Why do they do that? Traffic lights and stop signs

They all run red lights and stop signs! Bicyclists are a menace and they shouldn't be on the road!

Today's post is especially appropriate since the local Wednesday night ride is attracting the attention of both concerned citizens and law enforcement in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Groups of riders have been blowing through stop signs. The Sand Springs police have stopped and talked to some of them. In the meantime, a trooper from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reportedly issued seven citations.

For the purposes of this article, red lights and stop signs will be treated as separate issues. The law, however, is the same. It requires drivers to come to a full stop at stops signs or traffic lights unless otherwise directed by a law officer. Cyclists are treated as drivers of vehicles, just like anyone else. But common practices followed by motorists and bicyclists diverge when it comes to stop signs and traffic lights.

People rarely come to a complete stop at stop signs. This is true regardless of their mode of travel. Most treat them as de facto yields. If there's cross traffic already in the intersection, people will stop. Otherwise, they slow down, look for traffic, and roll through the intersection.

Red lights are different. Almost all motorists stop for traffic signals, but not all cyclists do so. There's an expectation that a motorist running a red light is endangering himself and others. Many cyclists think that if there's no cross traffic, there's little danger in running a light. Certainly there's little risk of receiving a citation. But the practice reinforces a bad habit, and habitual behavior can be dangerous. "Oh, I never even slow down at that intersection. There's never any traffic!"

Cyclists usually want to conserve momentum. It takes effort to accelerate from a complete stop and when traffic lights or stop signs are close together, some cyclists will ignore them completely. For that matter, when a motorist encounters closely spaced stop signs, he may ignore them too.

In rural Oklahoma where sight lines may be half a mile or more, some motorists do not reduce speed at four-way stops since they can see the roads are free of traffic. They may not notice a small, slow-moving cyclist, however, so be wary of these situations.

Some cyclists will perform a 'trackstand' at an intersection. They come to a complete stop without putting a foot down, balancing the bike while waiting for cross traffic to clear. Some motorists think these cyclists are taunting them or daring them to go ahead, as if entering the intersection is a game of chicken, but the practice allows the cyclist to get moving again just a little faster. (On a personal note, I've tried to learn to trackstand, but the results have been embarrassing.)

One point bears repeating - the law requires a complete stop. Many cyclists have self-serving reasons as to why they don't adhere to the law. Some insist that traffic laws were written with cars in mind and therefore shouldn't apply to bicyclists. Some revel in the sheer anarchy of ignoring laws and getting away with it, particularly if it annoys motorists. Some - like children, for instance - are just ignorant of the laws governing our streets. But there may be one common denominator among all of them, and that's fear. Far too many cyclists are fearful of riding in traffic and will do some decidedly strange things in order to avoid it. That fearful attitude is worthy of another post in itself.

If you want the protection of the law - obey the law. If you want to be taken seriously when it comes to bicycling issues and advocacy, know the law, obey the law, and have the expectation that others will do the same.

Same roads. Same rights. Same rules.