A police officer will usually signal you to stop using a clear mix of lights, positioning, and sometimes hand or verbal signals. The exact method can vary by country, but there are common patterns most drivers will recognize.

Main ways officers signal you to stop

  • Flashing blue (and sometimes red) lights
    • A marked patrol car behind you activates flashing lights and may stay directly behind or pull slightly to one side to show you should pull over safely.
* In some places this is combined with an illuminated message or signs (for example, “STOP – POLICE”) in the vehicle’s light bar or rear window.
  • Siren or brief “yelp”
    • An officer may briefly use the siren to get your attention if you have not noticed the lights or if traffic is noisy.
* A short siren burst often means “look around, a police vehicle needs you to respond now,” typically followed by lights and vehicle positioning to indicate you must stop.
  • Vehicle positioning and indicators
    • The patrol car will usually move in behind you, sometimes slightly offset, and then signal you to pull to the side, often using the left or right indicator to show which side to stop on.
* In many “driving theory test” style explanations, the standard answer is that a patrol vehicle will come up behind, switch on flashing lights, and indicate towards the side where you should pull over.

Hand and body signals

  • Raised hand / palm facing you
    • A standing officer in the road may raise an arm with the palm held towards you: this is the universal stop hand signal.
* This can be reinforced with a whistle blast or a lighted baton at night so it is easier to see.
  • Pointing and directing to the roadside
    • An officer may first get your attention (eye contact, whistle, or baton) and then point clearly to a safe place at the side of the road where you should stop and wait.
* At night this is often done with an illuminated cone-style traffic flashlight or reflective equipment so the gestures are obvious.

What you should do when signaled to stop

  • Pull over promptly and safely
    • Reduce speed, signal, and move to a safe, legal stopping place as soon as you can do so without braking harshly or creating danger for other road users.
* Stay in your vehicle unless instructed otherwise, put the parking brake on, and keep your hands visible, usually on the steering wheel.
  • Stay calm and follow instructions
    • Wait for the officer to approach and follow verbal instructions; avoid sudden movements and let them know what you are doing if you need to reach for documents.
* When the stop is finished, rejoin traffic carefully, checking mirrors and blind spots before moving off.

Variations and extra context

  • Some regions use text displays or special rear light panels on police cars that can show messages like “FOLLOW ME” or “STOP”.
  • Traffic-control situations (crashes, roadworks, events) may rely more on hand signals, whistles, and batons than on pulling individual drivers over, but the raised-palm stop signal still means you must stop.

When in doubt: flashing police lights directed at you, combined with the patrol car taking up position behind or alongside, almost always means you are expected to slow down and pull over to a safe stop.

TL;DR: A police officer will usually signal you to stop by positioning a patrol car behind you, turning on flashing blue (and sometimes red) lights, possibly using a brief siren, and indicating or pointing you towards a safe place to pull over, or—if on foot—by using a raised palm hand signal and clear gestures to the roadside.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.