Ask an Officer: Obeying Shopping Center Stop Signs

Jeffrey Spaulding has been the chief of the  since January 2, 2004. He came to Westminster with more than thirty years of police experience in the Howard County Police Department.

Chief Spaulding has agreed to work with Patch to answer citizen questions about laws, codes, ordinances, processes and penalties. If you have a question you would like to ask a police officer, post it in the comment section of this article or email kym.byrnes@patch.com and we'll do our best to get it answered.

Question: I am wondering what the laws are regarding stop signs in shopping centers.  Must one always stop, even if there are no pedestrians approaching? Are these regulations the same as signs on a public roadway? 

Chief Spaulding: In Maryland, the rules of the road such as compliance with stop signs apply both on highways and on any “private property used by the public in general”.  Shopping center parking lots fall into this category.  If a shopping center stop sign is posted in a manner similar to those along public roadways, you should assume that the sign is enforceable and stop as directed.  The absence of a pedestrian in the area of the stop sign does not relieve you of your obligation to obey the stop sign, just as it wouldn’t along a public road.

Shopping center stop signs are erected for the same reasons that they are placed along public roadways – to ensure the safety of the motoring public and nearby pedestrians.  Failing to stop could result in a monetary fine, points on your driving record, higher insurance rates and potential civil liability should a crash occur.  It only takes a few seconds, and it is time well-invested. 

*This column offers a broad response to questions and should not be considered legal advice.