kickstart

Certainly there's exceptions to every rule if there's actual need, the law doesn't compel us to do something dangerous in the name of the law.
That said, ones simple desire, theoretical notion, or ability to deviate from the law wouldn't fall under that category.

noisebeam

From most to least important:

.............I
...........am
..........safe
..........legal
.......practical
......courteous
...advantageous

ItsJustMe

If the judge doesn't allow you to proceed if your bike doesn't trigger the sensor, I'd sure be tempted to ask if he thinks I should sit there for hours blocking the lane and sitting on the sensor, keeping a line of cars behind me for hours as well.

JIMBETHYNAME

The cops could care less about bicycles running red lights or stop signs here. Ive ridden thru reds that a cop car was the first car in line and never been bothered.
The only reason to stop is if traffic wont let me go.
We can ride on the sidewalks here also.
This is in Poughkeepsie NY

SquidPuppet

Or, it's legal, like where I live.

~25 miles yesterday. Plowed through many stop signs and red lights.

elocs

"Here" is the operative word.

gecho

Just for laughs I decided to contact the local police for advice on how to deal with lights that never change. They got back to me saying they couldn't advise that I ever proceed through a red. Maybe I should bring a lawn chair and make myself comfortable. At least its on record with multiple officials that their traffic lights don't work, they are aware they don't work, and knowing that they chose to do nothing.

It seems like the sensors are simply misconfigured or poorly aimed. They are radar based and I believe both the aim and beam width is configurable as one of the rationale I was told for the choice of that sensor was its ability to be tuned to specific lanes while excluding the right turn lane. Out by the university I discovered I could trigger that light by riding left of the yellow line.

Gresp15C

Here in Wisconsin:

... a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle facing a red signal at an intersection may, after stopping as required under subd. 1. for not less than 45 seconds, proceed cautiously through the intersection before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to actuate the signal and the operator of the motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle reasonably believes the signal is vehicle actuated.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/sta...utes/346/VI/37

ItsJustMe

COULDN'T care less.

And I don't do things based on what the cops think about stuff. I follow the law, which is the implicit contract for using the roads as a public space. I don't care in the least if there's a cop around. IMO if you behave any differently if there's a cop behind you than if you're alone on the road, you already know you're doing something wrong.

JoeyBike

Which was the dude's point I think. We don't behave any differently when a cop is around and don't believe we are doing anything wrong by crossing a street after carefully looking both ways. Neither do our local PD.

Laws are concepts written on paper stored in a courthouse somewhere. Bumpers are made of steel and plastic with thousands of pounds of force behind them and roam the streets around me. I wonder which one I am more concerned about?

DaveZ

Lots of 4 way stop signs around here. If there are cars anywhere near, I will slow way down, and roll through, typically slower than most cars! If there are cars at the intersection, I stop and put a foot down, signal if I'm turning, wave the driver though. I try to dictate what goes on rather than guess what the driver is going to do.

Shadowx

lights, 100%, always.
stop signs, if there is traffic 100%. If no traffic, its usually a rolling stop, slow way down, double check the intersection, stand up and mash the pedals. I do this mostly cause I don't like unclipping and trying to clip back in while trying to get rolling while entering and intersection.
crosswalks for sidewalks, I generally hit the button and wait. if there is no traffic coming or anyone turning I may go through, no sense in waiting when its allready clear. Have had several driver wave me through crosswalks too.

SylvainG

I hope you don't press the button, then go through if there is no car. I hate when pedestrian does that. It's annoying to be stopped at an intersection for no reason.

Shadowx

I found that 9 times out of 10 the crosswalk lights change when the stop lights change and that pressing the button messes up the usual rhythm and makes we wait longer. I just wait for it to change with the light, or if the cars are all stopped in the right direction and nobodies turning I head through.

SylvainG

Daves_Not_Here

Loving the aggressive in-your-face New Orleans' Live and Let Live natural-law attitude. Kind of like the American personality, 50 years ago. It is only offensive to a certain class of bureaucratic nanny, who are fun to tweak.

My practice is situational and binary:

• When in the presence of other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians - comply with all traffic laws
• When alone and streets are empty - ignore all traffic laws

Three benefits to this practice:

1. Others witness a cyclist behaving respectfully, increasing community goodwill
2. Most time and energy efficient
3. When I post up the practice on BikeForums A&S, it offends the nannies and scolds

Digital_Cowboy

Regardless of the traffic present I always stop for both traffic lights and stop signs. I have personally witnessed far too many close calls to think that it is a smart idea to just blow through red lights and stop signs.

Digital_Cowboy

If you were in a car or on a motorcycle would you do the same thing? We have the same right to use the streets as they do. IF they can wait their turn for the car or motorcycle in front of them to go when the light finally turns green they can wait for a bicycle as well.

Digital_Cowboy

I could be mistaken, but I am sure that the majority of states have language in their law that addresses a "dead red." And that after one has waited a predetermined amount of time that it is legal for them to proceed.

Digital_Cowboy

I am sorry, but I have to disagree with that.

A) by adapting the Idaho stop in areas where it is not the law one is rewarding breaking the law by saying "well they're going to do it anyway. So let's pass a law that allows them to do what they are going to do."
B) I have not only witnessed far too many people who practice their own INTERPRETATION of the Idaho stop i.e. they end up treating a red light exactly as the Idaho stop law says to treat a stop sign i.e. as a yield sign, instead of stopping and making sure that it is safe to proceed. And I have read posts from far too many people here who have admitted that they do NOT practice the Idaho stop as written, but rather their own PERSONAL interpretation of the Idaho stop law.
C) a bicycle and operator weigh FAR less than a car does and such can get moving again with far less expenditure of energy.
D) I have personally never (unless I stopped in too high of a gear) have had any difficulty in starting again after stopping for a red light or a stop sign. And if I have been sprinting I actually welcome a red light or stop sign as an opportunity to catch my breath.
E) motorists "speed all of the time," so lets just do away with posted speed limits so that motorists can travel at whatever speed that they want, whenever they want, wherever they want.
F) it is my understanding that it actually has been adapted in parts of Colorado.

The bottom line is that I can not, and will not agree that the Idaho stop is a universally good law. And I think that the best thing is:

The Same Roads
The Same Rules
The Same Rights

Digital_Cowboy

+1,000,000

Digital_Cowboy

Paul,

Based on how some people ride their bikes, I think that "death wish" is very accurate. As I have personally watched as both cyclists and pedestrians blatantly ignore red lights and stop signs. And then get upset with the motorist who passed them "too closely."

As I have witnessed far too many cyclists who all of a sudden launch themselves from a side street, a driveway or from the sidewalk and I never saw their head move. And no most of those did NOT have a visible mirror that they could have checked. They've just darted right out into traffic.

The same with pedestrians, I watched far too many of them jay walk. Some admittedly in the crosswalk, but still against the light.

So based on what I have personally witnessed the term death wish would apply.

mrv 

- I pretty much obey the law driving my car. There is one red light in particular I am not sure is working correctly that I will proceed through after waiting two minutes. If the light does not change, and the cross walk still shows "walk", and there is NO traffic, I'll go through. It's a side street on to a busy street, so I'm not going willy-nilly-pell-mell. I don't ride a motorcycle. If I did I'd stick to the same car laws.

- I agree and mostly wait my turn on my bike.
OK - I'll start obeying all the laws to the letter of the law......

Digital_Cowboy

I am sorry, but personally I have never even "almost" been hit from behind while stopped at either a red light or a stop sign. I'm not saying that it hasn't happened to you, just that it has never happened to me.

Did you signal before you stopped? Granted if the motorist is distracted they're not going to see it anyway, but if you aren't signalling than aren't you part of the problem?

Digital_Cowboy

I disagree, while sitting on my bike at an intersection I have lost count of the times that I have had some "sidewalk jockey" blow through the red light and come dangerously close to hitting me. And NO I was NOT in a car at the time, I was on my bicycle when this has happened.

When I've called out to them that that is why they aren't supposed to run red lights they predictably have claimed NOT to have run the red light. IF that's the case why am/was I looking at a green light when they came flying off of the sidewalk headed at me?

By that logic since the "majority" of motorists also do not stop for red lights/stop signs and speed let's just do away with those traffic controls for them as well.

Same Roads
Same Rules
Same Rights