STOP Signs and Bicyclists
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 212
Bikes: Breezer Storm Comp 29er
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
STOP Signs and Bicyclists
There was a recent post concerning "STOP" signs and bicyclists. Inside my neighborhood, I usually slow down to almost not moving, look for traffic and then quickly turn or ride thru the intersection. On main or high traffic roads, I stop!
A local bicyclist was injured the other the day. IT'S CLAIMED HE RODE THRU THE STOP SIGN. Hope he has a speedy recovery!
I'm sure as more cities create bike lanes and routes, traffic laws will be enforced on bicyclists. Including direction of travel, helmets, and traffic signals! One of our routes, that include walkers, has a Speed Limit for bicyclists.
Here's the Article.
A local bicyclist was injured the other the day. IT'S CLAIMED HE RODE THRU THE STOP SIGN. Hope he has a speedy recovery!
I'm sure as more cities create bike lanes and routes, traffic laws will be enforced on bicyclists. Including direction of travel, helmets, and traffic signals! One of our routes, that include walkers, has a Speed Limit for bicyclists.
Here's the Article.
#2
Senior Member
Why cyclists should be able to roll through stop signs and ride through red lights - Vox
Another Article
Another Article
Last edited by Cyril; 07-13-14 at 06:58 AM.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Posts: 2,470
Bikes: Surly Long Haul Trucker, Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, Dahon Mu P 24 , Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Rodriguez Tandem, Wheeler MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: texas
Posts: 193
Bikes: '86 Raleigh marathon, '09 Fuji newest 4.0, 2001 Cannondale R600
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Texas is same as car, red or stop means stop. Ignore at peril of tickets.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Very N and Very W Ohio Williams Co.
Posts: 2,458
Bikes: 2001 Trek Multitrack 7200, 2104 Fuji Sportif 1.5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Out in the sticks I slow way down and stop if need be, but if it is a 4 way stop with no cars in sight, yea I run the thing at speed :-).
I vastly prefer riding in the country :-).
Signals that work on a "demand" basis now more and more use cameras not weight sensors, and darned if they do not seem to work great even for bicycles.
Bil
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Cabot, Arkansas
Posts: 1,538
Bikes: Lynskey Twisted Helix Di2 Ti, 1987 Orbea steel single speed/fixie, Orbea Avant M30, Trek Fuel EX9.8 29, Trek Madone 5 series, Specialized Epic Carbon Comp 29er, Trek 7.1F
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Completely based on traffic and the visual sight range of the intersection.
#8
SuperGimp
I'm still waiting for cars to actually stop at stop signs, much less bikes. They don't call it a California Stop for nothing!
If there's nobody around, I'm not stopping. If there's a car then yes, I'll stop. I don't want to get hit (again).
If there's nobody around, I'm not stopping. If there's a car then yes, I'll stop. I don't want to get hit (again).
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Dayton OH
Posts: 95
Bikes: 2013 Trek One Series
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I stop if there is no clear view of the road but I'll roll through if I can see that there is no cars coming from either direction. Usually I'll slow quite a bit so that I can stop when I do see a car but continue when I know the road is clear.
Washington trip was a bit different, I found out that there are laws against what I do here in Ohio. If there are laws here in Ohio, I don't think they are really enforced or depend upon locality.
Washington trip was a bit different, I found out that there are laws against what I do here in Ohio. If there are laws here in Ohio, I don't think they are really enforced or depend upon locality.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 143
Bikes: Windsor Carrera Sport, Fuji Absolute 3.0, Cannondale H400
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Here in California, I think the law is the same for car and bicycle. I usually, on my bicycle, slow and if it is clear, ride through. How much I slow (or stop) depends on how much I can see safely. A couple of months ago, I rode through a stop sign, turning right. A police car was coming the other way. The office just looked at me and kept going.
#12
SuperGimp
And no, I'm not advocating the full group stop for every sign in the wilderness... I think common sense has a place.
#13
Senior Member
I stop for red lights.. but I coast through stop signs. If at a red light, the intersection is clear and there's no cars in the foreseeable distance I'll proceed before waiting for the green, otherwise I'd be standing there forever trying to trip the light. Same applies when I'm crossing a street on foot
#14
Senior Member
I usually roll through stop sighs and would fully expect a ticket if a cop saw me. A week or so ago I was slowing to a stop since a cop was stopping on the cross street. He waved me on so I just kept going
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Very N and Very W Ohio Williams Co.
Posts: 2,458
Bikes: 2001 Trek Multitrack 7200, 2104 Fuji Sportif 1.5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I also live in Ohio, apparently running a signal or sign on a bike is the same penalty on a bike or in a car, BUT they cannot add points to your drivers license for a non DUI offense committed on a bicycle.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Middelbury, Vermont
Posts: 1,105
Bikes: Giant Escape 1
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 136 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
2 Posts
I use the "Idaho Stop" rule - which allows bicyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs. It's not technically legal in other states but it's probably accepted. The police in Shelburne, VT enforce the law for cyclists so be careful if you're riding there.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Brodhead, WI - south of Madison
Posts: 2,928
Bikes: 2009 Trek 1.2
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 239 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
1 Post
I stop for red lights.. but I coast through stop signs. If at a red light, the intersection is clear and there's no cars in the foreseeable distance I'll proceed before waiting for the green, otherwise I'd be standing there forever trying to trip the light. Same applies when I'm crossing a street on foot
On my way home is a different story. With lots of traffic I try very much to act like traffic
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Denver, CO - City Park
Posts: 247
Bikes: Fuji, Ridley, Bianchi, Charge
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I commute daily 13.5 miles each way. I ride through downtown Denver and other highly congested areas. I choose to take streets with less traffic so I can avoid getting hit. In doing so there are bike lanes and lots of stops signs and long long red lights. My commute would take me 15-20 minutes longer if I did not Idaho Stop at Red lights and yield at stop signs. Anyone who tells you bikes are vehicles when we are on the road..."If you treat me like a vehicle I will act like a vehicle."
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,321
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18446 Post(s)
Liked 15,672 Times
in
7,368 Posts
When the law was changed in ID, vehcicle-cylist accidents dropped and then leveled off.
#20
Senior Member
I have noticed that some drivers come to a fill stop whenever when they see a bicycle. This is so they can bich about those scofflaw cyclists.
#22
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 212
Bikes: Breezer Storm Comp 29er
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Brodhead, WI - south of Madison
Posts: 2,928
Bikes: 2009 Trek 1.2
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 239 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
1 Post
Not to pile on with an ongoing somewhat cliched rant about "women drivers" but this year this has been born out time and time again. Much of the time it's a young woman too, but either way, a woman behind the wheel with a phone against her head is about the most spatially unaware thing on the planet. I've noticed it while bike commuting, and while driving. It's frankly rather scary
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Fuquay Varina, NC (Research Triangle)
Posts: 269
Bikes: 2016 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.0 LE, Specialized Tricross Elite Disc (2013), Motobecane 529HT
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
We roll through stops if there is a clear view in all directions and no traffic.... not stop lights though, even if the roads are empty we wait... unless its one of those with a trigger that never changes because we dont have enough weight on it.
#25
just pedal
I usually use the Idaho stop method at stop signs, stopping and starting uses a lot of energy and I'd prefer to keep that energy for later in the ride... for lights it depends on where I am, most of them have camera sensors now and do a good job of picking up even cyclists... but if I'm turning right and onto a bike lane I'll slow down and just make the turn, if not I follow the right on red law (stop, look, GOOOOO)... there is only one light that I use as a stop sign and that is one that I use on my night ride, the sensor isn't very good and I can see either direction on the road it crosses for 1/4+ mile in either direction...