50 Fun Facts About Every State in America

Clinton Riggs designed the yield sign. It was first used on a trial basis in Tulsa in 1950. Back then, the signs looked a little different than they do today. The yellow signs were shaped like a keystone with black letters stating, “yield right of way.” It was during his time as a trooper that Riggs conceived the idea of the “yield” sign, and he began developing it while attending Chicago’s Northwestern Traffic Institute in 1939. His goal was a sign that "would not only control traffic at an intersection but would also attach liability in a collision if one driver failed to yield." Women were grateful for the signs, as some women were apparently afraid to come to a full stop at night, so a yield sign helped them feel safe from roadside prowlers.