Whether it gives you silence, time to think, a moment to relax, or all three— many of us love the feeling of a long drive. Of course, we all took a class and test to obtain our driver’s license, but the instructor did not teach us everything, nor can we expect to remember everything we did learn. You have likely noticed some sign or structure that had you wondering about its purpose. There are so many interesting facts you may not know about our roads, so keep reading to learn more.
Guardrail Angels
From the first look at a guardrail, you might think it is to prevent a rogue car from careening off a cliff or into a cavernous hole, and you are correct. However, there are many other uses for these metal saviors. A guardrail is also a shock absorber and will take the impact from a car head-on and stop the vehicle from continuing to move forward. Whether redirecting or absorbing an impact, guardrails are critical to highways as they help to keep countless passengers safe.
Green Means Go
And red means stop. Nothing on the road is more recognizable than the iconic fire-truck red, eight-sided symbol that says, “STOP.” But did you know officials designed the stop sign with great forethought? The stop sign is possibly the most prevalent and essential marker a driver must stay constantly aware of. It must be immediately recognizable without even needing to read those four letters.
The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) supported a rural committee that proposed the design of the octagonal stop sign in 1922. The AASHO decided on the octagonal shape as any driver can easily recognize it from any direction and know what it means. As time passed, the AASHO made enhancements to the sign, like making it retroreflective and changing its color to red. Next time you stop at this iconic marker, you know officials created it with great thought and attention to detail.
Know Your Exit
Many of us can relate to the anxiety you feel when you know your exit is drawing close, but you don’t know what side it is on. No one wants to traverse across several lanes at the last minute trying to hit your exit— it’s scary and dangerous.
If you have struggled with this, you will greatly appreciate this interesting fact you didn’t know about road signs on the highway. Your exit number will be either on the right or left of your signs, indicating the side of the road your exit is on. With this knowledge, you can feel safer and smarter next time you hit the gas.
