Can Cyclists Now Breeze Through Stop Signs?

Warmer weather is creeping up on us and so are the opportunities to share the road

Sharing the road is becoming more important than ever as commuting by bicycle has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years. Nationally, since 2005, states have seen, on average, a 46% increase in the share of people commuting by bike. Bicycles are among the most common modes of travel on roadways and it is likely no surprise that a whopping 39.04 million people participated in road/paved surface bicycling in 2018.

With this in mind, there are laws enacted to protect bicyclists and ensure they are abiding by the rules of the road. While you may assume that cyclists are expected to abide by similar rules as motor vehicles, that’s not necessarily the case. Each state has their own set of laws that govern how bicyclists should behave on roadways alongside motor vehicles. As of January 1^st, 2020, Oregon put a new law in effect that allows cyclists to treat stop signs and blinking red lights as yields. As long as they slow down to a safe speed, they are able to breeze right through. They can also make a right or left turn into a two-way street or make a turn into a one-way street in the direction of traffic.

As for Pennsylvania, laws are more geared toward cyclists behaving similarly as motor vehicles. Cyclists must obey traffic signals in accordance with standard vehicle laws and, while not a requirement, cyclists are recommended to ride with the flow of traffic. To check out the list of Pennsylvania’s bicycle laws click here.

In New Jersey, the law states that bicyclists must obey all state and local motor vehicle laws. Unlike Pennsylvania, New Jersey requires every cyclist to ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic. To check out the list of New Jersey’s bicycle laws click here.

In addition to abiding by the law, it is also important to practice safe driving or riding. Check out these safety tips on our blog post How to Be a “Roll” Model.

Regardless of the state you reside in, it is important to educate yourself on the specific bicycle laws in your state as well as general safety practices. To find your state’s cyclist laws, click here.

At Bergman Engineering, we have extensive experience in accident reconstruction cases, including those involving bicycles. This ranges from evaluating police reports to field investigations, as well as measurement and data collection. Let us be a resource to you on your next bicycle matter!