A 2010 study showed that, in Idaho, cyclists’ injuries were reduced after the state removed the requirement to come to a full stop at a stop sign.
This is one of those conundrums where I have yet to make up my mind. But I thought hard this week about the pros and cons of a particular safety issue which is very common for some road users yet equally maddening for others. Should cyclists have to stop at stop signs?
Cycling by its very nature affords the rider a hugely wider field of view than someone inside a car. By not being enclosed in steel and glass, they can also hear approaching dangers much easier than a vehicle driver — provided they are not using the Darwinian tactic of riding with headphones on full blast.
This past summer in Winnipeg, cycling advocates publicly rallied for the province to adopt the “Idaho stop” rule to reduce potential danger time spent negotiating through intersections. Right now, the law in B.C. compels a cyclist to stop — a complete cessation of movement. But the rub for me is that if I had a loonie for every cyclist I see not stopping at a stop sign, I’d be rich. So do we need to start accepting how things are in the actual world particularly if Idaho shows that cycling injuries are reduced?
Glove Box: The senseless tragedy around the death of good samaritan Patrick Hare near Qualicum last month serves as a timely reminder about the ongoing dangers of after-vehicle-crash scenes, something which every motorist will experience in their driving lives.
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