Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Road Markings

You see the words STOP AHEAD painted in large letters on the pavement in front of you. What does this marking warn you about?

  1. A.
    A pedestrian crosswalk is painted a short distance ahead.
  2. B.
    A school zone starts at the next intersection.
  3. C.
    A railroad grade crossing is a short distance ahead.
  4. D.
    An intersection controlled by a STOP sign is ahead. Correct
The Why

The answer is "An intersection controlled by a STOP sign is ahead."

STOP AHEAD painted on the pavement gives advance notice of a regulatory STOP sign at the coming intersection, so you can slow down before you reach it. Learners who pick the railroad answer are recalling R X R, which the manual lists in the same sentence as STOP AHEAD; both are pavement-word warnings, but STOP AHEAD points to a STOP sign, not a crossing.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. A pedestrian crosswalk is painted a short distance ahead.

Pedestrian crosswalks are shown with painted lines across the roadway, not the word STOP. This answer reads STOP AHEAD as a command to stop for pedestrians, since drivers stop at crosswalks for people on foot.

B. A school zone starts at the next intersection.

School zones are marked on the pavement by the word SCHOOL, not STOP AHEAD. This answer associates the roadway word STOP with the handheld STOP paddles used by school crossing guards.

C. A railroad grade crossing is a short distance ahead.

Railroad crossings are marked on the pavement with an R X R legend, not STOP AHEAD. This answer assumes any pavement STOP marking refers to a railroad crossing, since drivers often associate tracks with a required stop.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Road Markings in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Pavement Markings," p.22..

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