BRAKING FROM TRADITION
Why it’s illegal to roll through stop signs on your bike — for now
WASHINGTON — Ever see a bicyclist roll through a stop sign after slowing down at an intersection? Or ride through a red light after stopping and yielding? It’s called the “Idaho stop,” and until recently only one state allowed it: Idaho.
But that’s changing. In October, Delaware became the second state to make it legal for cyclists to yield instead of stopping at stop signs on some roads. Some are calling it the “Delaware yield.” And several other states are considering Idaho-stop-type legislation.
The practice is controversial, said Douglas Shinkle, transportation program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). “There’s a perception among some people that this is giving special rights to bicyclists and legalizing an unsafe behavior.”
Many bicycle advocates see the Idaho stop as codifying what they already do at stop signs. They say it’s easier to slow down and yield at each sign than to stop and restart, regaining momentum over and over, and slowing traffic. And some say it’s better to get out in front of traffic at redlight intersections to avoid being “right hooked” — sideswiped by a car in the next lane that turns into theirs.
“There’s the misperception out there that these laws will make it legal for bicyclists to blow through intersections,” said Ken McLeod, policy director for the League of American Bicyclists, a national bicycling advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. “If someone did that, they would still be cited.”
Opponents, including some police and traffic safety groups, view the Idaho stop as an unsafe practice that could increase the risk of crashes. They say it gives cyclists an unfair advantage over motorists and can create confusion for drivers and law enforcement.
“We believe that bicycles on the roads should follow the same traffic safety laws as motor vehicles. One road, one rule,” said John Moreno, spokesman for AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah. “There’s a reason there’s a stop sign there. Planners put it there because of traffic safety reasons.”
This year, at least six states — California, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma and Utah — considered measures that would create some type of Idaho stop law. The Colorado, Minnesota, New York and Oklahoma bills are pending; the others failed.
The bipartisan Colorado bill, which passed the Senate last month and is in a House committee, would provide standard language for cities and counties that want to adopt an ordinance allowing the Idaho stop.
In Utah, a bicycling measure that would have allowed cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights on one- and two-lane roads as stop signs came close to passing. The House passed it by a 58-11 vote in February. And it cleared the Senate transportation committee this month, but the session ended before it could reach the floor for a vote.
Since 1982, Idaho has let bicyclists treat stop signs as yield signs. In 2005, legislators amended the law to let cyclists proceed through red lights at intersections after they stop, yield and proceed with caution.
While many cyclists favor such laws, not all do. Some think motorists will see it as a special privilege, adding tension between drivers and bicyclists.
Opponents such as the California AAA clubs point to the lack of independent, comprehensive research as one reason why they can’t get behind such laws.
“We haven’t seen any compelling statistical evidence to show that this would actually make the roads safer,” said AAA’s Moreno, whose club lobbied against the California bill.
Moreno said intersections already can be dangerous for cyclists, and allowing Idaho stop laws could make it worse. He points to a federal report that found 28 percent of bicycle fatalities occurred at intersections in 2015.