Not local, but we thought this was interesting in light of the ongoing discussion here about ways to make places such as the city of Albany more hospitable to bicyclists: San Francisco is debating whether to adopt the "Idaho stop," in which cyclists wouldn't be required to come to a full stop at stop signs. [CityLab]
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Comments
Thanks for sharing this. Â Â
A. If we are going to value speed over safety, I see no reason to bestow upon bicyclists alone the privilege to slow roll through stop signs. Cars are heavier and can go faster, but if the proposal is to allow bicycles to roll slowly through stop signs, the extra weight and capacity for speed enjoyed by motorists isn’t a danger provided motorists roll slowly through stop signs. I’ve been hit on my bicycle by a car going about 5 miles per hour. Unsettling but myself and my bicycle were fine. Low speed is a good thing.
B. If, on the other hand, we want to reduce the number of traffic fatalities to zero, I see no reason to bestow on anyone the privilege to slow roll through stop signs. Low speed is good but no speed is better still. Intersections are dangerous. Think of them like take offs and landings in planes. Stopping fully and looking allows road users to see more than slowing and looking. Stopping fully takes time and the odds of your eyes seeing and your mind processing the presence of a pedestrian increase materially. I understand that road users successfully slow roll through stop signs every day—until they don’t.
I vote for B. For me, one death is too many.
Still undecided? You should read the whole of the article for which AOA has provided a link. No time? How about this one excerpt:
The truth is that the bad behavior of a small minority of people on bicycles has a disproportionate effect on pubic perception of risk. Take the terrible 2012 case in which a San Francisco man—after apparently blowing through several stop signs on his bike—struck and killed a 71-year-old man on foot in a crosswalk. The case received intense press coverage and scrutiny, more than many, if not most, of the numerous fatalities caused by drivers.
People who pedal bicycles need to take this to heart. But it is equally true for people driving cars. Â A few bad actors increase perception of risk. Â It isn't right that we should be afraid to walk, pedal or even drive on our roads. Â Â We pay a lot for them and they are amazing facilities but while using them we need to care about our lives and the lives of our neighbors. No changes to the law are required. We can all, starting today, travel more slowly, stop fully and look more carefully.
... said Randal Putnam on Oct 9, 2015 at 9:57 AM | link
Randal - one of big points is that it is significantly more difficult for a bicycle to come to a full stop and accelerate compared to a car. Bicycle rider uses power of human body - as opposed to power of burning fuel. So for them stop is much more of an issue.
Now we may talk about overabundance of stop signs in places where yield is more than adequate... But that is a different story.
Last, but not the least - what are the chances "slow down and proceed carefully if safe without stopping" as on paper would transform into "ride at full speed no matter what" in real life?
... said Mike on Oct 9, 2015 at 11:12 AM | link
Except for this: when I have to come to an absolute complete stop on a bike, I have to put my foot down. To get going again, I have to regain balance while getting into a roll. Depending on conditions, that can create some wobble (varies with bike, rider, pedal type and road surface). That wobble introduces risk, both of losing balance and of getting into the path of traffic. Being able to slow roll, even very slow roll, through a stop without putting my foot down is VASTLY safer for me and everyone around me than coming to a complete stop.
It's just one example of why having bikes and pedestrians follow the rules cars follow doesn't always make sense.
... said Carl on Oct 9, 2015 at 11:38 AM | link
Stopping requires more effort? Isn't fitness one of the reasons we bike? It is for me.
Wobbles? Practice makes perfect. That and I often take the lane when stopping in narrow intersections and then move to the right as soon as it is safe to do so. If you can't get going in the width of a lane you need more practice before using the roads.
I still value the safety of all the most.
... said Randal Putnam on Oct 10, 2015 at 5:41 AM | link