What does a stop signal typically require of a vehicle?

A stop signal requires a vehicle to come to a complete stop. This is a fundamental rule of traffic laws to ensure safety at intersections and pedestrian crossings. When a driver encounters a stop signal, they must halt their vehicle behind the marked stop line or crosswalk and remain stopped until it is safe to proceed. This action allows drivers to observe oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and other potential hazards, ensuring that they are making a fully informed decision before continuing on their route.

The expectation of stopping ensures that vehicles do not collide with each other or endanger pedestrians, who may be in the vicinity. The need for complete stops is particularly critical at busy intersections where the risk of accidents increases without proper yielding behavior.

In this context, the other options do not align with the requirements of a stop signal. Increasing speed would be dangerous and against the traffic rules, making a left turn is a maneuver that might occur only if safe to do so after stopping, and slowing down but not stopping does not meet the legal criteria for compliance with a stop signal.