Should It Be Legal for Cyclists to Roll Through Stop Signs? What the research says... - FindLaw

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

At first glance, it doesn't make sense that giving bicyclists greater authority to roll through intersections is safer for them.

But let's take a closer look.

The most dangerous areas for bicyclists are intersections with motor-vehicle traffic. It's safer if cyclists can simply yield and proceed through an intersection if they see a clear opening. If they miss that opportunity, they may be at greater risk when traffic returns. . . .

Studies in London conclude that obeying traffic laws can have deadly consequences for bicyclists. Researchers found that female cyclists died from collisions with large trucks much more frequently than male cyclists. The conclusion: Women may be at greater risk because they may be more law-abiding, staying put until the light changes. . . .

University of California researcher Jason Meggs wrote a 15-page paper about [the Idaho Stop Law in 2010]. Meggs found that bicycle crashes decreased by 14.5% the first year after the law was adopted. He also found that bicycle injury rates in Boise were 30-60% lower than those in two comparable California cities, Sacramento and Bakersfield. . . .

In Delaware, the state police report that intersection crashes in the 30-month period following adoption of the Delaware Yield law fell by 23% from the 30-month period prior to the law, and that overall bike crashes declined by 8%.

MoBikeFed comment: What do you think? It is reasonable to pass laws allowing bicyclists to treat stop signs like a yield, and red lights like a stop sign?

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