stopping by woods every morning

Yesterday on my way to work I was stopped by a cop for totally not even pausing at the stop sign at the end of the street by our house. It was totally deserved, so I was glad to hear that living around the corner meant I got a warning rather than a ticket. It made me think, though, about the logic of stop signs and the enforcement thereof. After all, the intersection in question has great visibility for folks turning right, as I was. There was no danger, then, from my not stopping; unlike the situation today, when I did stop (of course!) and then decided I could make it out before the oncoming car got there. Which I did with no problem, but still: unless you get in a wreck, there's no penalty for poor judgment in pulling out, as long as you stop first. What does this mean for America? I don't know. But it really makes you think.