Stop signs mean stop, the usual reason for stopping is to look both ways at an intersection to see if anyone else is coming. In areas without a lot of traffic stopping at stop signs burns fuel and wastes time/money.
Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute are in the early stages of research in which, instead of putting the road signs on the road, interactive signs appear inside the car. If no other car is present at the intersection, the will driver can drive on through.