Idaho's Stop-Sign Solution

Haven't been posting too much lately as I've been getting ready for this Saturday's San Ardo Road Race. But I picked up the September 2009 Bicycling issue and on page 22 read with much interest an article by Bob Mionske. Bob is the author of "Bicycling and the Law" and writes how Idaho handles bicycles and stop signs/red lights. It is exactly the way I've been saying and handling stop signs myself.

For the last 26 years cyclists in Idaho can roll through stop signs - legally. When a cyclist approaches an intersection with a stop sign, the cyclist must slow to a "reasonable speed," but doesn't have to come to a complete stop if there is no opposing traffic. My rides are almost all in rural areas and it seems pretty asinine to come to a complete stop at stop sign controlled intersections when you are clearly not a hazard to other traffic. I've always argued that coming to a complete stop is even dangerous as you now may have to pull out of your cleats or risk being unstable as you try to balance at the intersection. As a pilot of small planes, I like the saying, "out of altitude and air speed" and it applies to bicycles too; in other words, your bike is now too slow to maneuver well and more likely to get into trouble if evasive action is needed. I've even slipped on the street when my cleats make it seem that I've stepped on an ice rink rather than the road service.

As far as red lights are concerned, Idaho allows you to come to a complete stop but then proceed if safe; in other words you can treat the light as if it was a stop sign. A couple of years ago in Santa Cruz, California, I was out stretching my legs with a short ride, as I had the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey to race the next day. I was on the outskirts of town coming up on a left turn controlled by a light. The light was red so I actually stopped but since I didn't see a car within a quarter of a mile of the intersection, I started up again and pedaled through the red light. Immediately I heard a siren go off in the distance, with a loud acceleration of a car's engine - it was a California Highway Patrolman racing up to pull me over with red light and siren. The patrolman kept me on the side of the road for over a half hour before writing me a ticket for not stopping and waiting for the red light to turn green. I never did receive the ticket but that's another story, and another case of me breaking the law...