Stop ahead sign
A yellow diamond with an arrow pointing to a red octagon. It warns of a stop sign ahead that is not yet in view.
How to read it
The MUTCD requires it on an approach where the stop sign cannot be seen from far enough away for drivers to respond. The view may be blocked by the road's alignment or a structure, or at times by foliage or parked vehicles. Pennsylvania's manual adds that there may be a line of vehicles stopped at a sign that cannot yet be seen.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
Read next
- Next in Road signsSignal ahead signA yellow diamond with a traffic signal. It warns of traffic lights ahead that are not yet in view.
- The same shape in Flowchart symbolsDecisionA point where the flow branches. The decision symbol is a diamond holding a question or condition, with one path leaving it for each possible answer, often labelled Yes and No.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with arrows or diamonds.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2C: Warning Signs and Object Markers, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.36
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, p. 16
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, Chapter 5, sign 45
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 25, 2026. How we research
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