A Roadside Sign

The sun was about to set. I had been on the road for almost six hours with two more hours of driving to get to my destination. It was a call from my niece a week ago that was the reason for this drive today. She had asked if it was possible for me to come and join a small birthday celebration for her mother, my sister. I love such surprises. Who doesn’t? With that in mind, I set off on my eight-hour trip on the day of my sister’s birthday.

I had not factored construction, traffic, and rain in my planning, and realized that I was going to be late for the 7 p.m. surprise for my sister. The only option was to drive a bit faster. As I pressed harder on the accelerator, I did a quick mental calculation that I could make it on time if I drove at a higher speed. The trees and hills whizzed by and I was doing well for time now. I was feeling excited about seeing my sister and surprising her.

The car zoomed by the bold and bright sign with the posted speed limit of 100 km/hr. I knew I was going way over it, but I justified it to myself that this once I could excuse myself.

Just then, I saw the next sign, ‘We care for you – Your traffic police’. A message of four simple words looked me straight in the eye. My foot automatically released the pressure on the pedal and the car still raced ahead. I saw the back of the sign from the rear-view mirror. Then the road curved and the sign was not visible anymore. I picked up speed again.

Though the message was not visible anymore, it reverberated in my heart and mind. My conscience said, ‘Listen to the sign and slow down.’ And I did.  Why did this roadside sign have this impact on me?

Most traffic signs are symbols, words or letters that communicate a rule or a fact. They are strong reminders for us to adhere to them. All of them are designed with our safety in mind. This sign felt different. Along with the implied element of safety, it had an added component in it: a feeling, an emotion, an appeal, a reaching out. It spoke directly to me as if reminding me that I am part of a community of people and the local traffic police wants me to remember that. In thinking of my safety, I am also ensuring the safety of others while on the road.

The local traffic police gestured through this sign that they care about people. By using the word ‘you’, they signalled that each individual matters. This simple message drove the meaning home to me. After that I could not make an unconscionable decision to go way over the speed limit and in doing so, potentially jeopardize the lives of others and my own.

I stopped at the next gas station on the highway to message my niece that I would be late. Then I set off in the car again feeling light-hearted. It was as if someone had jolted me into acting responsibly and doing the right thing.

What usually happens when you see a speed limit sign? Many people ignore it when there are no police in sight. But if they feel they can get away with it, they continue to speed recklessly. When do they adhere to the speed limit? Only when there is the fear of being stopped and being fined. Such a situational decision is neither deep-rooted nor behaviour changing. I hope that when next you see the speed limit displayed on a traffic sign, you will visualize the message ‘be safe and keep others safe’ in it and be guided by your conviction.