About 15% of the US population lives in states with Idaho Stop laws, where bicyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs, and just under half of those also allow them to treat red lights as stop-then-yield signs. This has provided hard data indicating such a practice is measurably safer for cyclists, I believe at least partially because a disproportinate amount of collisions involving them happen in intersections and not needing to slow down for them means cyclists spend less time in those high danger zones. Given how much advice I was given as a driver boiled down to “drive safely, even if that means breaking the law” (especially given in regards to speed limits), I think it is perfectly justified for a biker to do the same, and act in the safer manner even if the laws says to do something else.
A lot of states (can’t speak for the rules in Europe) have laws that allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yields. This is supposed to be safer for cyclists. It also allows cyclists to be more energy efficient and faster, because accelerating is the hardest part of cycling and it takes a long time compared to coasting through an intersection.
The video below does a good job giving a brief overview of why this change was made.
Personally, I still look both ways before going through a stop sign, and, if I see vehicles, I’ll slow down enough so that I can react if needed. Check your local laws to see how cyclists should treat stop signs.
Because most of the infrastructure it meant to enable cars, the ultimate death machines. It is infra necessitated by and built for them. Look at any of the numerous yt-vids by the channel “bicycle dutch” from mayor dutch cities during rush hour to get an idea of what traffic without cars looks like - no stop signs, no lights, no nothing.
Also, moderate starting and stopping increases energy demand per cycled stretch by up to 25%, compared to basically 0 for the automatic driving fatass in the pickup.
Yeah, but in this case there was a stop sign. Being alive and safe is better then being dead and “saving energy”.
In a car centric city, bikes should always be on the look out for cars that may not follow the rules and do whatever they can to ensure they stay safe. Sure it’s not fair, but dying to make a point is just stupid.
Exactly told my kids never trust that right away and though not the law always, always give the car the right of way. Because cars no matter what can KILL YOU! And do every fucking day.
As a bicyclists myself I treat it as if driving a car. Stop at stop signs and damn sure at red lights. But I seen bicycles blow through them too.
I used to bike everywhere all the time in a city and I got out in the road, like I was supposed to, and signaled with my arms like a boy scout and followed the law for stop signs and lights, and people were still abusive shit assholes towards me. I put a baby seat with a doll and helmet on the back of my bike and I had a lot less bullshit happen, but people still ran me off the road, rolled coal in my face, screamed and honked at me, everything. To put it simply. A person on a bike is trying to survive, a person in a car is driving. the person trying to survive is less attentive to the strict rules of the road and more alert to when a car or truck is going to try and kill them and how to quickly avoid that. I personally liked to put a ballard tree, or another car between me and the vehicle trying to kill me as a go to solution, this usually requires being close to the side of the road. sometimes I’d rather be closer to a tree or parked cars than correctly obeying signs. go figure.
What he did was fucking horrible, but please explain to me why it should be okay for a bicycle to not use the stop sign?
Always told my kids that the cemetery is full of people with right away.
About 15% of the US population lives in states with Idaho Stop laws, where bicyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs, and just under half of those also allow them to treat red lights as stop-then-yield signs. This has provided hard data indicating such a practice is measurably safer for cyclists, I believe at least partially because a disproportinate amount of collisions involving them happen in intersections and not needing to slow down for them means cyclists spend less time in those high danger zones. Given how much advice I was given as a driver boiled down to “drive safely, even if that means breaking the law” (especially given in regards to speed limits), I think it is perfectly justified for a biker to do the same, and act in the safer manner even if the laws says to do something else.
A lot of states (can’t speak for the rules in Europe) have laws that allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yields. This is supposed to be safer for cyclists. It also allows cyclists to be more energy efficient and faster, because accelerating is the hardest part of cycling and it takes a long time compared to coasting through an intersection.
The video below does a good job giving a brief overview of why this change was made.
Personally, I still look both ways before going through a stop sign, and, if I see vehicles, I’ll slow down enough so that I can react if needed. Check your local laws to see how cyclists should treat stop signs.
https://youtu.be/KCs5nDEZpoM
Because most of the infrastructure it meant to enable cars, the ultimate death machines. It is infra necessitated by and built for them. Look at any of the numerous yt-vids by the channel “bicycle dutch” from mayor dutch cities during rush hour to get an idea of what traffic without cars looks like - no stop signs, no lights, no nothing. Also, moderate starting and stopping increases energy demand per cycled stretch by up to 25%, compared to basically 0 for the automatic driving fatass in the pickup.
Yeah, but in this case there was a stop sign. Being alive and safe is better then being dead and “saving energy”.
In a car centric city, bikes should always be on the look out for cars that may not follow the rules and do whatever they can to ensure they stay safe. Sure it’s not fair, but dying to make a point is just stupid.
Exactly told my kids never trust that right away and though not the law always, always give the car the right of way. Because cars no matter what can KILL YOU! And do every fucking day.
As a bicyclists myself I treat it as if driving a car. Stop at stop signs and damn sure at red lights. But I seen bicycles blow through them too.
I used to bike everywhere all the time in a city and I got out in the road, like I was supposed to, and signaled with my arms like a boy scout and followed the law for stop signs and lights, and people were still abusive shit assholes towards me. I put a baby seat with a doll and helmet on the back of my bike and I had a lot less bullshit happen, but people still ran me off the road, rolled coal in my face, screamed and honked at me, everything. To put it simply. A person on a bike is trying to survive, a person in a car is driving. the person trying to survive is less attentive to the strict rules of the road and more alert to when a car or truck is going to try and kill them and how to quickly avoid that. I personally liked to put a ballard tree, or another car between me and the vehicle trying to kill me as a go to solution, this usually requires being close to the side of the road. sometimes I’d rather be closer to a tree or parked cars than correctly obeying signs. go figure.