What color is a "yield" sign? Think about
that for a few moments and we'll come back to it.
Human beings are prone to operating
on "autopilot." Especially on familiar roads, our minds
wander away from our immediate task to other things. It is virtually impossible
to keep this from occurring, but it is important to recognize it and bring
our attention back to what we're doing as often as possible -- especially
if what we happen to be doing is piloting a 3,000 lb piece of machinery
down the road at a brisk pace.
A few years ago, network television produced a "national
driving test," sponsored by the Valvoline Corporation. One of the
questions in the program involved a trip down a city boulevard -- with
the viewer "riding along" as a passenger. At a specific point,
the camera froze and the viewer was asked to identify the last traffic
sign the camera vehicle passed. This program has been used in thousands
of traffic school classes in my state over the past 15 years, and you
may have guessed by now that most participants are not able to identify
what that last sign was. We LOOK, but we don't SEE.
One of the most important aspects of defensive driving
is recognizing impending hazards BEFORE they become a problem for you.
Early recognition allows the time you need to avoid trouble. It is vitally
important that you recognize and become IMMEDIATELY aware of what you
see while driving. This is what I mean by "connecting your mind to
your eyes." It is thinking about the possibility the ball rolling
across the road may be chased by a child, that a vehicle approaching on
an adjacent roadway may not stop at a cross street, and not being so deeply
lost in thought that you fail to see a "no turn" sign, or a
partially hidden railroad crossing up ahead. Use your EYES to see, and
your MIND to analyze what you see for potential dangers.
What was the first thing that came to your mind when
I asked you what color "yield" signs are? Yellow? You are not
alone, if that's the case. Do you know that yield signs have not been
yellow since the early 1970s? Yet, because we often don't really see them,
our minds still think of them that way (yellow). Back about 1974, the
United States adopted the international standards for road signs and since
that time, ALL yield signs have been red and white. I guarantee you have
not SEEN a yellow yield sign on a public roadway for over 20 years. Don't
believe me? Check it out next time you drive. Really LOOK at one!
Remember, don't trust that other guy - he drives just
like us!
<Rule
49: Make Safe & Sane Left Turns
Rule 51: Make Defensive Stops>
