Stop signs

[PscyclePath]

Stop signs require you to do two things under the law:

1) Stop, e.g., cease forward motion. This can be a track stand, or you can unclip and put a foot down. But you have to stop; and

2) Yield right-of-way to any crossing traffic. Only when the coast is clear can you take off again.

If you make a habit of running stop signs or red lights, you're gonna get hit. Maybe not this time, but Fate will eventually catch up to you. Sooner or later... just how lucky do you feel?

There are no exceptions for groups or group riders. Every individual rider is responsible for individually obeying the traffic laws and signals, so each must stop and yield. What's "Clear!" for the guy at the front of the pack probably isn't for the folks struggling to hold a wheel on the back. All must stop and yield, and considerate ride leaders will soft-pedal or hold up on the other side until everyone is across and back together again.

And yes, motorists blow stop signs all the time, or more commonly, one of those "California stops" where they slow and roll on through. With the exception of a few purists, most of us are motorists, too, and carry over bad habits from our automotive driving to our cycling.

Tom