Five Reasons We Bike Riders Should Stop at Stop Signs

 

By Sandie Pendleton

The Shorewood Village manager recently received this email from a Shorewood resident:

I was wondering if you could put an article in the [Village Manager's] newsletter about stopping at stop signs.  I don’t mean cars. But skateboarders, bicyclist, and especially bikers do not stop – some don’t even slow down. I know the police department does their best to instruct non-motorized transportation vehicles to stop. For us walkers and also drivers, it is very frustrating to have to watch for them in addition to the usual traffic.

The manager’s office asked me to write such an article for the Village Manager's Memo. While I was skeptical that anything I would write would change behavior any appreciable amount, I wrote a short article for the Village Manager's newsletter on the topic. 

In writing that article, I endeavored to take the resident's request and concern seriously, and (while I've never had the pleasure of meeting the resident in question) I tried to put myself in her shoes, and consider what she and I might say, that might actually have an effect on a bike rider (one of good will), who might be willing to change his or her behavior or philosophy regarding stop sign compliance (especially when there are drivers or pedestrians at an intersection).

I well know that if I am trying to convince riders to stop at a stop sign when no one else is around, I'm probably going to be about as effective as King Cnut the Great commanding the tide not to advance. 

And I am well familiar with "Idaho Stop Laws" (and their reported safety benefits). I'd personally like to see such a law adopted/enacted in Wisconsin. But such is highly unlikely to occur anytime soon. 

So we have the stop sign laws we have, and they apply to both car drivers and bike riders; and as a general rule, it is not unreasonable for members of society to expect that other members of society will comply with the laws.

A Brief History of the Brief History of the Stop Sign      

Stop signs never existed before cars. See A Brief History of the Stop Sign. 

According the above article and Wikipedia, the first traffic sign that said "STOP" on it was placed on a street in Detroit in 1915. And the octagon-shaped stop sign didn’t come into existence until 1923. 

As to the sign's color, it was first recommended to be yellow (I can remember seeing some of those when I was a kid), and it wasn’t until the 1954 version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (the "MUTCD), that the recommended color became red.

So stop signs have been added to our streets because of cars, and they really only have been around in their current form since 1954. They are not being placed on corners for the convenience or safety of bike riders. As I mention below, it is the very rare intersection-and-situation where a stop sign is actually convenient for a bike rider, or contributes to a rider's safety; hence the overwhelming support amongst riders for the adoption of Idaho Stop Laws.   

My Five Reasons

With the above disclaimers and history in mind, here are five reasons why I suggest it would be a good idea for all my fellow bike riders (including me) to stop at stop signs (especially when others are around): 

1. If you don’t stop, there is a chance you could collide with a pedestrian, resulting in an injury (maybe to you, but more likely to the pedestrian, especially if that person is a kid, or an older person). In the U.S., fatalities that result from bike-pedestrian collisions are extremely rare. The last data I saw on the issue indicated less than ten such fatalities per year, and most of those are in New York, Florida and California (and the data did not indicate whether the collision was due to the negligence of the rider, or the pedestrian, or some combination of both of them, or what the ages of the individuals involved in the incident were). But while the media may largely ignore the more than 40,000 persons per year who die in car-car collisions, or the more that 6000 pedestrians who die in car-pedestrian collisions, the media (especially in New York City) gives front page coverage to stories about bike-pedestrian crash fatalities. See Peter Tuckel’s article, The Myth of the Demon Cyclist. And there is data that suggests that overall, the number of collisions between bike riders and pedestrians is decreasing. Id. This is not to say, however, that collisions between bike riders and pedestrians cannot have devastating consequences for a pedestrian, especially older pedestrians (or kids hit by a bike rider). And a bike rider who hits a pedestrian, can face substantial civil liability, if the collision was the rider's fault. Naturally, we want Shorewood to be a place where everyone (but especially older pedestrians) are able to feel comfortable when they are out being active, and using our streets and sidewalks. You can help achieve that by stopping at stop signs, especially anytime there is a pedestrian near the intersection.   
2. If you don’t stop, you could get hit by a motor vehicle, and be seriously injured or killed. In 2023, car-bike collisions killed 937 riders in the U.S. (an all-time record high number), and those types of fatalities have increased 75% since 2010.
3. If you don’t stop at a stop sign, you could receive an expensive citation. 
4. I also want my fellow riders to understand why it is that drivers (especially older drivers) want bike riders to stop at stop signs. Drivers (especially older drivers) have a fear of hitting a bike rider (especially a younger rider); I hear this fear expressed to me all the time. Many riders think that drivers’ complaints about bike riders riding in an irresponsible manner is because "those drivers hate bike riders," or because drivers think that drivers have more right to use our streets than do bike riders. That may be true for a small set of drivers, but overwhelmingly the emotion I hear about from drivers is not hate, but fear. Fear that they might not see someone who is riding recklessly until it is too late, hit and hurt a rider, and get sued (even if the accident was not the driver’s fault). We may think such scenarios are relatively rare (or that such fears are overly exaggerated in the minds of too many drivers). But we should nevertheless be cognizant of this fear, and take simple steps that will help alleviate the prevalence of this fear.  One simple step to that end is stopping at stop signs (especially whenever there are any pedestrians or drivers at the intersection).  
5. Riders who ignore stop signs (and otherwise ride recklessly) tarnish the image of all bike riders, and undermine advocates' efforts to get communities to build safer streets. They contribute to the belief that “if a car hit a rider at an intersection, it was probably the rider's fault,” or the belief that “bike riders behave like arrogant privileged jerks, who don't think they have to obey traffic laws like the rest of us,” or the belief that “bike riders don't need protected bike lanes to be safe, they just need to start stopping at stop signs, and obeying other traffic laws, like everybody else.” There are times when bike riders need allies when we are advocating for better and safer streets, for all users. If we as riders by our behavior alienate people who might otherwise be in favor of changes to street designs (changes that would make the streets safer for pedestrians, especially older pedestrians, but drivers as well), we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Note too that the resident who wrote to the Village Manager, described herself as both a driver, and a walker. As a walker, she should be in favor of traffic calming, and changing street designs, so that average vehicle speeds come down, and drivers drive in a more attentive way. But as indicated in Peter Tuckel’s article The Myth of the Demon Cyclist, some walkers fear being hit by a bike (or over estimate their odds of getting hit by a bike) because they preceive cars as normal and perceivable, but bike riders as "stealthy," less normal, and less perceivable (in part due to their being quieter and smaller than motorized traffic, and more likely to be traveling near the curb, in the area very close to where a pedestrian may step off a curb). So do what you can as a cyclist to build allies amongst walkers: stop at stop signs, be visible, use bike lights (day and night), use a bell, don't bike anywhere close to a pedestrian, let the pedestrian "go first," etc. Try not to be the biker who I get the call/complaint about, that usually goes something like this: "I was walking to Walgreens today, when I was almost [killed] [seriously injured] [knocked down] when a bike rider came out of nowhere, and brushed by me."  See also my prior blog article from last year "Talking With Your Kids About Protecting Vulnerable Users of Sidewalks, Crosswalks and the Oak Leaf Trail."  

So, my suggestion?  Next time you are out for a ride, surprise someone who’s driving or walking: stop at a stop sign. 

The above is my good faith "sermon" and argument to my fellow bikers. 

Skateboarders

And skateboarders?  Well, I'm not a skateboarder, it is unlikely that any of them are reading this blog, and unlikely that anything I say here is going to affect their behavior.  So someone else can write that article. 

Considering the Bike Rider's Perspective/Concerns/Motivations: Why Don't Riders Tend Not to Stop

My hope is that there are some non-bike riders who are also reading this blog article, and that they too are also people of good will, and are similarly willing to try to understand the riders' perspective, and try to understand why it is that riders of all ages, in general, tend not to stop at stop signs (especially when no pedestrians or drivers are around). I won't try to detail all those reasons here (there are lots of articles on the Internet, and videos on YouTube about that), but it has a lot to do with factors such as the following:

• The "energy" factor: Riders know that their energy is limited, and that leads to their having a strong desire to conserve momentum, and to avoid (if at all possible) repeatedly expending the amount of energy it takes to get going from a complete (or almost complete) stop. That is a considerable amount, especially when compared to the infinitesimally small amount of energy it takes a driver to get going from a stop (the energy it takes the driver to push on a car's gas pedal or accelerator pedal). This expenditure of energy is so obviously different to a rider, compared to the relatively small amount of the rider's energy it takes the rider (especially on a level street) to keep the bike going at the same speed (say 15 mph) once that speed is reached. 
• The "time" factor: If a rider makes the choice to take a trip by bike (as opposed to by car), it will likely take a rider more time to get from Point A to Point B by bike (and even more time if there is a considerable number of stop signs on the rider's route, and the rider chooses to come to a stop at each stop sign). This tends to increase the chances that a rider will choose not to stop at stop signs along the way.
• The "why should I, if they don't" factor: From the rider's perspective, riders see drivers not stopping at stop signs, rolling through stop signs, running red lights, and engaging in numerous other traffic violations that (from the rider's perspective) seem far more dangerous to human life and limb, compared to a rider's rolling through a stop sign (especially if no one is around). The question naturally occurs to the rider "why should I comply with stop sign laws, when drivers do not comply with stop sign laws?" (And Professor Tuckel's article linked to above indicates that studies indicate that drivers fail to comply with traffic regulations, including stop signs, at a rate higer than bike riders do.)
• The "I'm not likely to hit a pedestrian" factor: Many riders believe that if they ride through a stop sign, it is highly unlikely that they are going to hit a pedestrian. The basis for the "crash avoidance" belief are several. Riders believe that (relative to cars) they are (1) travelling at relatively slow speed (somewhere between 10 and 20 mph), (2) much narrower than a car (~2' wide for a bike rider, compared to 6' to 9' wide for a motor vehicle), and thus (as to a given road width) less likely occupy the same space a pedestrian is in, and more likely to be able to manuever left or right to avoid a collision; and (3) able to stop faster than a car. This last point is an issue subject to great debate on the Internet. Bikers and drivers have the same reaction time, and will travel the same distance at the same speed during that reaction time. And not all bike braking systems are the same (some have disc brakes, which are more efficient than rim brakes, and there are different types of bike disc brakes, and the performanc of rim bikes is affected by rain/moisture). In contrast, most cars these days have automatic emergency crash avoidance breaking systems (which may or may not in a given situation detect and react to a pedestrian), and anti-lock breaking systems (ABS). The studies that exist indicate that on average, at a given speed, cars will stop in a shorter distance than a bike traveling at the same speed. So it would be error for a bike rider to assume that when biking, he/she can stop in a shorter distance than a car. Braking by a bike rider may play an important role in bike-ped crash avoidance in a dense urban environment like NYC, but it probably plays less of a role in Shorewood (where there is generally much less traffic, and more "escape options" for riders in any given situation where a stop sign is involved   
• The "relative safety" factor: This factor is less prevalent amongst riders, and more controversial when drivers hear it. Most bike riders feel they ride in a safe manner. Everybody has fallen off a bike at some point in their lives, and it probably hurt. And most adult riders have had a fall, or a car door opened into them, and they are very familiar with how much pain is involved in hitting the ground, or hitting a car. So (and I know this is hard for non-riders to believe), most "adult riders" (those out of school or college) have a natural self-preservation incentive not to hit something (or someone), because that is going to really hurt, and they ride in such a way (in their minds) to avoid crashes. And conversely, they know if a car hits them, the driver is not going to be physically hurt. Many riders also have this feeling that when a driver is out on the street piloting a 4500 lb. Tesla, a 4500 lb. Ford Explorer, or 7500 lb. Ford F-250, that driver's failure to stop at a stop sign, is relatively far more likely to result in a pedestrian or rider getting killed or injured (or someone in another vehicle), than if a rider fails to stop at a stop sign. There is so much more kinetic energy that could be slammed into a pedestrian by a driver, compared to the kinetic energy that a bike rider could convey. Given this, such riders' attitude is one of "if you can show me that bike riders have hit and killed as many pedestrians at intersections as drivers have, then I'll agree with you that riders (and drivers) need to all start stoppping at all stop signs." Since each year drivers hit and kill about 6000 pedestrians, and bike riders hit and kill less than 10 pedestrians, that day is not likely to come any day soon. 
• The "environment" factor: This factor is less prevalent amongst riders, and more controversial when drivers hear it. But many riders tend to think that many drivers are often using a car to take a short trip around Shorewood or Milwaukee that could be taken by some other more environmentally responsible way (e.g., via bike or transit). This belief is not universal (and of course, does not apply to folks who have physical disabilities or limitations that make it impossible for them to bike). But to some riders the belief that they are doing something better for the environment than many drivers are, leads them to the belief that drivers should be willing to be more alert/protective of bike riders, more considerate to riders, and more accomodating to riders. Some drivers hold this belief as well, and it is not unusual to see drivers in our area at four-way-stop intersections (even when the driver has the right of way at the intersection) to "wave riders through." Doing that enables the riders to maintain their momentum, as they don't need to come to a stop, wait for the driver to clear the intersection, and then expend the energy to get going again. (And riders really do appreciate drivers who wave them through.) 

Again, I'm not asking non-riders to accept or agree with each of the above justifications, I'm just asking them to at least consider or be aware of them.  

Re-Thinking Stop Signs?  Do Stop Signs Make Our Street Safer?

I can understand where there are places where a stop signs make sense, and probably do decrease the number of car crashes (and injuries) that occur. But what about at intersections in Shorewood where two, low-traffic-volume residential streets meet? Do we really need stop signs there? Have you ever thought about whether stop signs actually result in fewer crashes (and injuries) on such streets?    

From the above article about the brief history of the stop sign:  

[Today,] some experts are . . . recommending doing away with [stop signs in some communities]. (Ejby, Denmark; Ipswich, England; and Ostend, Belgium, are already experimenting with a post-stop-sign world.) “The theory is that people will pay more attention to pedestrians and other vehicles and slow down in pedestrian areas [and around intersections] if there are no signs, because they won’t know what to do,” . . . .

If there is an element of uncertainty on a street, that tends to lead to drivers driving more slowly, and more attentively, and in a more "shared environment" manner. I’ve certainly seen that occur on Edgewood Avenue since Shorewood and Milwaukee worked together to re-configure the lane markings on Edgewood, so as to add a "shared center lane," and advisory bike lanes. Note, many drivers do not like that feeling of uncertainty, but it is exactly that feeling that causes them--consciously or unconsciously--to slow down, become more attentive, and more cautious; and that is what leads to fewer crashes on such streets, and less severe crashes.    

Advocates for better and safer streets often argue that we will never be able to "sign our way" to safer streets, or "traffic-enforce our way" to safer streets. Why is that? Numerous studies show that adding more signs to streets (be they stop signs, yield signs, "watch for children" signs, or similar) have little effect on the speeds drivers choose to drive, or on the safety of a street. The same is true as to enforcement. Few communities have enough police officers who could be engaged in traffic enforcement at a level of enforcement that would change driver behavior (as to speed, for example), and studies show that shortly after a "traffic enforcement crackdown" on a street ends, driver speeding behavior returns to what it was previously.   

What Works? What Makes Streets Safer for All Users?

Numerous studies show that it is changing the design (the geometry) of streets. Doing such things as installing traffic calming measures, and otherwise engineering streets in such a way so as to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes of all kinds when they occur. As part of that, better separation of different modes of travel (pedestrians, bike riders, drivers), plays an important role. That means nothing more than creating protected areas within the public right of way for pedestrians and bike riders; on higher volume streets (like Capitol, Oakland and Lake Drive) that can make those streets better and safer for all users. 

This may sound flippant to some readers, but if we replaced all our stop signs in Shorewood with roundabouts, we'd never have to worry again about a bike rider (or car driver) running a stop sign. Yes, if we did that, police officers would still need to be vigilant and issue citations to riders or drivers for a failure to properly yield to others. And there would still be occasional crashes at intersections (but on the whole, if the intersections were properly designed), those crashes would be at far lower speeds, would be less dangerous types of crashes (diagonal angle crashes rather than "t-bone" perpendicular crashes), and would (on average) result in less in far less severe injuries.   

Conclusion

Drivers and riders need not be "cats and dogs," in a perpetual battle of shared hatred and grudges.  Almost all riders are also drivers, and many drivers (at some point in their lives) were or are riders. 

We should all be able to get along, and work together to make our streets better and safer for all users.    

(So, I as a well-known bike rider in Shorewood have written a Village Manager's Memo article entitled "Five Reasons Why We Drivers Should Stop at Stop Signs." Hopefully, next week in the Village Manager's Memo, we'll see an article by a well-known Shorewood non-bike rider, titled something like this: Five Reasons Why We Drivers Should Stop at Stop Signs, and Not Speed, Run Red Lights, Drive While Drunk, Roll Through Stop Signs, Fail to Look for and See Bike Riders and Pedestrians, Fail to Stay at Least Three Feet Away from a Bike Rider When Passing the Rider, Fail to Yield to Bike Riders and Pedestrians in Situations Where Those Folks Have the Right Of Way, Drive Impatiently, “Rage Drive,” Make Illegal Turns into the Path of Bike Riders, Swerve Wildly in Traffic, Engage in “The Milwaukee Slide,” Flee from Police at High Speeds, Engage in Reckless Driving, Fail to Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalks, Drive Like a Driver’s Right to Use the Road Is Somehow Greater Than Any Pedestrian's or Bike Rider's Right to Use the Road, Fail to Slow and Stop For Pedestrians Who Have Activated Rectangular Rapidly Flashing Beacons (Such as On Capitol, Oakland or Lake Drive), Contribute 16% of All Greenhouse Gases Generated in the U.S., Speed in School Zones, Turn Right on Red at Intersections Where That Is Prohibited, Choose Increasingly to Purchase and Drive Larger-and-Heavier Vehicles (Like SUVs and Pickup Trucks) That Pose Substantially Greater Risks to Pedestrians and Bike Riders When They Are Hit By Them, Pass in the the Parking Lane Cars That Have Stopped for Crossing Pedestrians, Fail to Obey School Crossing Guards, Drive While Texting, Drive While Posting to TikTok, Routinely Drive Kids a Relatively Short Distance to School (Thus Contributing to the Epidemic Of Physically-Inactive Kids and Childhood Obesity), Drive While or After Consuming Copious Amounts of Marijuana (or Other Illegal Drugs), and/or Otherwise Drive in a Manner That Directly or Indirectly Hurts Public Health, the Health of Our Communities, and/or Contributes to About 45,000 People Being Killed in Car Crashes Each Year in the United States.) :)       

Sandie Pendleton is the President of Greater Shorewood Bikers, Inc., and a founder of the Shorewood Complete Streets Coalition. He can be reached at sandiependleton@gmail.com.