OldTryGuy

Do you stop at stop signs?

Maybe yes and maybe no. Just depends.

What burns my butt is when I'm out on my Midnight Madness Rides (have one planned for tonight) and can see the intersection still being 1/2 mile away and when I get there some FOOL pulls up from the side road causing me to STOP. Freaking 3AM and the bozo is out driving. Just as bad as having that blasted bug smack me right between my eyes or goes in mouth to back of throat.

Paul Barnard

Obvious troll is obvious.

EviLDORK

I like to think that I'm training people to drive more deliberately and learn what the hand signals mean when I track stand at stop signs.

burnthesheep

This one falls under the "you don't get it if you don't ride bikes".

Motorized traffic is SO fast and able to accelerate so quickly, stops are a nothingburger. On a bicycle, it matters a lot for your transport time. Especially "in town" going through neighborhoods.

Out in the boonies when there is a stop, I stop. It's one stop every 10 to 20min. Big deal. No time loss and all the safety gained.

In town? Nope, I look closely and roll it. Especially 4 ways. If I'm there way first, it avoids the inevitable "Mexican standoff" situation when folks try to wave each other along. I've had MORE problems bothering to stop at 4 and 3 way stops in town than rolling. People either trying to play nice and not going when they have right of way OR playing the "beat the bike" even though they got their 2nd or 3rd or 4th. If you roll it and were first.....you're already gone by the time they do something stupid.

It's a big judgement call depending on the geography, traffic volume, situation, etc........

pcook489

Debade,
Be careful - law doesn't go into effect until October 2020.

debade

Thanks, I missed that.

bikecrate

My thoughts too. Although, one day while riding, I did come across a fixie guy who was blowing stop signs and cursing loudly at every car that came remotely near him.

Gresp15C

Naturally, I wouldn't advocate breaking any laws. But it's interesting to talk about the safety aspect by itself. Traffic laws are mainly for cars. If there were no motor vehicles on the road, there would be far fewer traffic controls of any kind at intersections. Like, maybe yield signs at the more busy intersections, and that's it.

Still, since we have cars and traffic laws, the considerations change. We're creatures of habit, so we're safer if traffic patterns are predictable. This means, knowing what to expect when you arrive at an intersection. There also what I would call "politics" for lack of a better term. People get mad when they see someone else enjoy a goody that they can't enjoy themselves, so there is some unwritten rule of fairness that is at play, even if it doesn't strictly relate to safety. Car drivers get mad if something jolts them out of the typical state of half-attention that they are in.

For me, predictability and courtesy are part of how I ride my bike. I don't want to fan the flames of anti-bike sentiment.

Iride01 

Bicyclist were having traffic accidents even before cars were thought of. So I don't agree that the traffic laws are mainly for cars.

jon c. 

Respect right of way.

Everything else is situational.

noimagination

Mostly. That means that I slow to less-than-walking speed (1-2 mph) at most stop signs, which is about what most cars do around here. Come to a brief complete stop (no foot down) if there is traffic or if there is a cop. Stop completely and put foot down if necessary due to traffic (rarely necessary). I don't ever go through stop signs at speed. I've never mastered a track stand.

I cycle to exercise and de-stress, rebuilding momentum after (almost) stopping is a form of exercise and allows me to work on a different skill set (accelerating), so why would the extra effort required to (almost) stop bother me? Many cyclists seem to resent having to expend the effort required, which I've never understood. I could understand it if we're talking about cycle commuters or utility cyclists, but those are exceedingly rare around here.

Joe Bikerider

No. When I do then the cars get confused. I prefer for everyone to act out their chosen roles. Smoother that way.

Riveting

I treat Stop signs and red lights like Yield signs. Nobody there, I'm going, potentially at full speed. Somebody there, I'm yielding until it's safe to go, and very likely coming to a full stop and putting my foot down to let them know I'm not going anywhere until they do.

Gresp15C

I said "mainly." I think if there were no cars, the number of needed laws would be vastly fewer.

I read a more extreme example on another forum: In areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, such as train stations and shopping centers, there are virtually no laws or rules. Pedestrians figure out where to go. They watch where they're going. Sometimes they bump into one another, usually just go on their merry way. There is no mandatory pedestrian insurance.

With motor vehicles, if two cars even touch one another, it usually becomes a matter for the police and insurance. Cars go much faster, are more deadly, and major roads are designed to be driven while paying minimal attention. Most cars in heavy traffic are effectively driven by the traffic flow and are not fully controlled by their drivers. That's why there are multi-car pile-ups.

I think that bikes would fall somewhere in between. At the very minimum, a rule for which side to pass on would be needed. Maybe some rules of priority at intersections, and yield signs in more busy areas. The majority of bike rules might end up being about parking, and maybe design engineering.

Laws regulating use of technology don't spring up merely because there are accidents, but tend to come into use when the number of accidents rises to a level justifying government intervention. Given that bikes were popular for a time period before cars were widespread, it would be interesting to see what kind of laws were enacted at the time.

gios 

If a car passes me on the side, stops, then goes - and I arrive as he's going - I breeze on through.

If an oncoming car stops, then is going and I arrive at the same time I breeze on through.

If I arrive when cross traffic is stopped waiting to cross, I slow and pass behind them.

If no cars are there I slow and am aware of any cross traffic, and roll on through.

If I see a cop I stop.

scott967

Works for me. My observation is in suburb neighborhoods many stop signs on through streets are there to either discourage cut-through traffic or speeding, neither of which applies to bikes.

scott s.
.

cybirr 

In my state of Arkansas, Act 650 of 2019 (sometimes referred to as the Idaho stop law since that state enacted the law first in the US) allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and stop lights as stop signs (and therefore yield signs). Onus is on the cyclists to make safe decisions on how to proceed. So 'running' a stop sign meaning without regard to traffic is your fault; but yielding as required, riding safely, gives you options. I think it works. Cyclists in Arkansas can thank several of our advocacy groups for making this happen.

Wildwood

Why would i stop at a sign made to regulate auto traffic?

Bicycle signs i would STOP for.

fietsbob

Laws change, A rolling look both ways stop on a bicycle is permitted in Oregon. now..

we promote an 'every crossing is a pedestrian crossing ', stop your car , please , too,
and so I often get to cross traffic in the zebra crossing slowed but not stopped.


/..

CycleNutz

I never blow a stop sign faster than 10 MPH unless I know the intersection well AND it has a tremendous sight distance in both directions. I almost never come to a complete stop unless there is a pedestrian or automobile.

tyrion

I always slow down at stop signs. Unless no one else is coming, then yeah, no I don't. Sometimes I do.

takozukuri

I know what the right answer should be.

jack pot 

> another bicycle anonymous troll screwing with JACKS frazzled out brain

Mastrofrancesco

S-spin
T-tires
O-on
P-pavement

in Nj anyway

jpdemers

Pretty much my rules - except I don't go unless I make eye contact with the relevant driver. NEVER take being seen as a given - I assume all drivers are out to kill me, until they show me otherwise.