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stop signs on private property

2K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  vstromgreg 
#1 ·
Are they enforceable? At the StupidStore I go to there are lots of stop signs around in their parking lot. Pretty much standard for most large big box retailers nowadays. But are they enforceable since it is private property?

Can a police officer ticket you for rolling through one of these?

I'm pretty sure if you rolled through one of these and then got into an accident, chances are the rolling stop won't be working for you in a court of law, but aside that, can you get ticketed for blowing past one of these?
 
#2 ·
"highway" includes

(a) every highway within the meaning of the Transportation Act,

(b) every road, street, lane or right of way designed or intended for or used by the general public for the passage of vehicles, and

(c) every private place or passageway to which the public, for the purpose of the parking or servicing of vehicles, has access or is invited,

Since it meets the definition of a highway under the Motor Vehicle Act, I would say the answer is YES.
 
#3 ·
I was with a friend, who was driving down a snowy ramp in a parkade with a T type intersection at the bottom. My friend had the right of way because the other people had stop signs. However, the guy at the bottom of the intersection, who had a stop sign decided to go through. My friend locked up his breaks, but slid into the guy because the ramp was slippery. My friend had the right of way because he didn't have a stop sign and the other guy did. However, ICBC told my friend that because the parkade was private property the stop sign was not enforceable. Therefore, because my friend's vehicle made contact with the side of the other vehicle, my friend was deemed at fault.
 
#4 ·
A traffic control device has to be an official traffic control device and I believe that they have to be installed and maintained by the Govt to be official. I have also been lead to believe that their location has to be gazetted to make them official.

Saying that, I'm sure that a civil trial would be interested to hear that a driver ignored even an unofficial warning sign and caused a crash. All they have to prove is 51% and blowing an unofficial stop sign would probably be considered when they decided on your fate and your percentage of the liability award.
 
#5 ·
I was told by a police officer in Ottawa, that the stop signs used on private property are not the same that you would see on the streets. Normal signs are something like 8 feet and are reflective and blah blah but most private ones are 6feet. He said you do not have to obey the signs but i don't know why you wouldn't want too especially living in Vancouver...the driving is sub par at best.
 
#6 ·
Even if the govt. didn't place/maintain it. Chances are, it's there for a good reason, and should be obeyed.
I had a talk with an Ontario LEO and he also said that "private" stop signs are things the courts don't wanna go near, so it's a lose-lose to try to pursue it there. An LEO cannot be called to the scene of an accident occurring on private property if there is no immediate danger IE people firing guns. And even then it would be about the firearms and not the collision.

That was the summary I was given and I am not an LEO so this is just my opinion.
 
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