Editing Stop sign (section)

{{Short description|Traffic sign alerting drivers to stop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
[[File:STOP sign.jpg|thumb|alt=A red stop sign that alerts drivers to stop|A stop sign in Australia. This style, a red octagon with the word "Stop" in either English or the national language of that particular region, is used by the greatest number of countries]]
[[File:Panneau Stop Square Georges Guyon - Maisons-Alfort (FR94) - 2021-03-22 - 1.jpg|thumb|A circular stop sign in France. The [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals]] still allows this older style]]

A '''stop sign''' is a [[traffic sign]] designed to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure the [[intersection (road)|intersection]] (or [[level crossing|railroad crossing]]) is safely clear of vehicles and pedestrians before continuing past the sign.<ref>Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, 1968. United Nations Publication. {{ISBN|978-92-1-116973-7}}</ref> In many countries, the sign is a red [[octagon]] with the word ''STOP'', in either English, the national language of that particular country, or both, displayed in white or yellow. The [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals]] also allows an alternative version: 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. Particular regulations regarding appearance, installation, and compliance with the signs vary by some jurisdictions.