The Idaho Stop: It’s Safer for Bikes Than It Sounds
NEWS: Cyclists can legally roll through stop signs in 10 states; research shows it's sometimes better than stopping
Note: This article was updated on March 29 to include a statistic.
As cyclists, we’ve all been here. There’s a stop sign ahead so we approach scanning for traffic left, right, and straight ahead. Rolling toward the sign, we conclude there’s no danger, so we maintain our momentum and pass through the intersection.
That would be a traffic violation in 40 states. In 10 other states, however, it’s perfectly legal. It’s called an “Idaho Stop” or a bicycle rolling stop. A recent study conducted at Oregon State University concludes pedaling through intersections with stop signs can be even safer than stopping.
Does that sound counterintuitive? Let me explain.
The law, first adopted in 1982 by the state of Idaho, allows a bicyclist to approach a stop sign (and in some states a blinking stop light), assess whether it’s safe to proceed, and then continue at one’s own risk without coming to a complete stop.
At the heart of this concept is the reality that many cyclists are already rolling through stop signs. Idaho Stop laws are “ostensibly codifying a behavior that is ubiquitous,” says Dr. David Hurwitz, a professor of Transportation Engineering at Oregon State and the project’s lead researcher.
Hurwitz and his team observed that efficiently maintaining momentum reduces time in an intersection thus lowering exposure with motorists. In addition, they found that both cyclists and motorists operate their respective vehicles more cautiously when aware of the rolling stop law.
“Bicyclists do not intentionally expose themselves to likely crash scenarios,” Hurwitz told me. “We saw bicycles yielding the right of way. When fast-moving vehicles were closing that gap distance, the bicyclists defaulted to safe behaviors and stopped at stop signs because they were being exposed to risk.”
Where is it legal?
Rolling stop laws are in place in these jurisdictions, but very slightly from state to state. Be sure to check the rules where you ride.
- Arkansas (passed in 2019)
- Colorado (2022)
- Delaware (2017)
- Idaho (1982)
- Minnesota (2023)
- North Dakota (2021)
- Oklahoma (2021)
- Oregon (2019)
- Utah (2021)
- Washington (2020)
- Washington, D.C. (2022)
What About California?
The California State Legislature passed a Safety Stop Bill in 2021 that was then vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Reports at that time cited a Newsom statement saying the bill would decrease cyclist safety, especially for children “who may not know how to judge vehicle speeds or exercise the necessary caution to yield to traffic when appropriate.”
A second attempt in 2022 was stopped after Newsom threatened another veto, according to CalBike, a statewide cyclist advocacy group.
“CalBike strongly supports the safety stop or stop-as-yield,’ CalBike policy director Jared Sanchez said in an email. “We hope to sponsor a bill to legalize it in the future, but we may need to wait until we have a new governor because Gavin Newsom’s opposition seems fairly entrenched.”
Bills to pass similar laws have failed in six other states. They include Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia.
Two simulators, one intersection
Hurwitz’s research team at the Driving and Bicycling Research Laboratory, part of Oregon State’s School of Civil and Construction Engineering, decided to take a look at the Idaho Stop concept last year, so they invited participants who were unaware of rolling stop laws to operate two simulators. One represented a motor vehicle and the other a bicycle. With the simulators linked in real-time, both participants navigated sample intersections where bicyclists faced stop signs. Each saw the other’s presence as avatars on screens. Their traffic behaviors were recorded.
The results were straightforward. Bicyclists, though unaware of Oregon’s 2019 rolling stop law, yielded to cars and trucks when they perceived risk but continued without stopping when it was considered safe.
“There were pretty low levels of awareness about this law so that was a really important observation to us,” Hurwitz says. “58.3 percent of the bicyclists that came through did not know what the current law was in the state of Oregon and that was years after it had been adopted.”
Once the law was explained, participants returned to the simulators. Here’s the interesting part. The research showed that both bicyclists and motorists were more attentive the second time around.
“In the worst (test) conditions, we saw no changes in behavior,” Hurwitz says. “In the best conditions, we saw all sorts of positive numbers. We saw increased attention being paid to the cyclist by the driver, meaning that knowing a bicyclist could choose to treat the sign as a yield, (drivers) wanted to pay more attention to know exactly what the cyclist was doing.
“And, from my perspective of promoting vulnerable road users’ safety, anything that increases the attention of a motorist on a pedestrian or cyclist is a really good thing,” he continues. “The first step in crash avoidance is detection and visual attention in the right direction. Anything that can reduce speeds towards the approach to these conflict points is excellent.
“That's a great outcome.”
See an Oregon safety video on YouTube
The Key Takeaway: Education
The study illustrates those motorists and cyclists both operated their vehicles in safer manners once they knew about the law. When informally polling my friends and acquaintances, however, many are unaware of the Oregon law even though it took effect six years ago. Clearly, continuing public education is necessary.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) launched a public awareness campaign when the law was first established. The department also worked with Hurwitz on his study.
ODOT plans to reinvigorate its education campaign this year in several ways, including re-releasing a public service announcement video, developing a social media campaign, and working with bicycle advocates, local bike clubs, educators, and local officials.
The Bottom Line: Know your state law and spread the word. Help ensure that cyclists and motorists alike understand the Idaho Stop.
Dan Shryock is an author, travel writer, and career journalist who focuses on cycle tourism. Based in Oregon, his work has appeared in magazines and websites in California and the Pacific Northwest. His book, “Cycling Across Oregon: Stories, Surprises & Revelations Along the State’s Scenic Bikeways” is available on Amazon and through local bookstores.
Newsome's veto was a disappointment. My personal observation is that it's de facto practice by the majority of cyclist in the Bay Area and in some cases I've seen police not bothering with enforcement. I can assess my safety and I won't roll through any stop without making sure I'm doing it safely for myself and for others. Hopefully this will turn around some day.