost nothing. If it stops multiple accidents per year then it pays for itself very quickly. And that's before we even get to the value of a human life.

[@smitias_8474]

For a large city - probably. But that's outskirts.

[@Metal-Possum]

A human is only worth around $2.75. We're mostly made of water, which is usually freely available, and then a handful of minerals, which don't cost much at all. As for children, they're worth even less, and are far easier to replace.

[@Ghally]

@@Metal-Possum Actually, a human life is worth about 6 to 9 million dollars. One year of high quality human life is worth around 129,000 dollars according to Stanford economists

[@Livestreamlurker]

@@Metal-Possum If you look at it in pure materials cost, then perhaps, but if you look at it with even the slightest bit of human feeling and emotion, instead of pure cynicism and nihilism, then no. Not only are the emotional connections somebody might have, extremely important, but from an economic standpoint, an alive human is worth far more than a dead one. Especially in a rich country like Britain, somebody might contribute several million dollars to the economy in their lifetime. I am convinced that you are a robot with literally zero emotion.

[@LisaBeergutHolst]

But you're forgetting the "conservative locals", who clearly know better.

[@FurryWrecker911]

I always wondered why staggered junctions were so commonplace along the farmlands of where I grew up in Pennsylvania. Now it makes sense, because they too had off-kilter angles.

[@Wheel333]

When I cycle I assume every car is going to kill me, and every parked car door will open, and every pedestrian will step out in front of me.

[@weldonyoung1013]

Now that has got me thinking. Maybe that is something motorist should do when approaching. What about a foreign language "stop sign". At least then they might have to figure out where they are. Here in Canada we even have some bilingual ones. Could you send someone over to pick a few up?

[@w0ttheh3ll]

In addition, it's fair to assume that the pedestrians will yell at you.

[@Jehannum2000]

When I drive I assume every cyclist is an idiot. When I cycle I assume every driver is an idiot.

[@camelopardalis84]

That's a good idea and I hope you will never let people convince you (or rather: brainwash you into thinking) otherwise. There are people who'd say your attitude makes you a bad cyclist because "obviously you're way too fearful" but that's bs.

[@razeezar]

This is why I ride on the footpath wherever possible, even if I'm breaking the law - Pedestrians are generally softer than vehicles and car doors.

[@Abridgedspeed]

"Why is this intersection so dangerous?" Literally counted 5 cars in the span of 4 minutes that didn't stop at the stop signs. And thats not including any cars that did so while you cut away to show other information, which listening to the audio seems to imply at least 1 or 2 more cars didn't stop. That's about 6 cars in the span of 4 minutes. Even if you used jumpcuts and this wasn't one continuous take, thats still 4 minutes of recording in which cars were actively coming through, and 5-7 cars chose not to stop. Unbelievable

[@Kylefassbinderful]

^^^this, sooo much this!

[@broodypie2216]

You'd think a cyclist living there would know for sure people don't stop at stop signs

[@KjartanAndersen]

Having the crossing policed for a couple of months would pay for any change of the crossing just by the fines for not stopping. Probably you could build a tunnel for all that money.

[@davefb]

they're very rare in the uk though stop signs, people just treat them like give-way...

[@MawoDuffer]

davefb do you have stop signs at three way intersections? Like where one road comes into a main road?

[@johnchessant3012]

I'm getting anxiety just by watching those people drive right on through those stop signs.

[@nari5025]

but they're driving left!

[@kylecronin3212]

Na Ri Not all of them, a bunch drove straight through

[@woshj]

@@nari5025 Doesn't matter a stop sign means stop in the UK. Even if they were turning left they could still just as easily hit a cyclist or another car..

[@davidwilliams6249]

Na Ri haha.

[@WalterBurton]

EXACTLY. What the hell is wrong with those people?!

[@nicksykes4575]

I had a similar experience while taking my class1 hgv test. The cyclist was hidden by my right-hand mirrors all the way up to a roundabout, I didn't see him until he popped out of my blind spot almost right in front of me. I explained to the examiner what had happened, and I went on to pass my test. It could have ended very differently, the roundabout was smack outside our main police station!

[@KorriTimigan]

The same thing happened to me, just not on my driving test, thankfully. I was approaching the roundabout, saw no cars approaching and was about to roll through when something started ringing in my head and told me to simply adjust in my seat a bit. Lo and behold, there was the cyclist, right in my blind spot. It shook me up a bit but everything was fine. Now I always make a point of shifting to look.

[@revolver265]

@@KorriTimigan had this a little while ago too, nearly hit a pedestrian. My parents' cars are newer and more sporty than mine, so the A-pillar placement as a side effect is a little poor. These days, I make a point of looking at two angles into any junction with a very high speed difference (like one direction stopping, and the other not having to).

[@dajw]

This brought some sadness. One of my favourite lecturers from my days at university, Dr. Mark Brummell was sadly killed here in 2012.

[@itstotallynotsai6577]

That's a hard hit

[@northshorepx]

So sorry to hear that.

[@YoshiFawful64]

My sympathies

[@meltingeinstein3012]

Nice that so many people like your sadness...

[@cennamonzimt]

@@meltingeinstein3012 They're liking as a sign of remorse + sympathy. That's how KZbin ratings work a lot of the time. Not disliking because of a sad thing, but liking to show support to those affected by the sad thing.

[@JusticeJanitor]

"Anyone's safety shouldn't require faith in human nature" Well that's grim.

[@tanushbhansali]

Although it is grim, it is unfortunately true.... i mean we can see quite a few examples of this everywhere...

[@Brunosky_Inc]

Not really grim. That doesn't mean "design as if absolutely everyone is deranged", but "design as if there *will* be some people that will absolutely find a way to break it"

[@lpburrows]

I mean, have you met humans?

[@gnaskar]

Think of how bad you might be at driving on your worst day. Realize that 300,000 people have their worst day each day (on average) and that if you're roughly average half of those will be worse off than you on your worst day. Those are the humans systems have to be designed for. Humans aren't terrible. But everyone has bad days, and there are enough of us that you'll see someone at their worst every week or so (assuming you see about 30k people a week, which isn't as common these days as it was a year ago).

[@Hexagonaldonut]

@@gnaskar Thank you for the *very* welcome idealistic take on this concept.

[@somedragontoslay2579]

"... anyone's safety shouldn't require faith in human nature." Wow, such a realistically depressing mood!

[@aiksi5605]

Welcome to Tom Scott

[@KEIO-qd1zx]

And yet, this is exactly the reason accidents happen

[@ninosegers]

The best trust is no trust

[@heyimamaker]

And yet that is the argument people will make "I thought they saw me" or "they should have been more visible".

[@BlinkyBM]

I wouldn't say that's anything to be depressed or worried about, I'd say that's just standard Health & Safety practice really, you remove human nature from the thought process because it can vary so widely or unexpectedly; levels of competency at their job, amount of sleep they had that night etc etc. It's much better to remove the risk entirely, or control it to a point that a humans influence over it is negligible.

[@michaelwtm]

As an American, it is very strange to see such a high number of people not even slowing down at a stop sign. Not that everyone in the US comes to a complete stop, but I feel like because of the frequency with which stop signs and 4-way stop junctions appear, we just feel like we are in much more danger of a crash rolling through a stop sign. Almost like the equivalent of a roundabout in the US, where they are so rare that many do not know how to properly use them. Glad to hear it is getting changed though.

[@escondidofilms]

Depending on the area, I see it all the time. Especially if it is a residential area with hard to see stop signs or intersections that have no stop signs yet other intersections do.

[@88porpoise]

​@@escondidofilmsEspecially if it is a rural area with clear sight lines like this. A lot of people think "why stop when you can see there is no traffic within a half a mile of the intersection in any direction?" Unfortunately there are always certain areas you can't see and if things line up right.... well, you saw the animation.

[@conorkilhenny5362]

the british dont use stop signs silly goose!

[@blazingbattlehawk9626]

I think stop signs are a bit more clear then round a bouts.

[@jauho7483]

Usually stop signs are located in an area where visibility is limited, and driver understands why he has to stop. Here, the driver sees that the road is empty, so he thinks why should I stop. He doesn't understand that there could be a bicycle in his blind spot

[@wohlhabendermanager]

Propably someone else already did that, but here goes: 0:16 Car: flying by, not slowing down 1:21 Car: Not a complete stop, but at least slowed down 1:27 Car: Didn't slow down 1:48 Car: Slows down, propably a full stop (video cuts away, not sure) 1:52 Car: Full stop 2:15 Car: Only slowed down for turning, no stop 2:19 Car: Full stop 2:48 Car: Propably made a full stop by the looks of it 3:06 Bike: Full stop 3:21 Car: Slowed down, no full stop 3:25 Car: Seemed to have stopped further back. Since the view is not obstructed, let's count this as a full stop. 3:29 Approaching car, video cuts before we can see what happens. At least the car slows down. 3:45 Car: Full stop. And what a long stop it is... 3:49 Car: No full stop, but almost. So, out of 14 road users, 5 didn't stop at the stop sign (we can't tell for 2 other road users, those are not taken into account here). It doesn't take a mathematical genious to figure out that more than 1/3 of road users at that junction didn't stop at the stop sign. 3 of those only slowed down, without coming to a full stop. But that at least is better than those 2 dickheads that flew right past that junction.

[@Donari]

10 000£ fine for everyone who speeds past a stop sign If that doesnt work then 2 years in jail

[@Jacob-bn9th]

@@Donari £10,000 to anyone who spots a police officer in the new forest

[@blazerocker1734]

@@Donari Heavy fines would pay for the traffic monitoring and might eventually pay for whatever fix was ultimately decided upon.

[@terrellstewart4071]

I agree if they sat an officer there just for that purpose that can make money to go tward a light or something else but I feel a light will be excessive for that intersection possibly some bump dots on the road would slow them down to at least look for oncoming traffic. Speeding over them would cause the car to shake and bounce violently. As used here in the usa freeways sidings

[@bryantgomez7135]

1:21 Laughs in Californian

[@agmessier]

Holy cow, I can't believe how many people completely ignored the stop sign!

[@SucculentAloeVera]

no cop, no stop

[@ShadowGaro]

The average person wouldn't see the point of it. Maybe they should add special signage for this road telling people to check their blindspot

[@XGaming1]

Or curve the road some

[@garrettzucker2894]

@@hairyairey I never stop at stop signs if it's not necessary, this video doesn't change anything for me. Considering I can drive a car, ride a motorcycle, & fly a helicopter I would say I'm above average skill in operating motor vehicles. Those who blindly do what signs do without confirming for themselves are below average. If a driver saw a sign & verified safty himself then I would say they are better as it takes more mental work then simply "following orders". The road is poorly deisnged but I give no fault to those who were unfortunate engough to hit the bikers as it was not reasonable to maintain constant heightened awareness. Being hyper aware 100% of time time is a lot of work & no one does it I can guarantee you that. We only are hyper away when our mind says its needed, such as driving in close quarters on a highway or flying through high traffic airspace. Outside those unique situations our minds resort to our natural instincts which are much more efficient.

[@agmessier]

@@garrettzucker2894 ugh, no. it's necessary to stop because the law mandates it. That's exactly why the sign is there. You can't claim to be above the law by being "smarter" and then explain why you don't fault the drivers for ignoring the sign. You're contradicting yourself.

[@Tundra-ec3ii]

7/11 cars we see passing through the intersection along the road with the stop sign rolled through or blew through the sign. Although props to that one cyclist who stopped at the stop sign.

[@vikyara6504]

And the last car who did stop at the sign

[@MervynPartin]

A cyclist who stops at a stop sign or a red traffic light is quite unusual in my locality.

[@JackLe1127]

I just like the fact that people were just blowing through the stop signs as Tom was talking.

[@jasonalen7459]

3:43 He's always so good at timing things in his videos

[@spocite]

I know, right!?

[@rayhib]

100th like

[@phoenixfloof9799]

Come with me. Let’s search for the people who care

[@agentv1240]

I swear I've seen that car before in one of his videos...

[@exoexo243]

@@phoenixfloof9799 u found one

[@MidnightSt]

"Two people last year got killed here" "To stagger the intersection would need a budget of hundred thousand pounds." Well... there's an entrance to calculating the monetary value of human life, if I've seen one. And I don't like the range in which the result will be...

[@zym6687]

That's just the value of cyclists on that road, and tbh still a little high for me, cyclists that get hit from the side was just a matter of time for them to die with the lack of awareness and value for one's own life while sharing the road with cars.

[@Seraph.G]

@@zym6687 Did you not watch the video or are you just an ass?

[@andspenrob]

Most actuarial tables put the value of human life at well over the USD 1 million mark. 100K pounds to stagger the roads sounds like an absolute bargain, such that if the local municipality won't do it, the national gov't should. To do otherwise is positively insane...

[@wirelessnet2747]

@Zym do... do you have brain cells? Does 1:58 sound familiar?

[@duncanrobertson6472]

@@zym6687 They're getting hit from behind, farther behind than you might think because of the relative speed of the car.

[@morbo3000]

If this was the US, the local police would just send someone to camp there and write out a dozen tickets a day to fill their coffers.

[@omardude39]

Perhaps that would raise the revenue necessary to amend the junction. Penalise the morons too stupid to take a Stop sign seriously, fix the junction to save lives. Seems absolutely win-win for me.

[@HB45175]

Would be the same in any other country, except the UK apparently. A STOP sign means just that, a FULL STOP. The examples in the video, where they don't even slow down, would get tickets AND have their license revoked on the spot anywhere else in Europe.

[@malcolmanon4762]

@@HB45175 No place for the plod to hide, so all the scoff laws would see them and behave.

[@lordmarchutan5540]

@@malcolmanon4762 they can hide on a bike coming from the other road

[@PBMS123]

@@malcolmanon4762 Sit in an unmarked car parked off the side of the road, with a marked unit further up the road, whenever someone fails to stop, message the unit up the road, and get them after. Do it often enough, at random times without any pattern to when officers watch the road. When people don't take seriously the fact that police oculd be anywhere anytime to catch you for breaking the rules, then there's zero persoinal incentive not to. Make people unsure whether there could be a police officer watching the intersection at any moment of the day, and people will do the right thing purely out of trying to avoid a ticket.

[@dannythorpe1425]

That aerial shot showing the car approaching behind the cyclist has really shown me something. Never had the thought that they can not see because I could be behind them even tho to me looks like I'm perfectly at side of them. Wow.

[@seana806]

Blindspots are to blame in these sort of accidents, along with drivers who ignore stop signs. I really do wonder how many people have died simply because the driver couldn’t see them with the chunky a b and c pillars that conceal pedestrians, cyclists, other vehicles since the 2000’s and 2010’s.

[@logy7]

I like how nearly a dozen cars blew those stop signs in the course of the video... Definitely reinforces the hypothesis.

[@GryphLane]

Props to the driver of MF09LBZ at 0:15 who didn't stop for the stop sign as you're legally obliged to do. Honestly, with driving like that, I'm not surprised there are so many collisions.

[@aurumtheend]

0:15 for anyone wondering

[@Tezunegari]

With driving like that, I'm surprised there are so few collisions.

[@Harryofbath]

To be fair, stop signs are really rare in the UK, but it is still reckless

[@GryphLane]

@@Harryofbath To be fair, there's a reason for that, mostly because Give Way works for most junctions. Stop signs mean you MUST stop. If you can't deal with that instruction, you should not be driving, full stop.

[@sam08g16]

Couldn't Tom get in trouble for filming a license plate or whatever? You know, with those British privacy laws

[@adammc7170]

New fact learned: Didn’t know that you have to have street lighting for a speed bump to be installed. Makes sense now that you think about it, imagine not seeing it and hitting that thing full speed.

[@g.m.2427]

If there would be good signage the all i can say is, 'serves them right,'

[@urbanesasquatch]

Well, there is a warning sign "stop 100 yards ahead".

[@busog97641]

If some fool hit a speed bump at full speed with there already a sign warning of a stop ahead, they bloody well deserve a damage car.

[@RKBock]

@@busog97641 at this point it could be a flying car, which could, potentially, hit a cyclist or another car mid-flight. not cool. does not increase safety.

[@tardonator]

@@RKBock who cares about safety, that would be hilarious

[@dorothybranfoot2210]

my Gran lives just out of shot to the left of Tom in this video and I have been on this junction hundreds if not thousands of times in my life and it never occurred to me that it was this dangerous until now, I have been on the area when accidents have happened and remember an in-depth convocation between my Gran and my Parents about the junction. I'm glad that it has been fixed as I am now learning to drive myself and all my relatives live in this area.

[@mcbrowniealoha]

So weird to see everyone just normally cruise past the big red sign

[@tricky778]

They probably drive it everyday. After a while they'll just start to use their senses. That means the sign is wrong and the council needs to be fined everytime somone fails to stop until they tune the junction to the senses instead of relying on reading and symbolic planning while controlling a massive vehicle while under a variety of life pressures.

[@Hoch134]

@@tricky778 You haven't watched the video, right?

[@User27111]

Tristan Wibberley that didn’t make any sense

[@tricky778]

@@Hoch134 yes. You haven't lived, right?

[@tricky778]

@@User27111 I don't know how to help you

[@dylankwong1512]

There's a law (I forgot its name) that says that the more dangerous somethings is thought to be, the safer it is; the safer something is thought to be, the more dangerous it is. On this road, people think it is safe (because its rural), and therefore don't stop, making the road dangerous.

[@PlaceholderAlex]

My parents used that logic when they bought a trampoline. They didn't buy a net because they knew we would be reckless if there was one.

[@laineylarsen245]

@@PlaceholderAlex Did that work?

[@TheThomasBerry]

Thundestroyer risk aversion? When something seems risky people try to minimize that risk but if things seem predictable they don’t give risk a second thought

[@NickPeters-kc2ct]

@@PlaceholderAlex Surely using this logic you would remove most safety precautions... Which in turn would make everything look more dangerous and therefore people would think it's more dangerous and act safer but at a higher level of risk. 🤔

[@RunnerBeanzDad]

John Adams' book "Risk" discusses this at length.

[@AdmiralTymothysLootChest]

In the United States' midwest region, there are lots of straight stretches of road that will occasionally have a 4-way intersection with stop signs. If you're only halfway paying attention, as driving long distances causes humans to do, they're easy to miss. The solution was to put rumble strips across the roads to snap drivers back into paying attention.

[@calebbenedict5587]

And often have flashing red lights on top of the stop sign or strung above the road.

[@seth094978]

Yep. My immediate thought was rumble strips. They certainly get your attention when you hit one going 60mph/97kph.

[@KimHrothgar]

0:15 That car just blasted past that stop sign!

[@KimHrothgar]

OK! Lots of people not stopping.

[@unocualqu1era]

*Muffled F*ck the police song fades in the distance*

[@jpe1]

Kim Henrik Tafjord I watched that bit three times to be sure, and yes the car doesn’t even noticeably slow down.

[@beaconofwierd1883]

Thank god for 4K on you tube: MF09LBZ

[@albertderstarke]

Gd ll4ma dude didnt you watch the video

[@joshe-k3865]

Just watched a video update about this junction. They actually did stagger the junction

[@jeffbenton6183]

Ashley Neal sent you here too? Looks like Mr. Scott changed the title because of the fix.

[@Yeoffrey]

3:46 "But road safety and anyone's safety shouldn't require faith in human nature." These words are powerful.

[@Huja996]

Also a little bit silly though. Without faith that most of humanity will adhere to the rules, nothing in society would work - especially not road safety.

[@nerdyandawesome]

@@Huja996 exactly what I was thinking

[@ChocPretzel8]

@@Huja996 And just because a few don't adhere to the rules doesn't mean the majority don't. But when safety is concerned we aim for a 100% fool proof solutions so I believe the quoted comment still stands.

[@uegvdczuVF]

@@Huja996 And yet lot's of cars in the video don't stop. It's not the faith in others, it's the concern for them self that keeps people in line. "Road is empty, rules are for everyone else"

[@denelson83]

I'd say just dead-end the side road and be done with it.

[@olivermansfield8341]

Tom, this is unbelievable, we had a near miss at the exact junction in October, thanks for the video

[@thomascharnock]

Looks like the work starts today to turn this into a staggered junction - well done Tom for bringing this to the attention of the masses!

[@him050]

Stop signs are quite rare in the UK, so if there is one it’s probably best to take it seriously. Contrary to what you might think, you don’t know best.

[@emperornortoni2871]

How does the driver know where to...stop?

[@felixlord2430]

@@emperornortoni2871 at the stop sign?

[@pmberry]

@@felixlord2430 At the stop line painted on the road and indicated also by the sign. Highway Code Rule 109 .

[@TomBruhh]

@@emperornortoni2871 lmao div

[@TheGiff7]

There’s a stop sign at a junction round the corner from me. Been there for over twenty years and people treat it as a give way.

[@TrueMathSquare]

3:05 notice that the bicyclist came to a full stop unlike the motorists that just roll though the stop sign.

[@Bellezzasolo]

Even though cyclists don't have A pillar blind spots, so could quite safely ride straight through!

[@tricky778]

because the motorists eye movements are not congruent with the signage while the cyclists are.

[@garethreece]

There was a cyclist that blew straight through there as well. Soo many cars didn't even come close to a stop though, astonishing!

[@kbsanders]

For a person living in the US, seeing cars just blow through the stop signs with total disregard is very alarming.

[@vernonbear]

Kevin Sanders We have so few stop signs at crossroads that drivers assume that at the approaching junction there will be a give way sign, when they realise it’s not a give way they just roll through anyway and basically hope for the best. It’s a fairly open junction so you’d spot a Police vehicle, because it’s wide open drivers think ‘what a stupid place to have a stop sign’ and this combination of a) no chance of getting prosecuted and b) the fact that they think they know better means they just barrel through. RIP to anyone unlucky enough to meet those drivers!

[@r0bw00d]

@@vernonbear What's wrong with them seeing a police car there?

[@gzer0x]

There’s literally entire towns in the US with a single cop whose main job is to sit at the only stop sign in town and ticket. Even easier with cameras nowadays.

[@MrRedstoner]

It's no less alarming watching this in Europe.

[@thePronto]

I live near a traffic circle (aka roundabout) in the US and people blow through it even if they can see another car already in the circle. It's partly what you are used to; partly people driving "on autopilot".

[@Fomites]

Any driver not stopping at a 'Stop' sign here in Australia is almost certain to get an expensive ticket. This intersection would be intensively monitored.

[@joegrey9807]

The problem is getting power to cameras, lighting etc to a very sensitive site in a national park.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

Monitorin this intersection wudve been prohibitively expensive.

[@TacoPotatoYT]

@@joegrey9807 I mean you could just station a cop near the intersection with a camera. Do it for a week or so and people will learn eventually

[@Robotic_Rampage]

*Starts the video* "This intersection doesn't look too dangerous..." 0:14 "You were saying..."

[@مرحبابك-ض1ن]

That driver should get ticketed based on this clip.

[@Hadegel]

@@مرحبابك-ض1ن can be reported, number plate and driver seem to be visible

[@JaviLengomin]

I was just going to mention the douche that didn't stop right at the beginning of the video.

[@winterwhite110507]

WF09 LBZ?

[@satoru1462]

@@winterwhite110507 XF09 LBZ

[@lemonofish869]

It looks like roughly 40% of cars didn't stop at the junction in this video.

[@haashirkabeer2671]

They are rare u the UK so everyone ignores them

[@haashirkabeer2671]

Roundabouts solve the issue

[@doomxtreme16]

Following the rules also helps the issue...?

[@TheDiner50]

@@haashirkabeer2671 Bad excuse. Very bad. So if someone comes from a country where there is no real road rules they can go down on the RIGHT side of the road just fine? As you the odd ones driving on the wrong side of the road you know...

[@oromain]

@@haashirkabeer2671 I feel like their rarity makes it all the more important to follow them when you DO encounter them. They aren't _decorations._

[@ElchiKing]

This reminds me of this junction in Germany: 50°19'33.7"N 10°34'26.0"E. In the beginning, it was give way signs, then stop signs, then they added speedbumps and finally now there's traffic lights (and speedbumps).

[@joeo3377]

Here's an idea: plant a whole bunch of trees so that drivers no longer have visibility! If drivers have to wait until they reach the intersection to be able to tell whether there is cross-traffic, they will feel compelled to slow down. It might be enough to save lives. EDIT: It sounds like the area is a heath, and with the nature conservancy trees would be a no-go. However, there might be some tall (~2m) shrubs which are native to the area that could provide the same function. The idea is to find a solution which respects the natural environment that we are trying to preserve.

[@KingBlazerXS]

Exactly, the problem IS the visibility. Cut it out and stop the assumptions and carelessness.

[@galaxspace1]

Like those intersections where they removed traffic lights, crossings, stop signs and left drivers on their own

[@lostbutfreesoul]

I concur, It is interesting how visibility plays a part in these sort of situations, in that more visibility can breed carelessness.

[@prabeeshraman6141]

You sir, are underestimating the amount of stupid drivers on the road. If they dint stop for a STOP sign, they wont even realize a intersection is out there if there is no visibility

[@AshTrai]

I seem to remember watching a documentary (of sorts) years and years ago about train line crossings in remote parts of canada (or somewhere similar really remote and snowy) that have no automatic warning barriers. They found that massively reducing visibility for drivers at the crossing greatly reduced accidents because of the human fear of the unknown. If u can't SEE what might be about to T-bone u, u slow down and stop to look. If it's clear visibility then recklessness and carelessness kicks in. What needs to happen is they need to build some big walls to obscure visibility and the problem will disappear as if by magic.

[@arfyness]

If I were a cyclist there, I'd certainly appreciate a nice big sign: "Dangerous Intersection ahead! Check for fast cross traffic!" Surely that's not budget breaking.

[@thelastdankbender4353]

Exactly. It's the least they can do.

[@mrmaniac3]

As a matter of fact, anybody could put that sign up unless there's a law against such a thing. Just a big sheet of plywood and a stake is all that's needed.

[@hotaru8309]

It's a good idea. It may illeaviate some. I mean the cars still come very quickly from behind, and cars that may not yet be visible to the cyclist could still be at risk, but a little help is still good. I don't know about the British signing laws particularly with bike lanes involved. I do realize stop signs in the video are for both cars and cyclists and are an extra caution level, but it seems to not be successful enough. If we could just get everyone to follow them...

[@PianoKwanMan]

@@mrmaniac3 it's a special place, where the 'commoners' essentially have rule of the land that dates back to the 11th century

[@marklaw5116]

MrManiac3 There’s definitely a law against such things. Nobody can put road signs up anywhere in the UK without special permission, but in a conservation area it would be especially illegal.

[@CarthagoMike]

3:50 cudos to the blue car for actually stopping at the Stop sign.

[@vinnyfromvenus8188]

And they did it exactly when Tom said "the cheapest way to selve this issue would be for drives to STOP at the stop sign", it couldn't have been more perfect

[@sirpizo555]

Rumour has it he's still stopped there now

[@pierre-claudemeriot6562]

Your ending sentence is gold. I live in Montréal, been driving for 20 years. Never had an accident because I DON'T trust human nature. I always look both sides even when I have the green light. Same with stops. I never assume they will stop at the sign. You have to look at everything. Humans suck. Period.

[@Kulsum-12]

"Anyone's safety shouldn't require faith in human nature." - Tom Scott, 2020 (This one really got to me.)

[@jimmym9967]

Don’t drive then

[@dafoex]

Jimmy M Bring on self driving cars. Once no one drives, you can't have any drunk drivers (or other bad actors) on the road.

[@EverSnaxolotl]

human nature shouldn't be to ignore stop signs

[@jimmym9967]

jameswalker199 I suppose that just adds another layer of things that could be deemed unsafe, such as malfunctions with software whether it is accidental or malicious. How about drink driving lanes? Big concrete partition along the roads where you can drive while drunk? 😂

[@millomweb]

But it does though.

[@buttersddragon]

this is so perfectly tragic it sounds like a hypothetical joke scenario.

[@hotaru8309]

Like an old riddle.

[@NoName-md5zb]

Nothing tragic about suicidal cyclists

[@technoturnovers7072]

@@NoName-md5zb >suicidal cyclists >in depth explanation for how it is the car's fault for not stopping at the sign or checking their blind spot ok boomer

[@tireswing]

Counted 5 drivers who just breezed through the stop signs or rolling stops 00:14 01:25 02:14 3:20 2 for 1 special!!

[@teeej78]

MF09 LBZ Black Vauxhall DS14 YZJ Black Vauxhall MA09 MHD Silver Hyundai LV56 JVE Blue Hyundai HD55 CXA Silver Volkswagen It is a driving offence in the UK to fail to stop at a stop sign. Anyone from the Hampshire Constabulary watching? I think its Hampshire anyway

[@KilliKonKarnage]

3:20 did slow down on approach and so could make sure it was clear

[@DrunkenSquirrel2]

00:14 was exactly the kind of person this video was intended for. Slow rolls like 02:14 aren't bad, especially turning left.

[@lukewoodside9420]

The ones at 02:14 and 03:20 were alright, they definitely paid attention and cleared the junction before going, i know its a stop sign, but it was originally a yeild sign, it was only changed because people drove more like the car at 00:14. Nothing wrong with rolling at a slow speed if the junction is obviously clear.

[@callum9999]

@@lukewoodside9420 You mean, nothing wrong apart from it being illegal?

[@ReclusiveEagle]

Crossroad Signs: North *Stop* South *Stop* East *Stop* West *Stop* Car: "Go Faster!"

[@marklaw5116]

Reclusive Eagle It’s not a 4-way stop. One road is the main road and has priority, meaning vehicles aren’t required to stop. The other road crosses it and vehicles have to stop at the junction

[@forregom]

3:42 "The easiest way to solve this is for drivers to stop at the stop signs" **Guy stops at stop sign**

[@KalenvS]

I present to you, 0:14

[@onewhosaysgoose4831]

5 seconds later a muddy silver 4 door drives up to the still stopped car, fails to bring the vehicle to a stop, and rolls on through.

[@loweflyer7778]

@@onewhosaysgoose4831 they still slowed down enough for them to notice anyone. Honestly, that's how just about everyone treats stop signs in California.

[@brianbarrett2487]

@@KalenvS 1:25

[@SuperCompany007]

"This is the most dangerous junction" *Literally everyone ignores the stop sign* I wonder why?

[@leedsmanc]

Conservative locals.

[@con_boy]

Because stop signs in the UK are incredibly rare. I can think of only one within many miles of where I live. And most people think (wrongly) they mean "give way" but in a more "stern tone". Everyone rolls over them rather than stop. It's only because I lived abroad that I always stop at it. The best solution I think is simply to put a weave chicane there. So the cross roads is one lane wide and you have to give way to oncoming traffic and slow down.

[@Jefferson1228]

It doesn’t matter how rare they are as they’re taught quite a lot in driver theory. Even those who drove before the theory test, a STOP sign has a unique shape. Even just seeing its silhouette while the sign is covered in snow indicates it can only mean one thing: STOP sign. The Highway Code is also clear on stopping at the line, even if the road is clear. But I get what you mean; drivers take tiny risks here and there, almost to the point they become complacent over time and don’t bother giving it a second or even third look. I’ve seen so-called professional drivers race through and even had someone behind me sound their horn because I had come to a stop at a STOP sign, even though the road was completely clear in both directions. I don’t care. STOP means I will stop.

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

@@con_boy A guy rolls through a stop sign and gets pulled over by a cop. Cop tells the guy, "I'm giving you a ticket for not stopping at a stop sign." The guy says, "Well, I slowed down for it." The cop drags the guy out of the car and starts beating him with his night stick, yelling, "Now, do you want me to stop or just slow down?" 😁

[@anony3615]

@@con_boy I don't normally advocate for stopping camera's but, people will change their reckless cavalier tune real quick if camera's slapped them with a hefty fine for each car that didn't stop at the stop sign. And I would make it pay for modifying the road to be moved to a safer angle and the initial cost of the camera installations.

[@ec8107]

As an American, seeing all those people completely disregarding the stop sign, all I think is: Cops ticket pad goes brrrrrrrr...

[@haashirkabeer2671]

Noone really cares in the UK as they are really rare

[@glowfishin1]

@@haashirkabeer2671 Writing traffic citations is largely how US police forces are funded.

[@haashirkabeer2671]

@@glowfishin1 people would generally expect a roundabout in this situation, this is a weird case

[@haashirkabeer2671]

@@glowfishin1 they give car fines in the UK, but very rarely for stop signs

[@juststeve5542]

As Tom says, they are really really rare in the UK. I know of one a few miles from me, and you'd have to be a complete idiot to ignore it, as the junction is completely blind.

[@lukecoyi1784]

Stop sign: **Exists** UK drivers: “No, I don’t think I will”

[@LeviForWaifu]

It's a rural road so people think they can let loose more

[@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286]

Can they station a bobby there every other day to issue tickets?

[@LeviForWaifu]

@@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286 Cost would probably be higher than fixing the road and it would still leave no enforcement on the off days and just encourage faster speeds on the days when they're not present.

[@Timeward76]

Those last two people in the crossing had some damn respect

[@stratagama]

@@LeviForWaifu Eh, in my experience do that on and off a few days a month for a couple months and you'll get good compliance for a couple years. By me there's a 6 lane highway with posted speed limits of 50mph but if your a driver not going at least 70mph you are gonna be in for a very stressful drive with all the honking and passing. But the state decided to get compliance for a couple of days a month they would put the troopers out en masse on the highway and start writing tickets like there's no tomorrow. did that randomly for like three months and the speed in which drivers traveled dropped down to about 55mph which and it stayed that way for years. And since the video said that all practical methods to fix the intersection are off the table that kind of option doesn't seem so unreasonable. After looking up the relevant code for running a stop sign in the UK the £100 minimum fine has gotta hurt and with a maximum fine of £1000, I think that would get the message through quite clearly. and if it hits the news then maybe drivers will remember and behave better at any other stop signs they come across no matter how rare they may be. Personally, I only needed that lesson once when I rolled a stop sign and the fine was only $50, and ever since I give the stop signs the full 2-second minimum stop that the law requires.

[@MK-Masters]

I like how tom changed the thumbnail to say its fixed now

[@NoSense5344]

the easiest and cost effective way to do this is to make the road more dangerous. Yes, you heard right. Make it more dangerous. Build a fence so cars cannot see into the road, therefore they will have to stop and look before crossing. I have seen this being done effectively with bushes being planted on a road in Austria. Greetings from Germany. Drive safe everyone.

[@ae1ae2]

That's really quite brilliant. :)

[@robirator]

Or put speed bumps

[@cowsgomoo4917]

@@robirator Tom explained why you can't do that. This would be more likely to be approved than speed bumps as well

[@robirator]

@@cowsgomoo4917 this is weird, why do you need to have lighting, in order to have speedbumps? Is this some UK regulation? Here in Bulgaria, we can put them anywhere and I think putting a sign along is enough.

[@ferrumignis]

They already do this on many roundabouts to stop drivers checking if the roundabout is clear as they approach it.

[@terencesaunders1357]

Just drove past here today and I saw they have started to alter this crossing. They will be staggering the crossroad.

[@ChristineSK]

Thanks for the update, great to hear!

[@KasabianFan44]

Is this the one east of Beaulieu Road station? If so then the planned layout changes have made it onto to Open Street Map!

[@iankemp1131]

Just drove past it yesterday and it seems nothing has happened on road alterations. They have put up some wooden fence rails which partly blocks the driver's view, maybe this is to help dissuade them from the thought "visibility's fine, I can see nothing coming".

[@LiamBushrod]

@@iankemp1131 it looks like the wooden posts are marking out the area where the new section of road will be. No idea what they're trying to keep from that area though, it's not like ponies build nests 😅

[@iankemp1131]

@@LiamBushrod Seems reasonable, although ironically the posts are already doing the job - maybe they won't need to change the road after all!

[@rymannphilippe]

0:15 seconds in the start of the video you can see why the crossing is dangerous. The car didn't stop 🛑 on the stop signaling.

[@kwinzman]

MF09LBZ?

[@samcousins3204]

Why do you need to use an emoji? We know what a stop sign is

[@jwalster9412]

@@samcousins3204 apparently the person in the video dident

[@rmdodsonbills]

Didn't stop. Didn't even slow down.

[@joshposh70]

@@andypughtube That's an M, not an X

[@Lokalaskurar]

One interesting approach on the island of Hisingen: they put up extra large signs saying 'Many bicycle accidents happen here.'

[@Adrischa]

Imagen if you drive there every day. You wouldn't care anymore and it doesn't solve the basic problem

[@dandfuk]

We have these in Bournemouth too!

[@estherstreet4582]

My idea watching this video was a sign that says "ridiculously coincidental blind spot, even if you think it's clear oh god please stop"

[@bluemountain4181]

Near Leeds there's a roundabout with signs saying something along the lines of "33 people have died here". I've not noticed anything unusual about that roundabout though.

[@JonathanCormier]

It may clue in the cyclists to look around more carefully though.

[@CroatianMinecrafter]

I believe planting trees and bushes around and approaching the crossroads would help in this case. By lowering visibility at the crossroad itself the driver would be more careful as they would have to physically slow down and CHECK if the junction is clear before proceeding. Planting several trees and hedges would be the least expensive, least disruptive and in this case most effective approach short of re-paving the road.

Ah yes blocking sight even more !

[@hanhong2267]

@ It makes people more inclined to stop and slow down by making the reduced visibility obvious

[@SquareoftheLightOnes]

@@hanhong2267 A clever idea, but this would still rely on good faith of the drivers to not be reckless, which so far hasn't worked with the stop signs.

[@Jedi-J2]

The problem with that is that it requires people to be decent and sensible. To quote the end of the video: "Road safety, and anyone's safety, should not require faith in human nature."

[@Kapin05]

@@Jedi-J2 *shouldn't

[@WTFNoNamesLeft2]

This is probably the most common type of junction in the US. I've never seen any effort to change the angles over here. Stop signs are more likely followed here though that doesn't really change the point.

[@chmae1532]

You can't really compare the US to the UK because the density is way higher in the UK, so I guess on streets like those there are usually more cars and cyclists than in the US. What I also noticed is that it almost never works to change something into a stop afterwards, people are already used to it and ignore the change or actively refuse to change their habits.

[@TheAuron32]

Junctions like this one are actually kinda rare here, most Stop signs are used when going onto very busy roads, not like this and as you saw, people dont look for them.

[@MrAtoz-jq5ry]

I agree with Robert Young, these are the most common type of intersection in the US. Even if there is no one around, we stop. There's probably some nut job going 100 mph on the other road.

[@joshua_lee732]

The US also has a much lower general population that commutes via bicycle

[@nethoncho]

Looks like a police officer could make their monthly quota of tickets in half a day at that intersection

[@cjeam9199]

Officers in the UK do not have ticket quotas.

[@petemagnuson7357]

But it's open enough that drivers could see him way before the intersection and slow down. Safety idea: just put an inflatable cop car next to the intersection.

[@californiasomething]

I wrote three just watching this video, TF?

[@SpudderRail]

@@petemagnuson7357 once this lockdown is over, that's exactly what I'll do.

[@kazmark_gl8652]

Spot the Americans in this thread.

[@iankemp1131]

Amazing, I've driven over this innocent-looking crossroads many times in all directions and never realised it could be an accident black spot. Particularly as it's apparently so open and the visibility seems good in all directions - but as Tom and Bez explain, it's deceptive.

[@fetchstixRHD]

I'm sure that Tom could make a playlist that could be summarised as "It's very dangerous because there's the illusion of safety". There's this video and The Strid, I'm sure there are more I'm missing too!

[@iankemp1131]

Great to see it has finally been updated and the staggered junction has been put in at last - apparently though for rather more than the £100K quoted by Tom.

[@ryandiesel]

That was so satisfying when the car did stop for the cyclist when Tom was talking

[@birichinaxox9937]

Yer i was biting my nails til they stopped

[@aidangillard2041]

Sad that that's satisfying XD

[@Madhattersinjeans]

Car successfully follows basic laws of the road. Cheering in the comments.

[@Eli-ip2vl]

0:15

[@timflatus]

I wonder whether the driver would have stopped if no-one was filming.

[@jasonwilde197]

It's amazing how many people blew through that stop sign just in the time you were there filming.

[@AlexanderWright1]

Having lived near this junction for a number of years, I can attest to the high number of people who speed, and jump the stop signs. In addition, there is frequent heavy fog in that area. In addition, the stop signs are recent. The junction used to be give way, and a lot of local drivers are probably used to the old restrictions.

[@tomnorton-platford4896]

Oi wagwan alex

[@6Twisted]

They could do what they do on some roundabouts, put up a fence so that you can't see if it's clear until you're at the junction. That forces people to slow down unless they're suicidal.

[@michaelgurd7477]

That's what has been done on the A24 roundabouts at Horsham. It works all the vehicles slow down before entering the roundabout.

[@mykeh3155]

Which you will find most drivers are. If people can be blind to cars in front or next to them, they are definitely going to be blind to a car behind a wall... their mentality is probably something like this, "if I can't see it, it doesn't exist"...

[@joshuasonnen9300]

Or plant trees

[@extremeabstract]

What about just turning it into a mini-roundabout?

[@Woifeh]

We had a similarly dangerous junction in a rural area and a hedge blocking the view of the road was one of the many things the council tried to reduce the amount of crashes. It didn't work, just as all the other measures like speed bumps and STOP signs hadn't worked before. Eventually they managed to build a roundabout there.

[@xArchesx]

i had to google "what stop sign means in UK" to make sure we on the same page. Haven't seen a single car make a stop.

[@carultch]

It looks so scary seeing cars drive right through the stop sign without even slowing down.

[@fanatikjim]

My friend was one of the ones killed there recently 😢 Thank you for making this.

[@littlemikey46]

Damn I'm sorry, it's amazing to watch the drivers just speeding through the stop signs. Here in Australia people tend to ignore stop signs most of the time too, it's so dangerous and disgusting.

[@todkapuz]

even with a guy standing in the field with a camera... so many just roll on through like there is no tomorrow.

[@NameName-eq7oe]

It isn't america. Stop signs aren't common

[@Deacetis1991]

@@NameName-eq7oe roundabouts aren't common here but I still know what they are and how the use them.

[@pileofstuff]

@@NameName-eq7oe Is the meaning of traffic signs part of the driver's test? can people in England not understand the word "stop"?

[@gracefool]

There is no tomorrow. For the cyclist they hit.

[@M50A1]

@@gracefool Good. Most cyclists are clowns

[@couttsy222]

I live in northern Victoria (Aus) where, due to the land being so flat, it was set up as flood irrigation country with roads laid out in a 1.62km (1.0 mile) grid pattern -- just like a sheet of graph paper. Even though most of these roads have very little traffic, the crash rate is horrendous. Even for 90 degree intersections, the A pillars can still act as blind spots for cars travelling at a certain speed. It's one of the biggest killers on the road around here.

[@jeffro7856]

3 or 4 cars blew thru the stop during his filming!!!!

Oh you too watched the video?

[@lonestarr1490]

That means we have their misdeeds as well as thier licence plates on tape.

[@silkwesir1444]

someone else was saying it was 5

[@SchiwiM]

And this video is just about 4min long, imagine how many cars don't stop during a whole day, month, year...

[@HarithBK]

every car unless forced by an other car did not properly stop every single one of them only did a rolling stop (the wheels of the car has stopped but the body of the car is still rolling in sweden that is not considered a full stop)

[@JanB1605]

The solution you said at 3:29 is the exact reason why in my country there was a law introduced that if streets are getting refurbished and they do not meet at a right angle they have to be rebuild so that they do. If not possible one remedy could be a traffic mirror so the driver is able to see the cyclist and vice versa.

[@stupidburp]

If meeting at right angles is not possible then a roundabout is another option.

[@subscriber6181]

@@stupidburp or a stoplight and a red light camera.

[@PregnantOrc]

@@subscriber6181 No power for the light or camera. One of the issues that cause the problem to remain

[@Koushakur]

@@stupidburp ...how would they have the possibility to make a considerably larger intersection (as a roundabout would have to be) if they can't even adjust how they meet?

[@635574]

Mirrors are used in all sharp angled 2 street crossings and such in my country.

[@peterpabian]

The amount of vehicles that completely ignored the stop sign is highly alarming

[@tricky778]

The use of stops signs despite their easily measurable ignorability is even more alarming - that's a higher order feature which needs even less error in it than the lower order feature of a stop sign.

[@steelrain714]

@@tricky778 so than what do you put there?

[@tricky778]

@@steelrain714 Bumps, to tell you you're approaching a junction with perception problems, a harsh bump with black and yellow stripes and a "ramp" sign. Some visual tricks along the road side to shock the road-blindness out, etc. Hide the view of the crossing road on the approach, maybe, so drivers don't intuitively feel they know what's going on around them from their optical flow. etc. - and then the stop sign.

[@darryljones3009]

If the guy at 0:34 didn't stop another collision could have happened there and then in the video...

[@garthrogers2269]

The fact that, in the opening seconds of the video, a car just blew straight through the stop signs is just... frustrating.

[@DarkenedSilhouette]

"but road safety and anyone's safety shouldn't require faith in human nature" what a sad yet very true statement

[@Anne-uo8wd]

Let's give an applause to the two drivers at the end of the video who did actually stop at the signs.

[@FrozenBusChannel]

Perfect timing too, just as Tom says "for drivers to stop at the stop sign"

[@95rav]

Stop signs area a damn nuisance: stopped for one once, waited ages, but it never said to 'Go' again.

[@tetonicsheldor]

signs change?

[@buttercupkat]

@@tetonicsheldor, They were making a joke about stop signs which aren't electrical. Stop signs cannot change their sign.

[@tetonicsheldor]

@@buttercupkat I get it. Was just a pun at a bad joke lmao. Apparently a bad pun. 😂

[@chriscurtain1816]

I saw a garden gate with a notice saying "Please close the gate". But it was already closed.

[@DamianBrown]

Word is 95rav is still waiting