Do not stop on tracks sign: meaning and rules

Do not stop on tracks sign: what it means

Do not stop on tracks sign: a white vertical rectangle with the words DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS in black

Drawing: Drivoku, based on MUTCD sign R8-8. Simplified; real signs follow the FHWA Standard Highway Signs specifications.

The DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS sign means you must not stop with any part of your vehicle on the railroad tracks. Wait before the crossing until there is room for you on the other side.

What does the DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS sign mean?

MUTCD Section 8B.07 says the sign should be used where lines of vehicles are likely to back up onto the tracks, such as where there is a STOP or YIELD sign, a circular intersection or a signal just past the crossing.

Quick quiz

What does the sign at the top of this page mean?

A railroad crossing: yield to trains.
Stop here when the crossing lights flash.
Never stop on the railroad tracks.

Show answer

C. Never stop on the railroad tracks. Do not stop on the tracks; lines of traffic can back up onto them (MUTCD Section 8B.07). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8, Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings: Section 8B.07, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA

Where will you see it?

At railroad crossings near intersections, roundabouts and traffic signals.

What should you do?

Before you cross, make sure there is room for your whole vehicle beyond the tracks. If traffic is backed up, wait behind the crossing.

What do people get wrong?

Following the car ahead onto the tracks in slow traffic and getting stuck there.

Common questions

Why does traffic back up onto the tracks?

MUTCD Section 8B.07 names crossings with a STOP or YIELD sign, a circular intersection or a signal just past the tracks.

What if the gates start to come down while I am waiting?

Stay behind the crossing. Never drive around lowered gates.

Compare with

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Sources

Checked on 3 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 8B.07.

MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8, Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings: Section 8B.07, FHWA
MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025

Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.