Do not stop on tracks sign

How to read it

The MUTCD uses it where queues are likely to reach back onto the tracks: where a stop or yield sign or a roundabout lies just beyond the crossing, or a pre-signal holds traffic at it. It goes on the right, on whichever side of the crossing drivers will see it better, and may be repeated on the far side or on the left of a divided or one-way road. The state manuals turn it into a rule of the road even where no sign is posted. Pennsylvania's says not to stop a vehicle on a railroad track whether or not a train appears to be coming, and, where traffic is backed up, to stop where the vehicle is entirely clear of the tracks. This page describes the national standard and isn’t legal advice; state law and local signs govern.

Also searched as: do not stop on tracks.

How much room the manuals ask for

The manuals measure the clear space differently. Florida's handbook says not to stop on the tracks or within 15 feet of the crossing. Michigan's says not to cross unless there is room to clear the far side of the tracks by at least 6 feet, and notes that trains overhang the rails by at least 3 feet on each side. Florida's handbook also describes the dynamic envelope: white markings in a pattern of linked Xs that show the area where road users should not stop.

2009 and 2023 wording

The 2009 MUTCD tied the sign to an engineering study finding a significant chance of vehicles stopping on the tracks. The 11th edition (2023) asks only whether queues are likely to extend onto the tracks, and adds pre-signals at the crossing to the list of places where they do.