I remember taking Driver’s Education — the long, boring films and even more boring lectures. The fun part was, well, getting behind that wheel and pushing that pedal! But, something (like driving now) keeps telling me that Driver’s Ed today must be considerably different than when I took it years ago.

I remember learning all those nasty and evil signs back then, you know: stop, information, warning, and yield? They each had a different shape and color to help the memory bank associate a given situation with a given action.

So, what was wrong with the yellow yield sign? Well, nothing…to be exact. What is wrong, is that people fail to realize and act/react to what it means. Yellow = caution and then proceed. Today, people have a hard enough time stopping at red lights or signs, so how can we expect them to “slow down and proceed with caution” at yellow lights or signs? Well, for argument’s sake, that’s why they changed the yellow yield sign to a red one — hoping that people would realize the stop function of red more than the caution function of yellow. But, way too many folks already do not comprehend the red function of a stop sign, anyway.

The yield sign, as well as the yellow caution light (remember the yield sign was once yellow) means to slow down and prepare to stop, if necessary. It means to “yield” progress to oncoming or incoming traffic. It means they have the right-of-way and not you. It also means, they are going to continue to drive and if needed, you must stop!

Who cares about the yield signs? Well, when you run me off the road for failure to adhere to them, I do. When you fail to heed a yellow caution light and actually run the red stop light, again, I care. When you put my family’s and my life in danger, because you fail to “yield” your progress when you merge onto the Interstate, guess what, I care. You see, I know the signs, what they mean, and I drive safely and cautiously down the road. So, why can’t you?

Oh, I forgot. It’s probably because you are in sooo much of a hurry and too busy to obey the signs of life that the rest of us safe drivers adhere to. When you cause a wreck and hurt yourself and your passengers, or the other driver and his passengers, I will just be upfront and honest and say…too bad, you lazy bum. You “got what you paid for,” so to speak. My only hope is that it is not my family or me in the vehicle that you total, because we actually take the time to learn, understand and be conscientious of all those signs.

Yield means caution, slow down and prepare to stop. When you learn that, then our wonderful (or boring) trips down the road will be much safer. Yours, too!