STOP, OR START PAYING; STATE BILL WOULD INCREASE SIGN FINE.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

A slow roll instead of a complete stop could get a whole lot more expensive.

Legislation is making its way through the state Capitol to increase the fine for stop-sign scofflaws from $103 to $270. In Santa Clarita, an average of 40 motorists are ticketed each month for running stop signs.

``I think a lot of motorists think that a slow roll through the intersection is complying with the law,'' said Deputy Mark Slater of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station's traffic details. ``But you have to come to a complete stop.''

The Assembly approved a bill May 13 that could add $167 to the fine. Hearings are scheduled in various state Senate committees, and if approved, a full vote is expected by mid-June.

Hefty fines should prove deterrents, Slater said.

``Any tickets nowadays are at least $100,'' he said. ``If that's not a deterrent, nothing is.''

In 1997, the Legislature raised the fine for running a red light from $104 to $270. Assemblyman Kevin Shelley, D-San Francisco, author of the stop-sign bill, also wrote that legislation.

Since then, red-light running has dropped 14 percent statewide, Shelley said.

But there is a major difference between the two measures. The red-light law applies statewide. Shelley said the stop-sign bill is more flexible - cities and counties can increase the fine if they want.

Sheriff's deputies don't specifically target stop-sign violators unless excessive complaints are made at a specific intersection, Slater said. Most stop signs in Santa Clarita regulate small neighborhood streets, while major intersections more and more are getting traffic signals.

Opponents said the measure is too severe a penalty for someone who, for example, misses a sign hidden by trees on a country road.

Shelley replied that was why the bill is permissive; rural areas would not have to raise the fine if there were no problem.

``We wanted to give local authorities with the most severe traffic safety problems a stronger tool for deterring dangerous driving habits,'' Shelley said.

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PHOTO (Color) A motorist approaches a stop Tuesday in Canyon Country. A state proposal would fine drivers up to $270 for ignoring such signs.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News