One in Ten Florida Drivers Failed to Recognize Basic Road Signs

If you live in any of the big cities of Florida, you’ve probably participated in the constant complaining of how bad the drivers around you seem to be. I’ve certainly done it in Miami on my daily commute from Bird Road to US1, especially when someone thinks that cutting me off will get them to their destination faster. Then, as I pass them later down the road, I think to myself: "look at how far that got you!"

But how accurate can you actually be when you make these assumptions?

It turns out that you were probably right to assume that other drivers aren't great at operating their vehicles. A New York dealership recently conducted a survey asking licensed drivers in each state to take a road sign test. What doesn’t come as a surprise is that Florida is ranked as one of the worst states for passing this test.

According to the survey, Florida ranks as the 8th worst state for passing a road sign test. Out of the licensed drivers tested, over 10% of them failed. Just to give you an idea of what that would look like on the road, imagine you’re driving on I-95. Out of every ten cars you pass, one of them failed to recognize basic road signs. Now, imagine how many cars are on I-95 daily -- or even I-10, I-75, or any of the other major roads and highways in Florida.

If you thought that this couldn’t get worse, you’re wrong. Not only did the study find how many people failed the test, but it also found which signs were missed the most. Apparently, the “U-Turn Only” sign stumped the most people, with 7.65% of respondents failing to recognize it. Other signs that were commonly missed were the “Soft Shoulder” sign, the “Yield” sign, the “Road Shoulder Much higher Than Road Surface” sign, and the “Bicycles Only” sign.

Out of all of those, the yield sign is probably the most surprising, given that it quite literally says what to do on it. Yield signs apply to a variety of situations on the road, including on-ramps, roundabouts, and more -- and with Florida residents not being knowledgeable about who has the right of way, it’s no surprise that this was a commonly missed sign.

While it’s amusing to confirm your opinion of everyone being a bad driver but you, it’s no laughing matter. Florida is home to a few of the country’s deadliest roads, so it’s crucial that you understand road signs, rules, and etiquette. Even if you consider yourself to be an extremely safe driver, you have to assume that everybody around you doesn’t know what they’re doing to keep yourself safe. Keep in mind that one in ten drivers around you may not know the majority of road signs, so always stay alert, be cautious, and don’t drive recklessly.