Don't stop until you read about Paris's driving policy—and the city's stop sign heist!
Here’s Why There Isn’t a Single Stop Sign in Paris
Updated on May 17, 2025
Getting behind the wheel in any big, bustling city tends to rattle the nerves. But navigating another country?! The sea of cars, one-way streets and traffic lights is enough to drive anyone crazy. Um, in more ways than one.
Paris is infamous for its chaotic roads, but are there stop signs in Paris? The Champs-Élysées, a massive avenue known for luxe shops, restaurants and theaters, begins with “The Étoile,” an enormous traffic circle that connects no fewer than 12 separate roads. Even cruising along the serene Seine river can be stressful because the coordinated traffic lights encourage speeding. You’d think stop signs would be a necessity. And yet—quelle surprise!—you won’t find one. So what gives? Read on to discover why there isn’t a single stop sign in Paris.
Drivers adhere to the right of way
Here’s the Parisian law, full stop: The car on the right always has the priority—”the right of way”—on the street. That rule is enough to curb speeding and accidents. A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Public Health stated that France sees fewer car crash fatalities caused by drunk driving than the United States. DEKRA, a German vehicle company that compiled road accident statistics from 2009 to 2012, concluded that road fatalities are a third less frequent compared with London, and a quarter less frequent compared with Rome.
A stop sign isn’t effective
Paris hasn’t always been a stop-sign-free metropolis. In fact, a single red octagon reading “STOP” once stood at the exit of a construction facility on the Quai Saint-Exupéry, a riverside road in Paris’s 16th district on the outskirts of the city. Yes, the only stop sign in the City of Lights was basically at the exit of a glorified driveway. (And in case you’re wondering about the English, “Stop” is considered a valid French word because it derives from Old English.)
But despite this sign’s unique claim to fame, it seems that no one paid much attention to it and it vanished sometime between May 2012 and September 2014. It remains MIA. Was it an authorized removal or the work of a thief? This remains an urban mystery. (Want to see for yourself? Look at Google Earth. Next to the “No Left Turn” sign, you can still see the post where Paris’s one stop sign once stood.)
There is alternative signage
There may not be a single stop sign in Paris, but plenty of other posts — including traffic lights at intersections — keep the Parisian streets from devolving into chaos on wheels. One of the most common is the red circle with the line through it, which is a “Do Not Enter” sign indicating a one-way street. “No Left Turn” signs are in large supply as well, just like the one that stood next to the aforementioned stop sign. So if you ever find yourself on the road in Paris, make sure you’re careful . . . and extra-alert.
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Sources:
- The Guardian: “‘Stop’ a four-letter word for French drivers, traffic camera’s debut reveals”
- France Today: “Top Tips for Driving in France”
- Explore: “You Won’t Find a Single Stop Sign in Paris and Here’s Why”
- NBC: “Controlled Chaos Defines Paris Traffic Laws”
- Paris Property Group: “This Paris Life”
