Originally Posted by
musikguy
I've noticed here in Austin that cyclists for the most part obey stop lights and signs. For me I always stop if there are other cars involved but if no one is around, I may blow through. After reading all the posts I'm torn now.
If I stop I'll be one of the timid geeks who cause all the confusion, but if I blow through a light or stop sign I'm the reason drivers hate cyclists! Can't win.
Do most people here obey the traffic rules no matter what, or is it more of a case by case basis?
Case by case, person to person.
At 4-way stops, I will surprise so many drivers by coming to a full stop but they figure it out and take their turn and I take my turn. If I want to play in traffic, I have to play by their rules. At night at stop signs with pretty good visibility, I might slow to 5 mph and then roll through. If it's limited visibility, or a traffic light that intersects with a pretty busy street, I'll stop and check for traffic, then go, but only at night. During the day, a car will be along shortly and the light will change. Definitely a case by case player that errs on the side of caution, but won't wait 5 minutes in the dark for a light to change.