The Idaho stop
 

Sounds like common sense to me. let's hope it spreads.

Does anyone actually make a full, foot down stop at a stop sign? As said it's common sense.

I'm not a fan, too many cyclist abuse it when it's law.

Huh?

Here in Kentucky motorists will pull a gun on you if they see you cruising through a stop sign.

And you still live there??

That law just passed in Arizona thanks in part to the many bike clubs pushing for it.

Last fall, I went for a club ride in Boise (I'm from California). Upon stopping at a red light, and waiting, the local riders told me that, in Idaho, at a red light, if the traffic is clear and it is safe, a cyclist can proceed through the red light. Not sure if the same rule applies currently to stop signs, but it makes sense. The risk to implementing such a law is that motorists will think the same rule applies to them. By the way, a rolling stop in my state is referred to as a "California stop" (brake tapping optional).

When did that happen? The Az House calendar just indicates that it had a second hearing on Jan. 18th, but no indication that it had passed.

I've tried to shoot my way out, but I don't have enough firepower.

Which is kinda strange, because anytime I ride in Cali (my parents live in Redding & I grew up in the East Bay, but I now live in British Columbia), I see cars coming to a COMPLETE stop at stop signs! I am impressed because here in Greater Vancouver, cars tend to just cruise thru the stop signs (even though we still have no Idaho Law here). Enforcement in Vancouver is pretty lax. And it really annoys me that most bike riders just blow thru stop signs without even slowing down, and they go thru red lights, sometimes even stopping first. I grew up in Cali, so I tend to be more law-abiding, but I still "pretend" to come to a stop at stop signs, long enough to make sure there is no traffic. I've heard that errant bike riders have actually collided at intersections because neither slowed down for the stop sign. Serves 'em right! But I just hope I never get clobbered by some fool on a bike running a stop sign.

I guess every locale has its own traffic etiquette. When I was in Montreal in the 70's, bikies just ignored stop signs and red lights, and drivers expected it. I think that's the culture that the Critical M*******s are trying to engender here, but I think it impedes the efficiency of traffic flows. I prefer a well-engineered system, but that relies on all the components working in unison. And because of human nature, we end up with "volume delays," which could be largely avoided if people just drove properly & cooperatively. But because some are greedy, or think their time is more important, we end up with "standing waves" and mass traffic delays. Which is why I am far less frustrated in traffic on my bike!

Luis

The simple wording of the Idaho bicycle law is:
Treat red lights as stop signs = stop and if safe proceed without violating anyones right of way
Treat stop signs as yield signs = yield and if neccesary stop to allow proper right of way

When I rode through Kentucky, (and eastern Kansas and part of Missouri), guys threw stuff at us every day, (bottles and cans), or they would cross the center line and pretend they were going to hit us, then spit or shout. It happened so often I told my friends they must teach it in school.

When we would tell locals about it they were shocked.

I believe HB2211 made it out of the Transportation Committee and is now pending with the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee.

http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/view/357792

I do. I refuse to train myself to break habits ingrained over six decades to follow new, special rules just because I'm on my bike rather than in my car.

On the other handy, reading comprehension is not a skill manifested by the inhabitants of Idaho, so we shouldn't expect any better of them.

Paul

Sneak out under the cover of night after the bars close. that's how I got out of Maryland.

That's a rather broad slap in the face, and isn't very factual in my experience with the nice and well educated people of Idaho. Maybe the same can be said about spelling skill of those from Washington DC based on the above.