If you’re looking for more information from the BTA on why they’ve decided to push the Oregon legislature to pass a law that would make it legal for people on bicycles to roll through stop signs (a.k.a. an “Idaho-style” stop sign law), read the statement just published by their lobbyist Karl Rohde.
Here are some excerpts:
Coming to a complete stop at all stop signs, rather than yielding at safe operating speeds, substantially reduces the efficiency of riding a bicycle and can create unsafe conditions.
Bicyclists are not enclosed in vehicles and therefore have a heightened awareness to the sound of approaching vehicle
McNeese (Idaho DOT bike/ped coordinator) argues that collisions occur in stop sign controlled intersections because vehicle operators, including bicyclists, make a mistake deciding when it is safe to go, not due to confusion about whether to stop or yield.
Idaho bicycle-collision statistics confirm that the Idaho law has resulted in no discernable increase in injuries or fatalities to bicyclists.
Read the full statement on the BTA Blog.
Bob Mionske wrote about this today on Velonews:
http://www.velonews.com/article/86786/legally-speaking-with-bob-mionske—stop-as-yield