Stop sign

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Stop sign used in English-speaking countries, as well as in most European countries

A stop sign is a traffic sign, usually erected at road junctions, that instructs drivers to stop and then to proceed only if the way ahead is clear.

[edit] Specifications

Standard stops signs have a specified size of 75 cm (30 in) across opposite flats of the red octagonal field, with a 20 mm (¾ in) white border. The white uppercase letters forming the "stop" legend are 25 cm (10 in) tall.^[1]^[2] Larger signs of 90 cm (36 in) with 30 cm (12 in) legend and 25 mm (⅞ in) border are used on multilane expressways. Regulatory provisions exist for extra-large 120 cm (48 in) signs with 40 cm (16 in) legend and 30 mm (1¼ in) border for use where sign visibility or reaction distance are limited, and the smallest permissible stop sign size for general usage is 60 cm (24 in) with a 20 cm (8 in) legend and 15 mm (⅝ in) border.^[3] The metric units specified in the US regulatory manuals are rounded approximations of English units, not exact conversions.^[1]^[2] Field, legend, and border are all retroreflective.

Stop signs are retroreflective. In this night photo, the person is barely visible, while the sign is brightly lit by the camera's flash.

The stop sign is specified with the English legend "stop" in the United Nations Convention on Road Signs and Signals. This is because the sign's distinctive design was developed and first used in the U.S., and later adopted by other countries and by the U.N.

[edit] Placement and standardization

Stop signs are used globally. In Europe they tend to be used far more sparingly than in North America^{[citation needed]}. Most European intersections lacking traffic lights are controlled by give way signs or equivalent road markings, or are replaced by (mini) roundabouts. Stop signs are generally restricted (on the principle that familiarity breeds contempt^{[citation needed]}) to situations wherein coming to a dead stop is absolutely essential because of poor visibility.

[edit] In North America

Stop signs are often used in North America (including Mexico, where they read "alto") to control conflicting traffic movements at intersections which are not busy enough to justify the installation of traffic signals. In the United States, the stop sign is not intended for use as a traffic calming device;^[3] it is meant to be installed mainly for safety and/or to assign right-of-way for a certain direction. Nevertheless, in the United States and Canada, stop signs are commonly used as a safety measure in residential areas and near places where children play or walk (such as schoolyards), or which experience frequent automobile accidents, making extra precautions necessary. It is common for stop signs to be erected on all intersecting roads, resulting in three- and four-way stops.^[3]

An American school bus displaying front and rear folding stop signs

[edit] On school buses

A standard stop arm equipped with the "stop" legend is required equipment on North American school buses. The sign is placed on the left side of the bus (since driving is done on the right-hand side) and extends to warn drivers against illegally passing the bus while it is stopped to pick-up or discharge passengers. When not in use, the arms folds flat against the side of the bus. Some buses have two such stop arms, one near the front and one near the rear. In Quebec, the legend is the French word "arrêt" in accord with standard practice in that province. The stop arm is retroreflective and can be equipped with lights above and below the word "stop" that blink alternatively, or the word "stop" itself may light up.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the UK, stop signs are placed only at sites approved by the Secretary of State. Section 79 of the Highways Act 1980 enables the government to improve visibility at junctions, as by removing or shortening walls or hedges, in preference to placing a stop sign. The sign is predominantly used in rural areas where snow is usual in the winter. The sign is the only sign of this shape in use on British roads, so when covered in snow, the STOP sign is always recognizable due to its shape.

[edit] Compliance requirements

Laws and regulations regarding how drivers must comply with a stop sign vary by jurisdiction. In the United States and Canada, these rules are set and enforced at the state or provincial level^{[citation needed]}. At a junction where two or more traffic directions are controlled by stop signs, generally the driver who arrives and stops first continues first. If two or three drivers in different directions stop simultaneously at a junction controlled by stop signs, generally the drivers on the left must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the far right.

In all countries, the driver must come to a complete stop at a stop sign, even if no other vehicle or pedestrian is visible. However, some drivers^[who?] practice a maneuver called a rolling stop or nicknamed after a city or region regarded as somewhere it is commonplace (e.g., "California stop") - slowing down significantly but not stopping completely at the sign.^[4] This partial stop is not acceptable to most law enforcement officials, and can result in a traffic citation.

[edit] Theft and vandalism

Stop signs are sometimes stolen as pranks. A fatal accident caused by the theft of a stop sign could result in manslaughter charges against the offender. ^[5]

Stop signs are sometimes vandalized. During the presidency of George W. Bush the words war or Bush were reportedly spray-painted on stop signs, hence reading Stop Bush or Stop War.^[6]

[edit] History

Yellow 1924-1954 stop sign. Mounting height is typical.

Stop signs originated in Michigan in 1915.^[7] The first ones had black letters on a white background and were 24×24 inches, somewhat smaller than the current sign. As stop signs became more widespread, a committee supported by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) met in 1922 to standardize them, and selected the octagonal shape that has been used in the United States ever since. The unique eight-sided shape of the sign allows drivers facing the back of the sign to identify that oncoming drivers have a stop sign and prevent confusion with other traffic signs. It was also chosen so that it could be identified easily at night, since the original signs were not reflective. The National Conference on Street and Highway Safety (NCSHS), a group competing with AASHTO, advocated a smaller red-on-yellow stop sign.^[7] These two organizations eventually merged to form the Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which in 1935 published the first Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) detailing the stop sign's specifications.

The MUTCD stop sign specifications were altered eight times between 1935 and 1971, mostly dealing with its reflectorization and its mounting height. From 1924 to 1954, stop signs were made with a black "stop" legend on a yellow field. In 1954, the sign gained its current white legend/red field color configuration. Red signifies stop on traffic signals, so this specification unified red as a stop signal whether indicated by sign or by light. The mounting height reached its current level of 7 ft (2.13 m) in 1971;^[7] previously, stop signs were typically mounted two or three feet^[vague] above the ground^{[citation needed]}.

The already-widespread use of the MUTCD stop sign became law in the United States in 1966.^[7] In 1968 this sign was adopted by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals as part of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's effort to standardize road travel across borders. The Convention specifies that 'stop' be written in English or the national language and allows an alternative circular yellow sign. Many European countries are party to the Convention. English speaking countries, the exception being India, are not party to the Convention but usually use the red octagonal stop sign per their own standards, like the MUTCD. Even in countries not associated with either standard mentioned above the red octagonal stop sign is often used. Unique types of stop signs may be still be observed in countries like Japan.

[edit] Sign variants

Although all English-speaking and many other countries use the English word "stop" on stop signs, some jurisdictions use an equivalent word in their primary language instead of or in addition to it. Israel uses the image of a hand in a "stop" gesture

The white legend/red field appearance is usually the same. Exceptions include Japan, which uses an inverted solid red triangle; and Zimbabwe, which uses a disc bearing a black cross.

Inuktitut - English - with caption ᓄᕐᒃᑲᕆᑦ (nuqkarit)	Québec - French	Québec - French, English, Cree	China – with caption 停 (tíng)
United Arab Emirates - with caption قف (qaf)	Israel	Japan – with caption 止まれ (tomare)	Zimbabwe
Former European stop sign. Still used in the Bahamas. Common in Europe until the 1980s.	Stop sign in Ireland (non-standard).	Stop sign in Colombia.	Stop sign at the Panama Canal.
Stop sign at Kahnawake, Canada in English and Mohawk language.	Iran - with caption ايست (ayst)