Do you see the signs?

I speak with many people each year who tell me how good a driver they are. I’ve been in the vehicle with many of these people, but they don’t seem to be able to prove it. Most miss the “little” things that would help them become better drivers.

For example, a lot of drivers get caught for speeding because they didn’t see the speed sign change. Others go through stop signs and red lights because they never saw them. Let’s be real here; how important is your observation as a driver and what could the repercussions be if you don’t know where to look?

The above sign is posted in a neighbourhood to let drivers know of the blind child. The question really needs to be asked; how many drivers notice signs like this in the areas they drive? I’m sure most neighbours have seen this sign many times that they may forget about it. But come on; isn’t this as important as the stop sign further ahead? If this was your child, I’m sure you would feel it was just as important.

With not knowing this sign was there and you see a child look in your direction, you can’t assume they’ve seen you. That’s because in some situations, they can’t actually see you. The sign is there to help you make safe driving decisions. If anything, we need to notice the yellow warning signs. There’s a reason they are different than most of the other signs we see posted on our busy streets.

I’d love to sit past that warning sign and ask each driver as they stop what the last yellow sign was they saw. I doubt many would get it correct. Observational skills are very weak for most drivers and short term memory is another. You may have forgotten that.

The next time you’re driving anywhere, look for the important signs and have your passenger test you on which signs you should have seen. This just may a big eye opener for you and your observational skills.