Benefits of the Idaho Stop law

That's the title of Jason Meggs study of the Idaho Stop law and how it effected safety in Idaho. While the report is labelled as being in active rewrite, a version from August 1 is available online. The main thesis is encapsulated in this statement.

Idaho presents a natural experiment to test the safety of relaxing requirements due to its state law allowing cyclists to yield [at stop signs] rather than come to a hard stop. Comparison cities lacking the law were sought and Idaho fared best for overall bicycle safety, 30.4% better than the closest match. Bicycle injuries declined 14.5% the year after adoption of the law. Interviews and a survey were conducted and all indications were that the law has been beneficial or had no negative effect, encouraging additional states to follow.

The closest match, by the way, is Sacramento.

In one section he theorizes as to the reasons why it might be safer, which includes the instability of bikes at very low speeds.

One large sports study (n=1638) found 28% of acute injuries involved “difficulty stopping or starting a bicycle or going too slow to maintain balance, including inability to detach from toe clips.”

It still looks like a work in progress, and not all of the data is included, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.

Speaking of Boise, Boise State introduced a bike valet at this year's football games.

more than 700 bicycles were parked during the four home games at which the service was offered and that the project generated more than $500 in donations. This was more than enough to recoup the $300 cost for the bike racks, akin to those used during triathlons, and generate more funds for future infrastructure growth.

Comments

[TurbineBlade]

Great post! I'm a 100% supporter of these laws, as it basically makes legal what I already do and consider safe.

Plus it builds awareness, etc.

Good luck convincing DC motorists is all I have to say --

[affectatiousNerd]

I've definitely been waiting awhile for the results of the Jason Meggs' study of the Idaho Stop law, especially on how it affected safety in Idaho.

Let me know if you see a blog post about this topic, because I unfortunately have not seen any. :P

[Bob Keefe]

Any word of this being put forward in Maryland?

[Jim Titus]

In Maryland, the main initiative this year is negligent homicide by vehicle. I'll say more about the other bills about 9-10 days hence.

It is very unlikely that an Idaho stop bill will be introduced in Maryland until after it is enacted in DC and at least a few northeastern states. The density of stop signs and traffic lights is much lower.

[Jack]

A bike valet in Dallas for the superbowl would be a great idea. Close-in parking there (for one car for the day) is going for hundreds of dollars.
- Jack

[mike]

the idaho stop will never be even seriously discussed in maryland or metro dc because the local and state "leadership are too dumb, and too cowardly.
the remarkable fact is this: the idaho stop is practiced by CAR drivers at stop signs, let alone bicyclists!!

the idaho stop for bicyclists is already part of a safe cyclists repertoire.

the idaho stop will not be considered in my life time, but so what? stop whining cyclists. this is no more an issue than getting good pot for the weekends smoke. sure, it's illegal to smoake grass by statute...but so what? users will NEVER be punished, and responsible use of marijuana is of no more danger (actually considerably less) than the use of tobacco and alcohol...

but we wont legalize pot anytime in the next 200 years either!!!

bicyclists need to take this one by the balls: EVERY single advocacy group including WABA SHOULD have the balls to advocate the practical use of the idaho stop for all cyclists, EVEN IF IT IS OFFICIALLY ILLEGAL. have some balls WABA, and LAB. the data is CLEAR: it is SAFER for bicyclists to practice the idaho stop, in a car-centric designed road system where bicyclist are marginalized and needlessly put at risk.

if a bicyclist gets a ticket, well...fight it in court. you'll always win...i always have...and even at 15,000 miles a year for over 25 years, the number of times a cop has pulled me over is negligible. this is where the avg. cop's stupidity plays a role, as he is too dumb to know what to enforce and when...esp when it comes to bikes...

besides the cop has to spend his time hauling black men off to jail for providing me with my pot...

[mike]

fromn the study you cite:

Few if any topics are more controversial than stop signs in the world of traffic control. The pandemic
4 overuse of unwarranted stop signs as traffic control has overtaken the residential streetscape, with even
5 large agencies capitulating to the demands of residents who perceive stop signs as a traffic calming,
6 volume reduction, and safety measure. “Like many agencies, LADOT had developed a practice of ‘giving
7 in’ under political pressure” (1).
8 Agencies capitulate despite ample evidence that stop signs create substantial harm, and may well
9 create more harm than good. Despite residents’ “feeling” of increased safety and potentially reduced
10 through-traffic volumes (2). unwarranted stops have been repeatedly found to increase: urban air and
11 noise pollution; operating costs and fuel consumption; civic liability; speeding; and frustration, leading to
12 pervasive noncompliance (3).
13 Costly signals increase delays while increasing speed and risk of fatality, fostering similar debate
14 as to their efficacy and necessity.
15
16 Overuse of Controls
17 The overuse of controls has lead to new thinking, such as the rapidly developing field of “Shared
18 Space.” Whereas the long march to today’s traffic control regime, and its attendant bible, the Manual of
19 Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), has relied on the principle of safety through uniformity and
20 thus predictability, the goal of Shared Space is to remove all or nearly all traffic controls, relying instead
21 on safety through uncertainty."

A big fat DUH is all that is needed to add here...or that americans are morons...

[contrarian]

My bet is we'll see legal pot before the Idaho stop.

[washcycle]

Isn't pot (medical at least) already legal in the District?