Chris Hammons | July 17, 2024 | Car Accidents

Do you know the answer to “What does yield mean?” Driving is a part of life for many Oklahoma City residents, but most people need a refresher on their road signs from time to time. It’s more critical to understand the meaning of some road signs than others, and the “yield” sign is one of the most important. So what does “yield the right of way” mean?
What Does a Yield Sign Look Like?
Fortunately, yield right-of-way signs are pretty easy to spot. Many of the most important signs on the road (like stop signs) are red to make them noticeable. If you run a stop sign or a yield sign, you increase your risk of causing a car accident.
Yield signs have a very distinctive shape. They are triangles with one tip pointing straight downward. The triangle is mostly red, although there is a smaller white triangle with “YIELD” in red letters. Yield signs should be reflective, but even if you come across one whose reflective coating has worn off, you’ll probably be able to spot the sign by its shape alone.
Because yield signs are so important, some intersections and merge lanes also include another indicator that drivers are supposed to yield. You’ve probably seen intersections with stop signs that also have wide, solid white lines on the pavement. Those solid white lines are usually reflective, and they’re another indicator that it’s time to stop.
Some lanes with yield signs have a similar band of pavement. But instead of a solid white line, that band is a row of pointing-down triangles — the same shape as a yield sign.
What Does Yield Mean In Driving?
Yielding the right of way means allowing another car (or bicycle or pedestrian) to proceed before you do.
That means when you come to a yield sign, you should do the following:
- Slow down
- Carefully check in all directions for other cars, motorcycles, cyclists, and pedestrians
- Once you have determined that it’s safe to proceed, you may do so
It’s important to understand that while you aren’t required to stop at yield signs, traffic conditions may require you to do so in order to avoid causing an accident. One common example of this situation is a merge lane. Many smaller roads use a lane similar to an interstate ramp to connect drivers to a larger road. Here’s an example.
Imagine you’re driving on a small, winding road. You need to get onto a busier thoroughfare that goes through town. Fortunately, there’s a turn lane that lets you merge instead of going through a stop light. The turn lane has a yield sign.
You approach the turn lane and get ready to merge, but as soon as you enter the turn lane, a long line of cars starts to drive past. You drive up to the yield sign, where you must stop to let all of the vehicles drive past you. Once you see that there are no oncoming vehicles, bikes, or pedestrians, you safely merge onto the busier road and continue your journey.
Keep an Eye Out for Yield Right of Way Signs
Now, you can define “yield” in driving — but that knowledge doesn’t mean much if you don’t apply it on the road. No matter where you are, you must always keep an eye out for yield signs. Taking a second to notice one might just save your life.
If you are injured in a collision due to a failure to yield the right of way, it is crucial to consult a car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers at Laird Hammons Laird Trial Lawyers for a Free Consultation
For more information, please contact an experienced Car Accident lawyer at Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today. Our law office is located in Oklahoma City.
We proudly serve Oklahoma County, OK and its surrounding areas:
Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers – OKC
1332 SW 89th St,
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
(405) 497-0480