The significance of road signs and why we have to pay attention to them

One of my goals is to learn to drive, I’m really hating the fact that I can’t drive now, and with four kids, relying on public transport gets really expensive, as well as awkward sometimes – try taking a weeks worth of holiday gear on the train {as well as four kids!}.

I’ve been chatting lots with the kiddos about how good it would be, but also about learning to drive and driving in general. One thing I love about home education is how everything becomes a lesson! One of the girls asked a question about what a specific sign was when we were parking the car, and it lead us into a big discussion on road and parking signage, and why we have to pay attention to them.

We discussed how they are placed in specific areas to keep drivers safe. That some signs let drivers know how fast to go, or when to turn or not turn. I explained that part of learning to drive now is the theory test and you have to know what all the different signs mean so that you are safe, but also so you don’t endanger other drivers on the road. We talked about a few of the most common signs and what they meant.

The “No Entry” sign is placed to let you know that an area is out of bounds and you cannot enter. The “Stop” sign is one to watch out for, and prepare to slow down before you get to it, rather than just make an abrupt stop, or only slow down and not stop entirely. We also looked at what shapes signs are – how warning signs are mostly triangular, that there are road signs giving orders such as ‘no cycling’ or ‘no overtaking’, signs which tell you which lane to go in on motorways and information signs that tell road users about upcoming junctions, lane restrictions, special zones and merging road lanes.

Road signs are vital to the safety of every driver, they create order and show important information to motorists. If they are missing or negligently maintained, they create hazardous situations for drivers.

The girls were really interested in just how many road signs there are and what they all mean. I’m thinking that we could pull it all together into a mini home ed project!