Drivers Leaving Michigan Are Confused About This Sign

When you go through driver's training, you're made aware of many of the road signs you'll see on your daily commute. Yield, wrong way, STOP SIGNS, the dreaded four-way-stop, and the merge signal are common signs around Michigan.

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Traditionally, the beauty of driving around the country is that most of the signs are standardized. When people visit Michigan, the one thing that tends to confuse people is the Michigan Left. However, now drivers leaving Michigan are getting confused by a sign that appears in neighboring states, but you won't see it here.

What is a "Delayed Green"?

The sign that Michiganders are getting confused by is a sign that signifies a "delayed green" light. Variations of the sign include "WAIT FOR GREEN" in Philadelphia, PA, "DELAYED GREEN, WAIT" in New Jersey, or "ONCOMING TRAFFIC HAS LONGER GREEN" in Indiana.

Despite the signs saying different things, the general message is the same: the light you're at has a different timing than the light on the opposite side of the intersection. These signs are found at intersections with protected left turns, warning drivers not to drive just because the other side may have started moving.

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Michigan doesn't have these signs, but should it? The U.S. Department of Transportation cites left turns among the most dangerous maneuvers for drivers. The DOT states that these types of accidents happen from sudden stops, timing issues that result in a T-bone, blind turns, poor lines of sight, and more.

While a red light should be sufficient to deter drivers from stepping on the gas, adding a sign to indicate that you especially need to wait at that specific intersection could prove beneficial.