Yield sign
Encyclopedia
In road transport
, a (Canada
, Ireland
and the United States
) or (Hong Kong
, the United Kingdom
and most Commonwealth
countries) traffic sign
indicates that each driver
must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops has yielded the right of way to another. In contrast, a stop sign
requires each driver to stop completely before proceeding, even if no other traffic is present.
The first US yield sign was installed in 1950 at First Street and Columbia Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma
, having been devised and designed by Tulsan police
officer Clinton Riggs
.
Riggs invented only the sign, not the rule, which was already in place. The sign as originally conceived by Officer Riggs was shaped like a keystone
; later versions bore the shape of an inverted equilateral triangle which has been almost universally adopted. Particular regulations regarding appearance, installation, and compliance with the signs vary by jurisdiction.
However, the triangular sign was used much earlier in Europe, e. g. in Czechoslovakia
was codified in 1938 in blue-white variant without words and in 1939 was in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
changed to the current red-white variant. A black triangle (within the standard down-arrow-shape of stop signs) was a symbol of "stop for all vehicles" since cca 1925 in Germany.
, a yield sign may be warranted:
's Road Traffic Act
calls for signs and road markings
far more often at junctions (intersection
s) where signs would be used in the US. The road marking accompanying the sign consists of a large inverted triangle painted just before the place to give way.
In Wales, the signs bear bilingual legends; the Welsh appears above .
In the United Kingdom, a stop or give-way sign sign may be preceded by an inverted, blank, triangular sign with an advisory placard such as . In most other parts of Europe, the sign at the intersection itself is also blank.
(Irish language
-speaking) areas, it reads ("Give Way") instead. Signs erected before 1997 and still in service read . Use of the sign is similar to that of the UK "Give Way" sign.
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
, a (Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) or (Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and most Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries) traffic sign
Traffic sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...
indicates that each driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops has yielded the right of way to another. In contrast, a stop sign
Stop sign
A Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...
requires each driver to stop completely before proceeding, even if no other traffic is present.
The first US yield sign was installed in 1950 at First Street and Columbia Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, having been devised and designed by Tulsan police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officer Clinton Riggs
Clinton Riggs
Clinton E. Riggs was a Tulsa Police Department officer who, along with Paul Rice, invented the first yield sign. The Tulsa Police Department's shoulder patch is patterned after this original yield sign. He retired from the department as Administrative Chief in 1970 after 36 years of...
.
Riggs invented only the sign, not the rule, which was already in place. The sign as originally conceived by Officer Riggs was shaped like a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
; later versions bore the shape of an inverted equilateral triangle which has been almost universally adopted. Particular regulations regarding appearance, installation, and compliance with the signs vary by jurisdiction.
However, the triangular sign was used much earlier in Europe, e. g. in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was codified in 1938 in blue-white variant without words and in 1939 was in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
changed to the current red-white variant. A black triangle (within the standard down-arrow-shape of stop signs) was a symbol of "stop for all vehicles" since cca 1925 in Germany.
United States
In the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control DevicesManual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used...
, a yield sign may be warranted:
- On the approaches to a through street or highway where conditions are such that a stop is not always required.
- At the second crossroad of a divided highway, where the median width at the intersection is 9 m or greater. In this case, a stopStop signA Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...
or yield sign may be installed at the entrance to the first roadway of a divided highway, and a yield sign may be installed at the entrance to the second roadway. - On a channelized turn lane that is separated from the adjacent travel lanes by an island, even if the adjacent lanes at the intersection are controlled by a highway traffic control signalTraffic lightTraffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
or by a stop sign. - At an intersection where a special problem exists and where engineering judgment indicates the problem to be susceptible to correction by the use of the yield sign.
- Facing the entering roadway for a merge-type movement if engineering judgment indicates that control is needed because acceleration geometry and/or sight distance is not adequate for merging traffic operation.
United Kingdom
By contrast, the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Road Traffic Act
Road Traffic Act 1930
The Road Traffic Act 1930 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom introduced by the then Minister of Transport Herbert Morrison following the 1929 election which resulted in a hung parliament in which the Labour party won the most seats for the first time and Ramsay MacDonald became...
calls for signs and road markings
Road surface marking
Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information. They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses....
far more often at junctions (intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
s) where signs would be used in the US. The road marking accompanying the sign consists of a large inverted triangle painted just before the place to give way.
In Wales, the signs bear bilingual legends; the Welsh appears above .
In the United Kingdom, a stop or give-way sign sign may be preceded by an inverted, blank, triangular sign with an advisory placard such as . In most other parts of Europe, the sign at the intersection itself is also blank.
Republic of Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, the sign reads in most areas, though in GaeltachtGaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
(Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
-speaking) areas, it reads ("Give Way") instead. Signs erected before 1997 and still in service read . Use of the sign is similar to that of the UK "Give Way" sign.