I think we can all agree that Signs in general are important. They help us navigate through our daily lives. Where the bathrooms are, where the subway is located, bus stops, restaurant signs and A Frames with menus and specials…the list is endless. I want to address a particular group of signs that all of us deal with…. Road Signs. When to stop, what the speed limit is, where there is a railroad crossing and so on. Many of these signs are informational, some are specifically for safety and to keep us from having an accident and some are to warn us about road hazards. The road hazard kind is the area that I am going to talk about today. These signs don’t just go up randomly, they don’t fall out of the sky. Some government agency is responsible for deciding what signs go where and for what reason. I am sure that before any sign is placed, especially on a highway, it must go through an exhaustive review with a series of meetings or hearings, then costs are evaluated, and the pros and cons are weighed. In addition, someone has to actually make the sign and put it in place next to the highway in the proper location. It probably has to be a certain number of feet from the road, at a certain height, be a particular size, etc. Having said all this leads me to the sign in question. First a little background. My wife and I lived in Turlock California and on occasion we would drive to the Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, California. We would make the drive on Highway 108 to Sonora and then take a secondary road to the Casino. We made this trip on many occasions and about a year and a half ago I noticed a sign next to the highway between Sonora and Tuolumne that said “Major Deer Crossing”.
I thought about that for a while and the first thing I thought was that in all those trips on that road I had never seen a deer. The wheels started turning… how does a sign with the words “Major Deer Crossing” survive all that Government scrutiny. Did someone take a deer count to have this particular location qualify for more than a simple “Deer Crossing” sign. There had to be a large number of deer that crossed in that spot to justify the “Major Deer Crossing” moniker. What is the count that elevates the notice from a simple “Deer Crossing” sign to a “Major Deer Crossing” designation? In the sign making shop do they actually have both signs or is the “Major Deer Crossing” sign so unusual that it has to be made as a special sign? This begs the question… as a driver on that road, am I going to act differently if the sign reads “Major Deer Crossing”? After all I am very familiar with your basic “Deer Crossing” sign, but clearly a “Major Deer Crossing” sign suggests that I should be on heightened alert for the presence of many deer. At the end of the day what would signify (Major) deer? More than 3? I honestly don’t know. We must assume that for whatever reason the powers that be have determined that drivers on that road must be made aware of the fact that this isn’t any normal deer crossing. I guess I should feel some comfort that they are looking out for me in some way so that I don’t run into a bunch of deer or even worse have one impaled on my vehicle or be struck by a herd of deer crossing the road. Again I wonder if they thought that by putting that sign where they did the deer would be inclined to cross there rather than a lesser crossing site. I have looked at the location and frankly cannot understand why that particular location is any different than say any other spot within a few hundred yards on either side. Having said that, I also wonder how the presentation went to the decision makers who had to approve a “Major Deer Crossing” sign. What kind of questions would be asked? I would have loved to be in that hearing room for the banter that took place. “OK, so we are in agreement that we need to place a “Major Deer Crossing” sign in this location rather than a “Deer Crossing” sign, is that correct?” Then this is approved and we can move forward. Did they ask for deer counts? Did they have actual statistics on deer that had been hit by cars in this location? Would a regular “Deer Crossing” sign have been enough? Are “Major Deer Crossing” signs available or does one need to be made? If so, what is the additional cost to make a “Major Deer Crossing” sign? How many deaths would be saved by having a “Major Deer Crossing” sign vs a “Deer Crossing” sign? We will never know the answers to any of these questions because I am sure they did not hold public hearings on the matter. The sign was placed and paid for by the taxpayers and I have to assume for good reason. I can say absolutely that I have never hit or been hit by a deer at that location so with that kind of track record I would say that the “Major Deer Crossing” sign is doing its job.
I am providing this information as a public service to any and all who might drive by this important informational sign dealing with potential road hazards. I cannot take credit for the positive results from that sign, but someone, somewhere can rest easy knowing that by placing this sign they have made that stretch of highway a little safer for all of us.
