Do you bike like you drive?
 

This article at Cycling Today (Cyclists don't break traffic laws any more than drivers, says new study | Cycling Today) says that bike riders break traffic less than car drivers. This isn’t true for me. Is it true for you?

I definitely blow through stop signs if I see there are no other vehicles around. I would never do this in a car. Would you?

I stop at all red lights and all stop signs if others are visible when I ride. I stop at both when I drive.

I behave differently riding a bike compared to driving a car, because my car weighs 3,300lbs and my bike weighs about 20lbs. I roll intersections and jump traffic lights all the time on the bike. Never in a car.

Meanwhile, this morning I watched a low-boy semi carrying a massive roll of sheet metal blow through 3 yellows and 2 reds in the span of a mile and a half.

Idaho rules when on the bike is typical, when alone. That last part is important. It's about responsibility to others. It's why when driving I don't do what I might do on a bike. Andy

The example I like to give: do you come to a complete stop before the white line when turning left on a blinking red, even uf there is no oncoming traffic? I don't, almost no one I have driven around does, yet that indeed is blowing a red light.

I wouldn't say that I perform the exact same maneuvers in a bike as a car, but as far as the level of risk taking, they're both on par for me. I don't "blow" through stop signs, but I do regularly roll through them on both vehicles. There may be less braking involved, but the speed differential is the reason for that. I don't barrel out into an intersection with my head down at full power on a bike either.

My most common traffic violation when driving an automobile is speeding. There's not too much risk of me doing that on a bike. There are a few hills where I can descend a few MPH over the limit, but mostly the speed limit exceeds my ability to pedal.

On a bike and on a car I stop at stop signs and red lights. The only time I blow a red light on my bike is when the sensors are incapable of detecting me and I'm alone at the intersection, and have been for some time. And I think in some jurisdictions it is ok to do that if the sensor is not functioning properly (which is to say, not detecting a cyclist sitting right on top of it). On the other hand, if I were sitting in my car at a red light, alone for several minutes and it becomes obvious that the sensor isn't detecting me, I'm going to proceed too.

So with respect to speed, no, I do not bike the way I drive. With respect to traffic laws, I try to be the cyclist who doesn't give the rest of us a bad name; I am at least as conscious of following the law on bike as I am in the car.

My cycling behavior is consistant with what you would expect from a law abiding group ride. I always stop at stop signs if there is a car around. My riding group finds stopping at stop signs irritating.

My driving habits are consistant with what you would expect of a commercial driver with combination, double-triple, tanker, and haz-mat endorsements. I signal EVERYTHING, make confident decisions, & anticipate other drivers actions. Other drivers find "only" 5 over and stopping at stop signs irritating.

I think there is little difference, & good cycling habits improve driver awareness/attentiveness habits. What the driver does with the extra attention...that remains to be seen.

Anecdotally: I have noticed that cars with bike racks tend to pass more slowly & not nearly as close as those with out.

I do not have the strength or stamina to ride like I drive. But, full stops, only if there is traffic. On my bike I rarely go over the speed limit :p

I'm not going to kill anyone with my bike.
Big difference.
When I blow lights or stop signs it usually at 11 pm after 4 beers.
I can't hear people that yell at me. I've got headphones in my ears.

I don't bike locally like I tour internationally.
Wouldn't this thread be better off in 'General cycling discussion'?

:eek: :eek:

I wouldn't do that if I were driving a motor vehicle OR if I were on bicycle.

I even slow down at intersections without stop signs.




And I agree that this doesn't belong in Touring.

That's why you keep the lights off so they don't see you ;)

Scottsdale, AZ was once considering a weird rule for cyclists, allowing those over a certain age, I think 16, to ride through a stop sign if no traffic is present.

I think I'm as safe a cyclist as I am a driver, but I operate each differently in traffic. The risks are different. In a few cases, the rules and facilities are different. Like being able to pass stopped traffic on the right, or taking a "bike box" in front of stopped traffic.

I also like to think if I mess up on a bike, I'm the only one at risk, but that's not really true. Besides the mental anguish of the faultless motorist, there's the real risk of harming another cyclist or pedestrian. A couple of years ago, a cyclist killed a pedestrian in San Francisco. I cycle through a college campus almost daily, and I need to watch for clueless texting salmon as much as I do motorists. Motorists tend to be paragons of patience in that area, incredibly. Nobody wants to harm a kid.

People have been killed by cyclists. A few years ago in Philly a man was struck and knocked down while crossing the street legally. Hit his head, slipped into a coma and later died. The cyclist got up, straightened his bars and rode off. He has never been identified despite a large reward being offered by the victim's employer. Then there was the case a few years ago in CA where a guy trying to set some sort of record on Strava blew a light, hit a senior citizen and killed her. He later posted on line about what he had done and his commitment to setting the record. In 2014 a jogger in Central Park was hit and killed by a cyclist. No laws were broken there, but it's another example of how bikes can injure/kill pedestrians.

BTW...IBTM to A&S, where there is already a thread about this.

Nothing weird about that. It's called the Idaho Stop Law. In Idaho, a cyclist can treat a stop sign as a yield sign. Red lights can be treated as stop signs. Makes complete sense as it, among other things, enables the cyclists to keep ahead of traffic. I wish that were legally in my home town of Philly, with its narrow streets. It's how the overwhelming majority of riders behave anyway. The problem is that there are too many people who don't yield or stop. The "get out of my way" crowd.

Always. It's my duty as a responsible user of our roadways. I do everything as expected as a part of traffic because I believe it is in my best interest to not behave in a manner which is contrary to traffic law or which puts me in a position where motorists are not trained to look for me or other traffic. I asked a police officer about what to do at traffic signals which did not detect my presence and he said, "....treat it as a nonfunctioning signal. Check for traffic, then proceed." That is what I do but only if there is no other traffic to activate the signal.

I have been riding this way for decades whether I am touring, on a daily commute, running an errand or even on a group ride. What is interesting to me is that my cycling friends who are most inclined to violate traffic norms are the same ones who have the most stories of harassment by motorists.

I drive a car like a ride a motorcycle, which were my main means of transportation into my 40's.

I ride a bike like I'm some idiot on a bicycle sharing a roadway with actual vehicles travelling at or above legal highway speeds. If I ever get hit its ALWAYS gonna be my fault, I do not care what the law says.

I do run vacant stop signs all the time, but never a red light without stopping first.

I was at the helm of a nuclear missile sub , back in the 60's , before I had a driver's license on land..

So you ride your bike like you drove a submarine? I'd like to see that!

That being said, I've always thought it'd be cool to ride a 1930's Torpedo.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...31e12fa660.jpg

On a bike:
- I will sometimes use a "stop as yield", particularly if no other vehicles are at the intersection or I am making a left turn.
- I don't run red lights, but will proceed if it looks like the detector hasn't picked up my bike
- On extremely busy roads, I will sometimes make a left turn by proceeding straight across, lining up with traffic and then riding the second road - this as opposed to merging left potentially crossing high-speed traffic. I will also sometimes use the pedestrian lights

On a car:
- I will sometimes speed slightly over the speed limit - but typically not faster than prevailing traffic
- I might occasionally go through a stop slowing way down, but not reaching 100% stop, particularly if no other vehicles are at the intersection

While touring:
- I may occasionally resort to being a pedestrian to cross unfamiliar areas - go on one-way streets
- I'll do less "stop as yield" than when in familiar areas

I suppose to be similar I'd bring the Ensign or Lt along to keep me on course and depth...

Fundamentally you could say I follow the same general principles on the bike and in the cage. Safety first. I will violate laws if in my opinion I can do it safely and the risk of being ticketed is low. I also tend to work cooperatively with other road users. If my bicycle had a horn I'd honk at distracted drivers on it just as I do in the car.

I drive like I ride!
The first job I had after getting my license was as a taxi driver doing 12 hour shifts. I sort of flow from point A to point B in a pragmatic rather than principled sort of way and while I am definitely not aggressive, I will take the advantage if the other driver is hesitant. Signals and stop signs are on a need to know basis ;)

I hope not...I quit driving December 26, 2006. Rode to DMV the day after Christmas, turned the license in and had my parents sell the Pontiac. It was gone in February 2007.