Yielding

The word “yield” has many meanings throughout the English language. You can yield to the next speaker, or the land can yield food from the garden. But today I bring up yield as in the road sign.

Too often I find that drivers treat a yield sign as a free-for-all to go through intersections or turn onto other roads without even slowing. A yield sign allows a driver to reduce speed instead of having to come to a complete stop. Call a yield sign a small time saver. But remember, it doesn’t mean you may not have to come to complete stop if necessary to yield right of way to any traffic on the roadway you are going to cross or enter.

So when approaching a yield sign, it means slowing to a reasonable speed, which allows you the ability to ascertain what is happening in the area. Ask yourself, did you give yourself enough time to accurately see if traffic is coming? Are there any pedestrians using the crosswalks? Do you have an acceleration lane, or does it go directly into the lane of travel?

In my opinion, a good speed for a yield sign is quite often what I see when someone rolls through a stop sign. So quick refresher there. Stop at a stop sign, and slow roll through the yield sign if it’s safe to do so.

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