Why do accidents decrease rather than 'Idaho stop' which permits traffic to a bicycle even with a red light?

ByTejvan Pettinger

Since half of traffic accidents occur near the intersection, pausing at the intersection can be said to be an effective way to reduce accidents. However, in the state of Idaho in the United States, a special traffic rule "I do not have to stop at the intersection on a bicycle"Idaho stop"We have adopted the Idaho stop and succeeded in reducing traffic accidents.

Why cyclists should be able to roll through stop signs and ride through red lights
http://www.vox.com/2014/5/9/5691098/why-cyclists-should-be-able-to-roll-through-stop-signs-and-ride

In Idaho province, since 1982, we entrusted the following traffic rules to a cyclist (bicycle ride) which came to an intersection with a temporary stop sign.

1: When there are pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, do not cross the bicycle
2: However, when pedestrians, cars, motorbikes are not found,The bicycle can pass through the intersection in slow creeping condition despite the temporary stop sign

This is a special rule dedicated to cyclists called "idaho stop", which means that cyclists can pass through intersections without pausing if safety is confirmed.

You can easily understand what kind of rule Idaho stop is with the following movie.

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop on Vimeo


In Idaho stop, the same rule applies not only to a stop sign but also to a red light. In other words, red cyclists are regarded as pause signs for cyclists. Even if there are no pedestrians or cars, it is forbidden to pass through the intersection without reducing the speed of the bicycle, so a violator can be fined up to $ 360 (about 36,000 yen).

Even in areas where special traffic rules such as Idaho stop are not defined, the scenery where the cyclist crosses the intersection of the red light is very common. Why is the cyclist going through the red light signal while slowly knowing that it is a traffic violation is a big cause for "energy saving". Compared to riding a pedal in running condition, bicycle consumes more energy when pedaling from a stopped state than can be understood by rule of thumb. In other words, when the cyclist stops completely at the intersection, it consumes a lot of energy to start again, so in many cases the cyclist often crosses the intersection without stopping in order to avoid this.

ByTejvan Pettinger

In this regard, according to a demonstration test by physicist Dr. Joel Fayyance, in the case of a completely stopped state and a slowing state of 5 mph per hour (about 8 km / h), the pedal is recovered to the top speed By comparison, it turned out that less energy is needed in the creeping state by 25%. In addition, when comparing running comparisons with roads with many pause signs and roads with no pause signs, we found that with the same energy as running at an average speed of 10.9 mph (approximately 18 km / h) on a road with a pause sign, If it is understood that a road without a temporary stop sign is 14.2 miles / hour (about 23 km / hour), it is found that it is possible to run energy saving nearly 30% if not stopping temporarily.

Idaho stop which admits the traffic right at the intersection on a bicycle seems dangerous at first sight, but as Idaho stop began operation in Idaho State from 1982, the number of injuries occurred in a bicycle traffic accident decreased. California state Sacramento has similar topography, precipitation pattern and traffic layout compared with Idaho state biker 30.5%, accident many 150% of Bakersfield field.

In some states in the US, we have defined a traffic rule (Dead Red rule) exclusively for cyclists similar to Idaho Stop, that "a bicycle can pass through an intersection even if it is a red light if safety can be confirmed."


There are several reasons why accidents are reduced in idaho stop, one of which is that bicycles are slower than cars and the driver's field of vision is wide, so you can more accurately determine traffic conditions something like. Generally, the cyclist thinks that the car does not recognize the bicycle even though he / she recognizes the car, he said that he is preparing to brake the car anytime and check the oncoming lane. Therefore, entry to the red light intersection is far safer for bicycles than for cars.

Another factor that Idaho stop can reduce accidents is the ability to distribute bicycles from roads with high traffic volume to roads with less traffic volume. In many cities there are many temporary stop signs as roads with low traffic volume and safe, so some cyclists dare choose roads with heavy traffic to avoid such annoying temporary stop signs so. If Idaho stop is introduced, cyclists who actively use roads with low traffic volume even if there are many temporary stop signs will increase, traffic congestion will be eased and accidents will be reduced.

Furthermore, Idaho Stop's "clear line of bicycle and other traffic priority right" is also considered to be a major cause of fewer accidents. Idaho stop does not give the cyclist any traffic when pedestrians or cars are at the intersection. As a result, automobile drivers do not hesitate to run or anticipate traveling unexpectedly in anticipation of the entry of a bicycle near the intersection, and because there is little unexpected movement, The accident involved is reduced.

BySteven Vance

Of course, Idaho stop does not necessarily function safely under all cities and environments, but by understanding the characteristics of bicycles and making rules to match it, for both bicycles and other transporters " We can say that it is great to learn from Idaho Stop as an example model that a safe and comfortable transportation environment can be created. "