Almost exactly 30 years ago, the state of Idaho enacted a traffic rule that would come to be known nationally as the "Idaho Stop," allowing cyclists to treat stop signs like yield signs. In three decades as the law of the land, the Idaho Stop has a fine safety record.
While the same rule has been debated and proposed in countless other places, it has been slow to spread. That could change, though, in Aspen, Colorado, which is preparing for a vote on the issue, reports Hunter Montgomery at Network blog Living in the Bike Lane:
The Aspen Times reports that city officials have determined that it is safer for bicycle riders to reduce speed, look left and right, and roll through an intersection with improved safety outcomes. They cite two main reasons. Firstly, the inertia of a bicycle requires greater effort and control to bring to a complete stop – possibly leading to a loss of control. Secondly, a bicycle approaching a STOP sign creates anxiety in motorists as they are not always certain how the rider will behave.
