Avoiding San Francisco Bicycle Accidents: Bikes and Stop Signs
Even very careful riders, who want to do everything the can to avoid an injury bike accident, can find it hard to convince themselves to stop when it is obvious that there is no cross traffic. Although California law is the same in for cars and bikes at stop signs, most cyclists I see don’t stop, and many don’t even slow down if they can see that the way is clear. As an attorney, I’ll take the fifth about my own biking practices. It is the exceptional bike rider who is willing to fully stop at every stop sign here in San Francisco, where we seem to have more of them than just about anyplace else in California.
Idaho’s “Stop as Yield” Law
Among the states, Idaho seems to stand alone in having a law to deal with this problem. Idaho’s “Stop as Yield” law provides that cyclists do not need to come to a complete stop at stop signs. They must yield the right-of-way to vehicles in or already at the intersection, and then proceed with caution through the intersection. This law has been on the books since 1982. In 2006, Idaho added another law for cyclists, allowing them to proceed through an intersection against a red light, after coming to a complete stop, and waiting until the way is clear.
Forcing Bikers To Obey Stop Signs in SF
Although these rules seem to be working in Idaho, it remains to be seen whether they would work in a congested city such as San Francisco. Proponents argue that changing the law would simply acknowledge what’s already happening. Others are against the Idaho approach, arguing that kids aren’t able to handle yielding at stop signs, and are better off with a bright-line rule. According to a post on the S.F. Streetsblog, an Idaho-style law has been discussed in Sacramento, but was considered too difficult to pass the legislature.
Stop Sign Violations Against Cyclists in San Francisco
I haven’t heard of much enforcement of stop sign violations against cyclists here in San Francisco, but even if we cyclists are careful, we will be subject to an adverse presumption of fault if we are in an injury accident while riding through a stop-signed intersection without fully stopping, even though we may have not done anything unsafe. I would be interested to see an experimental program for the Idaho bike law in California, but I am also curious about why no other states have adopted it in the over 18 years that it has been in effect.
Ask San Francisco’s Bicycle Accident Attorneys
We’re bike riders and accident lawyers at Callaway & Wolf. We handle bike accident cases around the Bay Area, Marin, San Francisco, and Alameda counties. Contact us now to talk for free with a bike accident about your case.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
