Stop Here for Pedestrians Sign: Meaning and What to Do
The white square showing a small red stop sign, the words HERE FOR, a walking figure, and an arrow is posted a short distance before an unsignalized crosswalk. It tells drivers that when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, they must stop at the sign, not at the crosswalk itself.
Stop Here for Pedestrians Sign
Stopping back from the crosswalk keeps the stopped vehicle from hiding the pedestrian from a driver in the next lane. The gap between the stop point and the crosswalk is the sight line that prevents the multiple-threat crash, where one car stops for a person and the car beside it does not.
What to do when you see the stop here for pedestrians sign
When someone is crossing or waiting to cross, stop at the sign and the stop line, well short of the crosswalk, and wait until the pedestrian has cleared your side of the road. Do not wave them across; let them judge the other lanes themselves. Never pass a vehicle stopped at one of these signs.
The signs it is confused with
Tests pair it with Yield Here to Pedestrians, which uses the yield triangle and requires slowing and yielding rather than a full stop. Whether a state uses stop or yield at its crosswalks is a state decision; the sign on the post tells you which applies.
Signs are one topic of ten on every test
Every state practice test covers signs, signals, and markings among its ten topics, with every answer explained. Pick your state and see how its exam asks about signs like this one; it is free, with no sign-up.
Choose your stateQuestions about the stop here for pedestrians sign
What does stop here for pedestrians mean?
When a pedestrian is in the crosswalk ahead, stop at this sign, back from the crosswalk, rather than pulling up to the crossing itself.
Why stop so far back?
So a driver in the next lane can still see the pedestrian. A car stopped at the crosswalk edge blocks that view, and the next car may drive through.
Do I have to stop if no one is crossing?
No. The sign applies when a pedestrian is crossing or about to cross. With the crosswalk empty, drive through at a safe speed.
Can I pass a car stopped at this sign?
No. Passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian is prohibited nationwide, because the stopped car is usually hiding the person you would hit.
How does this sign appear on the written test?
As the stop-versus-yield pair with the Yield Here to Pedestrians sign, and in crosswalk scenarios about where to stop and whether to pass.