As some of you might already know, multiple states have been considering the implementation of an “Idaho Stop Law“. Orgeon’s current attempt was pronounced dead in the last few days. I’ve also heard that California, Montana, and DC have considered such laws. Would such a law legalize what is already common behavior or would it just incite anger amongst motorists and encourage more cyclists to behave badly?
For the uninitiated, Idaho has, for the past 20+ years allowed cyclists to legally treat stop signs as yield signs. This video does a fairly good job of describing what the law is all about. Such a law would not mean cyclists can just blow through stop signs, but it would mean that cyclists can legally perform rolling stops, as is fairly common with cyclists around the country. In fact, Idaho has pretty steep fines for cyclists who blow through a stop sign, on the order of over $300+!
What’s your take on such a law, would it help or hurt the cycling movement?