People studying for their drivers licenses may be confused when they come across a blue stop sign. But the fact is, most people are when they see them in the United States and other countries. Stop signs have become practically synonymous with red. After all, the color is bright, hard to miss, and perfectly suited to stop traffic. But it’s not always utilized. You may come across a stop sign that’s a strangely serene blue, and wonder how to react.
What is the meaning of a blue stop sign?
When you see a blue stop sign, you make a full stop. In a nutshell, the purpose of a blue stop sign is the same as the red one. However, there is a difference in who is ordering the halt. Blue stop signs aren’t placed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Rather, they were put up by a private citizen, and they are most commonly found in Hawaii compared to any other state.
“The short answer to the question about blue stop signs is that in the U.S., the shape and colors of signs (including stop signs) are identified in a document known as the Manual on Uniform Control of Traffic Devices,” says Shashi Nambisan, PhD, director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Nevada, to Reader’s Digest. “To the best of my knowledge, blue-colored stop signs are not permitted on public roads. However, it is possible that they may have been installed on private property.”
For example, a property owner may pay out of pocket to place a stop sign on their land. Then it can indicate drivers to stop as they drive through a large estate, ranch, private golf course, etc. Hawaii has more blue stop signs than other states because of laws that prohibit official government-issued signs on private property. Like all traffic signs, they are used to enforce road safety.
What if you don’t stop?
However, blue stop signs don’t always mean the same thing outside of the United States. Sometimes they are used on official roadways to indicate no-entry areas and restricted access zones, says Family Handyman. In these circumstances, the sign doesn’t really mean “stop”. Instead it means “stop moving forward and go away.” But even in locations where blue stop signs are sanctioned by the government, red signs are considered to be the standard, deliberately so. In 1968, the United Nations created international road sign standards to help maintain road safety across borders. One of these standards include the octagonal red stop sign.
However, being citizen-issued doesn’t make blue stop signs less legitimate when it comes to legal inquiry. “While not a legal expert, I imagine that most people would treat a blue stop sign the same as they would a red stop sign if they encounter one,” says Nathan Kautz, senior transportation safety engineer with Kittelson & Associates. “If you encounter an intersection with no traffic control (a signal that is not working due to a power outage, for example), you are to treat it like an all-way stop in my state of Florida. I would assume that, since stopping would happen in either condition, law enforcement may have grounds to write a ticket for something, even if it is reckless driving.”
Strange signs everywhere
Blue stop signs may look alarmingly odd to individuals who have never seen it. However, there are road signs all over the world that might look strange to newcomers who have never seen them before. For example, the Australian outbacks have road signs warning drivers of crossing kangaroos; meanwhile, areas in the UK have signs warning drivers to heed toads crossing the road in early spring when the amphibians are going to their spawning grounds. Although they are never included in tours, unique road signs can give travelers a taste of the culture they are visiting.