Stop signs

[Wahine]

I stop, but I do a track stand type of stop and make full eye contact with any driver that has also stopped to make sure that I understand who's going next. Often drivers will wave me through but that is the only time that I take the initiative. I also have issues with big groups that don't stop and I am very selective of my riding mates. I also will not pull up on the right hand side of a vehicle at a stop sign or light.

[Di bear]

Wahine - I'm big on trackstands at intersections. I've had a lot of people wave me through, but I usually nod them through if they legally have the right of way. Heck, practicing trackstands is a great thing.

[HoosierGiant]

I stop at every stop sign; signal every turn... even if there's not a vehicle for miles. I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise in my car; won't consider it on the bike. The law's the law.

[shootingstar]

I will stop and if cross illegally, will do tend to do it if I know the intersection and its general traffic patterns at certain times, but still it's not often.

And tendency to do it crossing 1-way streets.

Now at 5:30 am it's pretty dead, when I start commute, so that means flying through 2 one-way traffic intersections.

But otherwise, I seldom fly through a red light from the beginning.

I was hit as a pedestrian when I was a teenager, walking school, thinking more about an impending Latin test. As soon as the traffic light turned green and I stepped off the curb to cross, a car speeding through red light, hit me. Snowy wintery slush cushioned my fall, plus a car that was going slow enough I didn't get thrown on top of the front hood...which is what can happen if a small car goes at fast speed, and impact on body is great enough..

I appreciate life. Humbled. I was hit ....in front of a life insurance building.

[Crankin]

I stop at almost all stop signs. If it's a very familiar intersection, in a quiet area, I'll unclip and slow and look, and go, but other than that, I stop. I ride on a lot of country roads that are narrow and winding, with a suburban population. In other words, there's more cars than planned for these kinds of roads. Even though there's so many cyclists around here that drivers are somewhat used to us, I don't trust anyone.
As for the group rides, the 2 groups I ride with once in awhile are very safety conscious. But, I see other groups blow through signs on a regular basis. I worry more about the squirrelly riders who don't signal when they are slowing.

[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

[OakLeaf]

A track stand is a legal stop, but try and convince a cop who saw you not put your foot down - or waste a day in court with your bicycle demonstrating your ability to track stand to some judge.

I don't encourage anyone to break the law. But it seems that some people's definition of a rolling stop is different from others'. To me, a rolling stop means preparing to stop, unclipping if I'm on the velo, foot on the rear brake if I'm on the moto, and being absolutely prepared to come to a complete stop without loss of control in less than 6" if necessary.

I don't do it on blind corners (although some motorists don't realize that we can see a LOT more than they can...). But IMVHO, maintaining a tiny bit of forward momentum is actually safer on a two-wheeled vehicle as long as I'm prepared to stop. With forward momentum, I have the ability to steer and to quickly accelerate if something approaches from behind or beside me. Once I put a foot down, I'm nothing but a target.

Again, just my opinion and I don't advise anyone else to break the law!

[mimitabby]

I slow down and almost stop at a stop sign. If there is traffic, yes, I do what the cars are doing, wait and take a turn. But if i have good visability, and there is no danger, I don't come to a complete stop unless I am on Mercer Island.

[SheFly]

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.

I FORBID anyone doing a group ride with me to call "Clear" in an intersection (or anywhere else). Why? If the front person calls it, and misses something, and someone behind gets hit, the person calling "Clear" is actually liable under the law. Everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves at any intersection!

That said, any ride I lead (and I do this A LOT) soft pedals after a stop to make sure that everyone got through and is reconnected.

We all want to be seen as having equal rights - that means following (and knowing) traffic laws. I usually come to a complete stop at intersections (although in a trackstand)... but not always. That said, a week ago at our weekly club TT, one of the racers was pulled over and read the riot act for not riding to the right - which ISN'T the law in MA...

SheFly

[Deborajen]

I always try to stop and unclip at every stop sign, but I'm guilty of not always completely stopping at a wide open intersection that has very little traffic. I'm going to try to make it an always commitment now, especially with gas prices so high and so many new and inexperienced riders coming out. I've seen some bad stuff lately with inexperienced riders blowing red lights, cutting in front of cars, etc. Especially now we need to set a good example.

Deb

[Fujichants]

I also do what Veronica does. But yesterday a cop was patrolling next to me, so I stopped at the stop sign. I looked over at him and he winked at me. Lol.

Anyways, my friend got pulled over once for ignoring the stop sign on his bike. He didn't get a ticket because he didn't bring his driver's license along.

[SouthernBelle]

One odd thing that frequently comes up for me are those traffic lights where there is a trigger buried in the pavement. I don't trigger them. So I stop, check then either proceed if it's safe or hope a car comes along to trigger it.

[malkin]

One odd thing that frequently comes up for me are those traffic lights where there is a trigger buried in the pavement. I don't trigger them. So I stop, check then either proceed if it's safe or hope a car comes along to trigger it.

When we come to those on the tandem, I usually hop off the stoker seat and trot over to push the crosswalk button and run back. I'm always afraid the light will change before I get back, and we'll miss our whole turn.

[Aint Doody]

The "trigger" or smart lights in our area respond to metal. Maybe it's that way everywhere. We just get off the bike and lean it over the wires as much as possible. It works most of the time.

[Geonz]

My safety is more important than the law IMHO, and predictability is important for my safety. The stop signs were erected based on politics and car culture; only *sometimes* because coming to a full stop is the safest way to handle that intersection.

So, usually I stop at a 4-way or do a very safe low speed roller - though we've got some 4-ways out in the boonies that yes, indeed, I ride through when the corn's not up. I can see miles in all directions.
When I'm approaching a 4-way, and there are cars approaching it from further back... fact is, if I come to a legal, full stop then the car will be at the 4-way just about then and wondering just what in tarnation I'm doing, since cyclists generally don't do that. They may process that I'm yielding the right of way (or figure that maybe they don't even have a stop sign) and go forward just as I am... clock!
... so I slow down lots but then proceed forward as it is my turn to do so, and *don't* confuse and slow down that other driver further.
I confuse 'em a little bit when I pull up behind them at the 4-way and wait my turn, though even then I will sometimes pull 'round to the right of 'em if there are people likely to left turn into me, not seeing me behind the other car.
I don't want to stop thinking just because there's a law.
I have often waved cars through when it's their turn (or it's just close and by the tiem I stop they could have gone through four times even if technically I was .01 seconds before them.) There's that perception thing - since I spend more time closer to the place to stop, it looks like I've gotten there first sometimes.

I've been told some of the triggers respond to metal, others need motion. My big honkin' bike triggers most of 'em if I ride right over the dark line in the pavement.