We teach in defensive driving class that “Nobody ever yielded their way into a collision.” Think about it. If you are in doubt about who has the right of way, give it away. The other guy may be wrong, but you can end up hurt or dead. We often say no one HAS the right-of-way until it is yielded to them. (Keep in mind I’m talking defensive driving practices, not traffic law.) The next thing we teach in defensive driving class is that the Right of way rules are often misunderstood, and there are situations where the rules may not be clear to everyone. If there is uncertainty about which vehicle should have the right of way, give the other guy the road. When it comes to driving safely, it’s not the principle, but the outcome, that counts. But if you do get a ticket come to our defensive driving class 2passdd.com.
Were YIELD signs ever yellow?
Yes – in fact, yellow was the standard color for YIELD signs for nearly 20 years.
The YIELD sign was added to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in 1954 to assign right of way at intersections where a stop was not normally required. The sign was established as a point-down equilateral triangle with black legend and border on a yellow background. Some agencies also used a “keystone”-shaped YIELD sign, and others added the text “RIGHT OF WAY” in the space below the YIELD legend.
In 1971, the YIELD sign was changed to use the red background you see today, along with the white region in the center of the sign.
