While this happens most often in parking lots, I’ve seen so many near misses here lately to make this an issue. Traffic signs actually do have a reason for existence. Disobeying them can seriously get you into trouble, and I’m not just talking tickets.
Stop Signs: They are not slow and roll signs. They want you to stop for a specific reason. Most of the time, it’s traffic flow…especially in a parking lot. Some intersections in parking lots do not have a four way stop. Traffic coming into the lot from the street usually doesn’t have a stop sign, or it might back up onto the street.
Another reason for stop signs would be pedestrians. It’s hard for a person trying to cross a busy street without some means of stopping traffic.
Yield Signs: The word yield means that if someone is driving towards you, you have to wait. This is used in areas where a stop sign isn’t necessary, but cross traffic exists.
No Means No: If it says No Turn, No U-turn or any other negative, it’s for a reason. Sometimes, it’s because if you turn that direction, you’re going to run over tire spikes. Sometimes the reason is obscure. However, it wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t needed.
Arrow Signs: If you’re driving down a road and see a curve with a series of yellow signs with black arrows, it usually means approach the turn with caution…someone’s already gone over the side at least once. If there’s a yellow speed limit sign with them, it’s a good idea to obey it.
Falling Rock: This can happen in any area that has mountains. Rain, earthquakes and gravity can cause rocks to slide or fall onto the road. If this happens and you’re lucky, you’ll get out with a bad scare and maybe a dented car. On the other hand, if it’s large enough, you may come out dead. Being observant in these areas is a must.
Deer Crossing: Deer can’t read road signs. These are put up to warn you, because a deer can total a car in a hurry. It can also injure or kill the deer. You can’t always miss the animal, but knowing about the problem can certainly help reduce the risks.
Horse Crossing: Horses can become spooked around vehicles. When that happens, it’s hard to tell what the horse will do. I’ve seen some horrific pictures of these accidents. I won’t describe them, but I will tell you that at least the horse and the driver of the car were killed in one of them.
Speed Limits: I’ve heard a lot of jokes about going faster than the speed limit. I doubt most cops or traffic judges find them amusing. There are a lot of good reasons for following these signs, but I’ll tell you the one that woke me up. My kids.
As they got old enough to read the signs and understand the speedometer, it occurred to me that if I was casual about speed limits as a driver, they would be, too. In fact, it improved my driving a great deal, because I wanted to provide a good example, starting long before they were old enough to drive.
Do I follow all of these signs and laws perfectly? No. I’d be lying if I said I did. I’ve looked down at my speedometer and found myself at fifty in a forty zone. I’ve run stop signs (usually accidentally) and gone around curves too fast. However, I try not to do so…I’d like to get home alive.
