Stop Means Stop!

It is one of the most easily identifiable road signs, with a unique design because of the importance of acting correctly, and yet, the octagonal red sign with a white border is also one of the most ignored, because it is quite common for drivers to slow down and creep past the sign, despite the wording it displays, to reinforce the notion that stop means stop.

The sign is recognised across many countries, sometimes with the word stop in the national language, but the shape makes it distinctive. Under the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, alternatives are allowed, a red circle with a red inverted triangle with either a white or yellow background, and a black or dark blue STOP. Some countries may also use other types, such as Japan’s inverted red triangle stop sign, but whatever the shape, the rules are the same, stop means stop.

In Spain, there are now cameras monitoring many of these signs, in addition to the monitoring by the Guardia Civil and police, as well as the drones from the DGT, and if you are seen to not stop, you can expect a fine, as the reason the instruction is issued is to ensure you stop at a junction or other point where closer observations and caution must be made in the interests of safety.

The most common action which causes risks is a habit of treating a stop sign the same as a give way, where vehicles may proceed without stopping if the way is clear, but stop means stop, and so that it what you must do.

Two questions which often come up is whether there is a set time you must stop for, and if you have to activate the handbrake, the answer to both questions being no, however, if you are on a two-wheeled vehicle, you must place one foot on the ground, at least, to ensure your stability.

The correct course of action is to slow down until the vehicle comes to a complete stop at the stop line or stop sign. If this line or sign is further back from the junction, we must stop and then resume driving slowly to approach the intersection, always giving way to other vehicles traveling on that road.

Finally, to demonstrate the point, you might be interested in an old story from the UK, which, for the avoidance of doubts or complaints, is not true, but it does give an explanation. In the story, a traffic police officer pulls a car over because the driver failed to stop at the stop sign. In his defence, the driver stated that he slowed down. The police officer then took out his truncheon and began hitting the driver, stating, “now, would you like me to slow down or stop?”