Whats the legal limit on how far you can stop behind the line at a stop sign?? (in california)?

Question

See i was drivng and when i came up to a stop sign i stopped about 1 1/2 car lenghts behind the line because there was 2 younger boys with what looked like paint ball guns on either side of the street.

Answer 1

Geez, if they were going to paint ball your car, ANY distance would be OK, in my opinion.

Did you get some sort of ticket for not being up to the line??

Answer 2

I'm going to say "an objectively reasonable" distance.

If you were cited, take it to court and explain it to the traffic commissioner.

Here is the full text of the law:

22450.  (a) The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection ( )1 shall stop at a limit line, if marked, otherwise before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection.

If there is no limit line or crosswalk, the driver shall stop at the entrance to the intersecting roadway ( )2.

Answer 3

You're supposed to still be able to read the word "STOP" ... which doesn't make sense because sometimes there is vegitation or something in the way if you stop so far back so you can't see what's coming down the road.

Stupid law makers.

Answer 4

you must come to a complete stop before the stop sign, then slowly proceed when clear.

Answer 5

You need to stop far enough back so you don't enter the intersection, or the crosswalk if there is one painted. If that puts you so far back that you can not determine if traffic is coming, then you need to roll forward and stop again at the point where you can see traffic coming.