*Please review the following messages from our Risk Management Team! These are for YOU and no one is above safety! Safety Protocols apply to everyone equally no matter your level! * *Stop Signs* In my 3+ years participating in group cycling events, I have encountered no thornier issue than how to navigate Stop signs. I will state up front that I wish that I could list outright a set of rules that guarantees safety through Stop signs, but the complex dynamics of intersections confounds any such cookbook approach. *Let’s look at some of these complicating factors*. First, the *California Vehicle Code* mandates that “a person riding a bicycle..has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle”. This means that bicyclists are governed by the same regulations that apply to cars and are obligated under the law to *stop at all Stop signs*. My experience is that cyclists tend to treat Stop signs as Yield signs and only stop for opposing traffic. Second, each intersection is unique. Some have a single Stop sign, some involve two-way stops (e.g. Rikkard Drive approaching Pederson) in which opposing traffic does not stop, some involve 4-way stops, and some involve cross traffic from the left, but a curb (with no corresponding street) on the right (e.g. Rancho Road heading towards TO Blvd). Further, some intersections involve single lanes in each direction and some involve 2 or more lanes (e.g. Pederson and Erbes). Third, traffic density is unique to each street and intersection. Some intersections are sparsely traveled and some are heavily trafficked. Fourth some intersections have bike lanes that might alter the dynamics. Fifth, drivers are all over the map in how they treat cyclists, particularly at intersections—not all drivers should be trusted to yield to a cyclist who arrived at the intersection first. Sixth, pedestrians crossing intersections demand further vigilance on the part of cyclists. *What can go wrong* Some of the near disasters that I have seen at intersections with Stop signs include: 1. proceeding through a two-way stop falsely assuming that the stop is four-way (and risking being hit by opposing traffic), 2. possible chain-reaction crashes when the cyclist or car in front stops or slows down suddenly, counter to the expectations of the riders who are behind, 3. aggressive drivers (or cyclists) who jump the gun risking a car vs. cyclist right hook or a head on collision for a cyclist making a left turn. *Decisions/ Actions at intersections with Stop signs:* 1. The law states that all cyclists should stop at Stop signs. 2. If a cyclist and car enter an intersection at the same time, who goes 1st? By law, the vehicle on the right goes 1st. 3. A pedestrian always has the right of way in an intersection. 4. If several vehicles are in an intersection, each vehicle proceeds in the order of arrival in the intersection. 5. Never assume anything (e.g. that you are safe, even when you have the right of way). Verify anything that can be assumed. 6. Signal intentions—verbally, via hand signals, by eye contact with opposing drivers. 7. Be in defensive mode 100% of the time. Every rider is responsible to determine when it is safe to cross. *A few additional considerations*. The California Vehicle Code is unequivocal. Cyclists must follow all of the same traffic laws as cars. Treating Stop signs as Yield signs as most cyclists in California tend to do, runs afoul of the law. California passed a law in 2021 that approved Stop as Yield, but the bill was vetoed by the governor. Idaho has a longstanding law that permits cyclists to treat stoplights and Stop signs as Yield signs. The accident and statistics in Idaho have improved since the Idaho law was passed. Despite all of this, we are bound by the law. Given all of this complexity, how to safely navigate an intersection with a Stop sign on a group ride requires focus, group communication, flexibility, and deference to cars or pedestrians who might (and likely will) defy cyclist expectations. Cyclist decision making at an intersection must take into account the complexity and uniqueness of each crossing, the simultaneous (and often competing) decision-making of fellow cyclists and drivers, and the actual vehicle code that requires a mandatory stop at each Stop sign, *without exception*. We welcome any input on this. Codes, Laws, and Regulations | Caltrans <https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/fed-and-state-programs/bike-program/codes-laws-and-regulations> dot.ca.gov <https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/fed-and-state-programs/bike-program/codes-laws-and-regulations> [image: apple-touch-icon-144x144.png] <https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/fed-and-state-programs/bike-program/codes-laws-and-regulations> <https://dot.ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/fed-and-state-programs/bike-program/codes-laws-and-regulations> https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&division=11.&title=&part=&chapter=1.&article=4. [image: 75.jpeg] <https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-idaho-stop-pilot-20170506-story.html> Stephen Levinson
