The YIELD Sign

YIELD is a traffic sign which simply means "Give Way" or "Proceed with Caution". YIELD signs are usually displayed on road intersections or when you are approaching a heavy traffic area. The symbol for which is an upside down triangle, which in the international traffic rule means "SLOW DOWN" or "REDUCE SPEED." The upside down triangle is usually bordered in red to symbolize "STOP" (as shown in the picture).


In most parts of the US, the yield sign is an upside down yellow triangle, where the color yellow denotes "CAUTION," and in most European countries the yellow triangle is bordered with red. The more elaborated symbol of it is an upside down white triangle bordered with red and with the word "YIELD" in the center.

It seems that it should be an integral part of the international traffic rules, but for some reasons unbeknown to me, we do not yet have much of these signs posted here in the streets of Davao City. I believe that these signs should be present, especially in intersections, and in industrial areas where big and heavy machineries are present. They are useful to add security and as safety precautionary mediums.

Although there is one traffic sign we use here in Davao which has the word "Yield" on it, and it is the sign posted beside the traffic lights on most of our heavy intersections - "LEFT TURN YIELD ON GREEN". It is very helpful, but one thing I noticed is that nobody seems to know what "YIELD" means, and sad to say, our traffic enforcers do not have any clue of it whatsoever.

Our heavy intersections are equipped with a green left-turn light, which allows left-turning traffic to make a legal left turn when it is on. After a few seconds, the green left-turn light becomes yellow, which should alert the left-turning vehicles to slow down and prepare to stop. After which, it turns into a red left-turn arrow or simply a red light, which of course means "Stop." But everybody seems to be ignoring that the sign still says "LEFT TURN YIELD ON GREEN." What does that mean? It simply means, "Left-turn (vehicles, must) Yield on green." Simply put, if you are a left-turning vehicle, it is permissible for you to still make your left turn provided that the oncoming traffic is clear; oncoming traffic has the right of way since they have the solid green light.

I have driven in other countries, and I came across this sign several times, and the reason for this blog is that somehow, paricularly here in Davao, the rules have changed. I believe our so-called "reliable" traffic enforcers must have misplaced their traffic rule book, because even with this sign, they would not allow you to make your left turn if you do not have your left-turn green light. Thus, the left-turn lane gets congested due to these misinformed traffic enforcers.

I have been so proud to tell my friends from outside that the Davao City streets are now equipped with traffic lights and other necessary traffic signs and symbols, and have had the high hopes that soon our traffic will improve with all these new addition. Well, I guess we can't have everything. Let us just hope that we will all get it right someday.

Drive carefully, yawl!!!

A short joke
Man1: How do you TOP a car?
Man2: I don't know.
Man1: You TEP on the brake, TUPID!