When riding my bicycle, should I stop at all stop signs and red lights?

Question

I just bought a bicycle. When I am going in neighborhood streets I feel silly stoping at the stop signs, and on some other streets even stoping at a red light. If a policeman sees me, not stopping, will I get a ticket (????). Please explain how it works.

Answer 1

yes

b/c it irritates me when people on bicycles think they can do whatever they want....if it wasnt illegal...Id hit you...

Answer 2

well it depends on who u r. a bike is like wlking. u can choose to stop or to keep goin. u wont get a ticket unless u get in the way of traffic. if there are no cars than dont wait, just go. u shud stop if ur on the street and goin thru an intersection where there are many cars.

Answer 3

You too must obey all the stop signs and lights just as if you were in a car.This is for your safety as well as others who are driving. Some people on bikes will not obey these rules. In some states you can be fined. Please look out for drivers who don't watch for bikers. Stay safe...

Answer 4

if you are on the sidewalk no, but if you are in the street riding with the other cars yes

Answer 5

Just to add my $0.02...

Yes bicycles have all the rights and responsibilities of vehicles. This means they must follow all the rules that cars follow, including riding on the correct side of the road i.e. with traffic, and obeying all traffic signs such as stop signs and signals.

In some states, if you receive a ticket for a moving violation while riding your bike, it will go against your drivers license, and your insurance rates can go up. This would be unfortunate if you didn't even have a drivers license, but you had points waiting for it when you acquired it.

I'm not aware of any laws anywhere requiring a cyclist to put a foot down at a stop, but police officers often offer that as 'proof' the the cyclist didn't stop. (Would dragging your foot while speeding through an intersection constitute a legal 'stop' since your foot was down?) IMHO it's best to put the foot down and make the issue a moot point.

Answer 6

First off dont ride in the middle of the street when cars are around. Stay on the side walk, and it's a no brainer to keep an eye out for when you approach an intersection. If you one of those trendy people who ride in the middle of the street I hope you get ran over.

Answer 7

yes anywhere ive evern ridden you are required to stop anywehre a car is/

Answer 8

A bicycle is considered as a Vehicle, that's the first thing you should know.

In most jurisdictions, bicycles must have functioning front and rear lights when ridden after dark. As some generator or dynamo-driven lamps only operate while moving, rear reflectors are frequently also mandatory. Since a moving bicycle makes little noise, some countries insist that bicycles have a warning bell for use when approaching pedestrians, equestrians and other bicyclists.

You' are expected to obey the rules of the road w/e mode of transportation you are using.  Think about it, if you don't stop at the stop sign, you're risking yourself! You never know you might get into an accident. The largest cause of serious and fatal injuries to cyclists is collision with motor vehicles.

Yes, if a policeman saw you, he can and will give you a ticket for beating a red light/not stopping at stop signs.  A "failure to stop, Stop sign" citation was worth $122.97 for a cyclist violation and $158.97 for a motorist bust.

One good answer to dealing with a ticket would be to work it off at Bike Traffic School (if there's one close to you)

How to avoid tickets:

Signal your intent — Boost your predictability and get in the habit of signaling your intended path, using hand gestures that let everyone know what you're doing. A lot of right-of-way confusion and resentment can be resolved easily with a few clear hand signals, just point out your path if there are other people around to whom that would be useful information. You'll be surprised at how smoothly things go.

Don't be a right-of-way thief — Rolling s l o o o o o w l y across a stop line at an empty intersection is one thing, but barging in front of someone (car, bike, pedestrian, bus) is bound to draw anger at least and maybe a ticket.

Watch for cops, and don't do anything stupid in front of them — Really, use your head. Traffic officers tell us that they don't try to hide, they sit right out in plain view with their big shiny motorcycles and bright "white dot" helmets and the black and white cars. It's incredible how many cyclists (and motorists and pedestrians) will pull a brazenly illegal maneuver right in front of a cop. If you can't bring yourself to play nice when the police are obviously watching, maybe you need that ticket to clue in.

Nothing in the law says that a "complete stop" requires a cyclist to take his/her foot off the pedal and make contact with the ground. CVC 21201 does say that a bicycle must be small enough for the rider to stop, support with one foot on the ground, and restart safely, but whether or not a complete stop is made ultimately hinges on a police officer's discretion.

Bicycle riders under age 18 must wear a helmet under California law(I don't know what's yours in your state). Riders 18 and older can decide for themselves. If you do choose to wear a helmet, make sure it's properly sized and fitted. Headlights are required for night riding, as are reflectors: red in the back and yellow/white on sides and pedals (reflective whitewalls count).

Maybe you can learn something from this link just disregard the city name I'm pretty sure you don't even live in  bay area >.<

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7M-_ueoU...

Answer 9

you are on a vehicle so yes you should. you can get a ticket. make sure to wear your helmet!

Answer 10

I am going to say maybe you should ride on the the sidewalk but if you are on the street you should because if you don't you could put yourself at risk.

Answer 11

yes, you are considered a vehicle.

p.s. thank you for staying off the sidewalk!

Answer 12

In California you are required to. The city I live in (El Cajon) does not seem to inforce any cycling laws other than kids without helmets. My guess is they  hope we will all get killed and they won't have to deal with us.

Answer 13

In Ireland you wont  i am not sure about other countries

Answer 14

yes, you are operating a vehicle. you must obey vehicular traffic laws. as for these idiots advocating riding on the sidewalks, sidewalks are for pedestrians. most collisions between bikes and cars occur because bicycle is going against traffic or coming through an intersection from a sidewalk. don't become a statistic! as far as ticketing, yes, you may get ticketed, and even have your bike impounded! I don't know about having to put a foot down. I trackstand in light traffic, but put a foot down for longer lights.

Answer 15

Yeah, you got to stop at the stop signs and stop lights....you can get cited for not doing so...or you could get hit by a car doing 90mph through an intersection. I think I'd rather stop and look silly a few times...

Answer 16

Let me put it this way.  Everybody driving motor vehicles on the road you are sharing expect you to follow all the rules they do because that is the law they have been taught.  Considering most cars are 2000 lbs plus and you have no protection, I would not deviate too much from what those drivers expect you to do.

Answer 17

Bicyclists are required to follow all the same traffic rules and regulations as cars.  That means stopping at all stop signs and red lights, yielding, using signals, etc.

To all you yahoos saying to ride on the sidewalk, in most places it is a ticketable offense to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk.

Answer 18

The ticket will be the same as if it were a car or motorcycle. You will feel even more silly when you get hit by a 4,000 pound SUV...

Answer 19

ride on the side walks

Answer 20

Nicely done, Music Box.

I'll add one more caveat: There ARE localities that require you to put a foot down at stop signs.   I know several people who have been ticketed in Verona, Wisconsin.    I'm not sure if that's a state law, a local ordinance, or a local interpretation of the state law.  

Although I do stop, I disagree with that one, as I'm much more uncoordinated and vulnerable trying to click in than I am doing a trackstand.

Answer 21

Great question. The only answer is: make a decision every time. Only a fool would complain that you didn't stop at a deserted intersection and only another fool would try to force a bike through a crowded red light.

Make a choice each time. Look carefully. If it's safe, go, if there's any chance you'll be unsafe or inconsiderate stop. We all want to save momentum but we can't be greedy or casual about it. Just be prepared to make an intelligent choice at every stop.

Remember: in an argument between a car and a bike, the bike ALWAYS loses.

BTW, riding on the sidewalk IS legal in all but the central business district in most places (it is, here in Washington DC.) But who cares? If your life is in danger, bail onto the sidewalk even if it is illegal!

Answer 22

When i ride i alternate between streets and sidewalks,  if you are at a red light on a street that means the crosswalk in that direction is a go.  Stop signs, yes, stop, other people might not and will run you down.

Answer 23

I'm going to guess you live in Bangladesh.  No, you don't need to stop at signs and lights when riding a bicycle there.

Answer 24

Yes you should stop. Always cycle as though children (i.e. potential cyclists) are secretly watching.

At stop lights, I always stop...

However, at stop signs, if there's nobody watching - don't call the cops on me - I just yield VERY slowly.

Oh, and, in my experience, cops usually will give you a warning if it's the first time they've seen you do it. But, they will ticket you if they catch you doing it multiple times. So, be careful if you've already gotten one of these.

Cullen

[e-mail]

www.comatimes.blogspot.com