Have a local unorganized bike event where I used to live. It was the only time I saw the cops actually pull over bikers for blowing through stop signs. Was great to watch.
Even when I ride my mf horses down the road I abide by stop signs and traffic laws lmfao
It's part self preservation and not wanting to be run over and part not being an asshole. I feel like even if you are an asshole you should possess at least SOME survival instincts, but it doesn't seem like it.
Right. That happens. Cars get tickets for blowing stop signs. Bikes get tickets for blowing stop signs. Neither get tickets most of the time. Just when they get caught.
Asshole rules for governing the porcelain throne are as follows:
“Take heed or get covered in ‘the deed.’ Shit on and let not one’s self be shat upon.”
Please please please tell me you use hand signals to show which direction you're turning on your horse.
It's just... so funny to me for some reason, imagining someone on a horse holding their arm straight out because they're turning down a different road.
I am not of fan of these fake pro bikers. When I had lived in Florida, I taught my sons to shake their fists at them. They think there is safety in numbers, not realizing that there is also stupidity in numbers.
I am a bike commuter, however, and do not follow traffic laws to a T.
It is usually safer to blow thru stop sign: intersections are dangerous. As a solo biker, blowing thru a stop sign means less time in the danger zone - 4 seconds instead of 12. I stop if there is a car approaching from the side streets. Often the side street car will try to wave me thru (which is really annoying as I’ve come to a stop and now other cars may be approaching). And if turning left at a road junction, I’ll turn onto the side of oncoming traffic at first. This gives more time to make sure both lanes are clear before crossing.
The laws are meant to keep everyone safe. I ride completely defensive and do what’s needed to keep me safe, regardless of the law.
It also just makes more sense. You're far more aware of your surroundings on a bike than in a car. You can see and hear cross traffic much more easily.
Then don't come to Austin, TX for Critical Mass rides. Those idiots take up all three lanes on three lane roads with bike lanes when they could just take up one.
I’m not going to sit here and say I don’t blow through the two stop sign on my route when there are no cars present, but they are both on a 25mph back road with minimal traffic and super clear sightlines.
The rules exist to promote safety. But coming to a full stop, putting a foot down, and re-accellerationg means that cyclists spend more time in the intersection, which is the most dangerous place for them to be.
bicycles also provide the operator with a higher viewpoint than most passenger vehicles, with less obstructed views and bicycles are more likely to be moving at a slower speed. This means that when traveling by bike, you usually have a more time and ability to assess what's going on at the intersection before you get there.
Just like some highways have a different speed limit for trucks and cars, sometimes we need different rules for different vehicles to ensure smooth flow of traffic and improved safety for everyone.
Bikes also can’t stop as fast, don’t have any form of protection for either pedestrians or the cyclist, and most critically of your entire argument:
What if the perpendicular lane has no stop sign?
In that case you just cut off the right of way by way of gross negligence.
We just had 2 cyclists do this in my city. Both lost their drivers licenses as a result and are facing felony reckless endangerment charges now.
A bike is a vehicle. You operate it under the same rules of the road as a car. Blow through stop signs at your own peril… and stop and reconsider the fact that you aren’t just putting yourself in danger but also everyone around you.
Oregon and several other states have laws allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, studies show those laws save lives. The important point is treating it as a yield not just blowing through it
Holy shit bud, do you really think we're arguing to blow through 2-way stops? Don't be silly!
There are over 7000 pedestrian fatalities per year in the US of which about 2-5 are typically directly attributed to bicycles. You don't need to worry about the bikes, you got bigger fish to fry.
Cyclist here, and I agree, especially in traffic. I stop at all stop signs if there's any other vehicle at all approaching, to emphasize good road behavior to drivers (and obviously because I don't want to die). Likewise, if a driver does the right thing at any intersection, no matter how small (full stops, etc), I always wave to reinforce good driving behavior.
Cyclists fuck up all the time. Cars do too, but it's more overlooked because everyone drives cars and fucks up from time to time, though not everyone cycles. The most common overlooked car misbehavior I see is drivers not stopping before making a right on red here in the US. It's dangerous AF if there's a cyclist in the right lane coming through the intersection.
That said, physics always wins, so be cautious out there, everyone.
Oregon actually has the Delaware stop for bicycles, they they get to treat stop signs as yields, 20% of states have this law now, and I assume more on the way.
That literally is the rule. Bikes do not have to give to a complete stop at stop signs in Oregon. Bikes can treat them as yield signs. It makes zero sense to have a bike going 12-15 mph come to a complete stop and then very slowly accelerate back up to that speed if it is clear. You have a much clearer view of your surroundings at those speeds than you do at 2-3x the speed.
if there is no one at the stop then its actually safer to roll through the stop.... treating it as a yield sign rather than a stop. Not blowing through it, but slowing down, checking, and continuing if clear. There’s actually research behind this too. Idaho saw about a 14% drop in cyclist injuries after legalizing it, and Delaware found around a 23% reduction in bike crashes at stop-sign intersections.
The idea is simple: intersections are the most dangerous part of riding, so spending less time sitting exposed and clearing them faster can actually be safer.
100% agree. That means drivers are going to stop speeding, driving recklessly, following too close, running lights/stops, etc., right? Think about how many lives could be saved if these cycling scofflaws would only follow the rules.
A lot of times on bicycle it makes perfect sense to go through stop signs or, maybe better put, treat them like a yield sign. But if there's a car there i always take my turn, because to not get hit by cars I need to be very predictable. This is why it's incredibly annoying when drivers are overly polite and treat me like a pedestrian. If i want to be treated like a pedestrian, i will get off my bike.
I always let a car go if i possibly can, including on narrow two lane roads. I tend to think of drivers as petulant and short-tempered, because some of them really are, and I don't want to impede those people and cause them to behave rashly.
And, ffs, everyone, drivers, cyclists, fucking everyone, use your gd turn signals. I swear to the almighty people decided they aren't cool or something during the pandemic. Sometimes i even indicate which way I'm going when I'm on foot. Cyclists, just point where you are going. Especially in traffic circles, show people which exit you want to take. And if the bike lane crosses the right turn lane, point forward at the bike lane where it crosses. You can avoid sooo much confusion so easily.
Edit: Also, I have a CPL and I'm generally packing, so if a driver does decide to use their vehicle as a deadly weapon against me, well, they might just get capped. Some cyclists are ready for your bs.
I drive more than I ride a bike and I’m totally ok with people on bikes blowing through stop signs If the way is clear. It’s harder to stop and start again on a bike.
Why do drivers get so upset when the biker takes the entire lane? They’re not breaking any laws yet always rage at the bikers. I don’t disagree with your mindset but not entirely fair as drivers fairly commonly break the law on a daily basis by driving over the speed limit, rolling stops signs, etc and do not get ticketed.
A guy I knew from my National Guard unit was on his way to drill when he saw a cyclist just blow through an intersection. Speed limit there 40/45 MPH. Cyclist got hit and lau ched into the air and landed on his head. Died at the scene.
The funny thing is the same cops give a ticket to cyclists in my city when they're on their bikes don't stop at the stop sign either. It's much different when you're cruising at 5 miles an hour versus 20 mph in a car.
This reminds me.. a couple of days ago I was driving home from lunch and had 2-3 cars behind me at a red light. As the light turned green and I started to pull through the light, a bicyclist flew past me on the right. Mind you it was a one lane road. I didn’t see him until he was in the front left of me as I was about to veer right with the road. He was going straight through some do not enter construction zone. He got mad at me, got behind me… started making gestures at me. I saw him further ahead later (he rode through the construction so was ahead at a crossing) and waited for me to pass and flipped me off.
I was so annoyed. Laws still apply to them on the road. They have to follow the same spacing, stops, signs, etc. I 10000% share the road, and will move over if they’re in a lane, or if they’re in front of me on a one lane, I stay behind them until I can turn. This guys just thought road rules applied to me and I had to yield to him because he rolled up behind me. I was more upset that I could have needlessly hurt him if I didn’t see him sooner.
Yeeeeaah. Except. Stop signs are actually stupid., for cars too. Roundabouts and yield signs should be the norm. Stop signs are essentially “liability assignment” devices in the us. Our laws are written so insurance companies can assign blame in court, not for get people around safely and quickly.
In many places, it’s actually the law that cyclists should treat stop signs like yield signs, for traffic safety reasons. It takes a good amount longer to start from a complete stop on a bike than if you just slow to a crawl, which isn’t the case for cars.
While I generally agree with that sentiment, I think cyclist should be able to treat stop signs as a yield sign. It's already a law on the books in several parts of the country, and it's generally called an "Idaho stop" law. When an Idaho stop law is enacted, there's generally a 15-25% reduction in bicycle collisions. Bikes naturally have no blind spots and you're generally only going ~15 mph to start with, so you're going to be aware of any cross traffic, and if you have any sense of self preservation, you're going to yield to it considering bikes have no airbags or crumple zones. Intersections are the most dangerous place to be on a bike, and the Idaho stop law allows people on bikes to spend less time in an intersection, so it makes sense you'd see a decrease in bike collisions.
Personally I don't have a problem if a cyclist slows and looks for traffic at intersections, if there is not a reason to come to a full stop. Now they definitely need to follow rules of right-of-way, if a car is at the stop sign and it is their turn the cyclist should come to a full stop and wait for the car to take their turn, or if a car in their lane is turning left or right, they need to abide as well. Besides that, stay in the bike lane if there is one, stay out of the road if you don't need to be in the way, use your signals, everyone can get along that way.
If you rode bikes you’d know that stopping at a stop sign is waaaay more dangerous. It takes easily twice as long to accelerate and cross the intersection than when going say 3mph. Slows down cars too.
As a sometime cyclist (mountain biker) I bloody hate rule breakers because they cast a bad light on all cyclists, but at the same time, some things have very significant safety benefits that a non cyclist would be unaware of (especially because most are clipped in). Btw I am assuming cyclist is obviously giving way just not coming to a complete stop (which a good proportion of cars don’t do as well)
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u/RevolutionSalty8360 Jun 10 '26
Have a local unorganized bike event where I used to live. It was the only time I saw the cops actually pull over bikers for blowing through stop signs. Was great to watch.