Generally, I assume the best of humanity (I don’t know why) so I’ll stop then go assuming the other car will stop. Hasn’t hurt me yet. And besides, if the other car DOES run the stop sign and hit me, it’s their fault and (assuming I live) I can sue them! That’s the American thing to do! :rolleyes:
Seriously, though, if it looks like they are close enough to arrive there while I’m driving through, I’ll at least wait to make sure they are slowing down significantly.
In my (very few) years of driving, I’ve only noticed, at most, 3 people who were remotely close to running a stopsign (although more likely that they could not stop before the sign, than purposely ploughing through the intersection).
From what I can observe, roundabouts are more common for this ‘slow down slightly then keep driving’ thing. They are however give way signs at roundabouts as opposed to stop signs, so I guess everything is still peachy. They are more dangerous imo, where I live anyway.
As for the original question, most people here generally (at residential intersections):
Slow down to roughly walking speed and if it’s safe to do so, they will proceed. (which is not a legal stop, IIRC.)
Slow down to roughly walking speed and it is unsafe to proceed, they will stop.
[QUOTE=jnglmassiv]
For those that ‘wait and see’, do you also stop at traffic light intersections when you have the green light? The situation is much the same except the speeds and thus danger are greater and these are usually busier intersections and there are more cars…thus greater danger.[/QUOTE
If people did this, there’d be accidents left and right. You could at least make your example realistic.
I can only surmise that you are a yound, inexperienced driver and have not had occasion to learn that a vehicle is a deadly weapon. Accidents happen instantly, sometimes with no warning and sometimes with tragic consequences. You damn right I’m gonna be 100% sure the other person is stopping and if that makes me a chicken, an old lady, or a dumbass, so be it. I’m alive and whole and my kids are too.
Maybe you have anger management issues, ya think?
So glad you brought this up because it’s been ages since I took driver’s ed and, admittedly, I could use a refresher on this. So, I’m asking 'Nott (har, har – couldn’t resist! 
) . Of course, y’all feel free to add your two coppers as well.
Say 3 cars arrive at a four-way stop. Two cars have a car on their right. Who goes first? The two cars facing each other or the single car catecorner to the two?
Now, four cars come to a four-way stop at the same time (hey, it happens sometimes). Now, who goes first? Are hand signals allowed? Presumably, when the first driver makes the decision to go, the driver opposite can go at the same time, right? Unless the decisive driver is turning left. Aack! Then what?
Did I mention I hate four-way stops? I never know if I’m doing it right! 
BTW, in regards to the OP. I’m the dope that can’t figure out if I’m s’posed to go or not. And I have gotten tickets for California stops. Go figure. Sorry! :o
Up here in the part of the country that gets covered in ice and snow for a few months out of the year, jumping out into the intersection as soon as the light turns green is not a valid survival technique. You never know when somebody’s going to slide through a red light sideways.
re: people at stop signs, my rule of thumb is that people who stop when they shouldn’t might start when they shouldn’t. Even if they wave me through (almost got broadsided by somebody who did this once…).
My first rule of right of way: Don’t Hit Anything. Works for cars, boats, planes, bikes, walking…
I was once creamed (as in my nice new car was totaled) by a car that was completely stopped at a stop sign, then pulled out directly in front of me as I approached at 55 mph. There was no visibility problem – he just flaked.
I now regard any car stopped at a cross street with extreme caution. So sue me.
I don’t do three seconds, but I come to a complete stop.
Near my place of employment, a three-way intersection exists. It used to have no stop signs, so people at the base of the ‘T’ often had a loooong wait.
So the city added three stop signs, and put in big, neon pre-Stop Signs to make sure everyone would be aware of the change.
I’ve seen two people run the stop signs without slowing down. (Both foreign in appearance, and we do have a lot of non-Americans here, so maybe they’re unfamiliar with traffic as of yet.)
But my ‘favorites’ were the two people I’ve seen pull a certain trick, which I will illustrate.
Picture the three-way. (Not THAT kind of three-way. Stay focused.) We will call the roads West, East, and South. I pull up from East. There are no cars on South. The car that had just barely stopped on West before I stopped on East goes. I pull out to make a left turn onto South… and the second car on West makes a Right onto South right in front of me!
It’s called Taking Turns, people. You learned it in Kindergarten.