SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/drive-stop-limit-line

At a STOP sign or red light, where do you stop if there is a wide white line across your lane?

Behind the wide white stop line.

  1. In the crosswalk
  2. With your front wheels on the line
  3. Behind the white line ✔

Why: The wide white stop line, also called a limit line, shows where to stop. If there is none, stop before the crosswalk, or before the intersection.

Huh, didn't know that: Stop lines are 12 to 24 inches wide, much wider than ordinary lane lines.

The dad joke
Why did the car stop at the white line? It knew where to draw the line.
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References

Answer: Behind the white line. The wide white stop line, also called a limit line, shows where to stop. If there is none, stop before the crosswalk, or before the intersection.

  1. New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 4 dmv.ny.gov/new-york-state-drivers-manual-and-practice-tests/chapter-4-traffic-control
    you must stop before you reach the stop line, if there is one, or the crosswalk.
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. MUTCD 11th Edition with Revision 1, Section 3B.19 mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/11th_Editionr1/mutcd11theditionr1hl.pdf
    Stop lines should be 12 to 24 inches wide.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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