Stop sign: what it means

Stop sign: a red octagon with the word STOP in white
Image: Crown copyright, OGL

The stop sign means you must stop completely behind the white line at the junction, even if the road is clear, and wait for a safe gap.

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What it means

A junction with a stop sign has a solid white line across your side of the road. Highway Code rule 171 says you must stop behind that line and wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move off.

It is the only eight-sided sign. Know your traffic signs names STOP and GIVE WAY as the two notable exceptions to the usual shape rules, which makes them easy to recognise.

Where you see it

Where a side road meets a major road and a solid white stop line is painted across your side of the road. A warning sign with a distance plate may tell you a stop line is ahead.

A common mistake

Rolling slowly over the line because the road looks empty. The rule is to stop, not to slow down: bring the car to a halt behind the line, look, and then go when it is safe.

Quick quiz

You reach a stop sign and the main road is completely empty. What must you do?

  1. Slow down and carry on
  2. Stop behind the white line, then go when safe
  3. Stop only if a car is coming
Show answer

B. Stop behind the white line, then go when safe. Rule 171 says you must stop behind the line at a junction with a stop sign and a solid white line, whatever the traffic. Source: The Highway Code, rule 171, GOV.UK; Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK

Compare with

Next in regulatory signs: Give way sign. See all regulatory signs or the full road signs list.

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Sources

  1. The Highway Code, rule 171, GOV.UK
  2. Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK
  3. The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK
  4. Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.