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Old November 24th 17, 05:59 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Posts: 10,538
Default AG: running stop signs.

On 11/23/2017 9:06 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:
On Wed, 08 Nov 2017 10:22:01 +0700, John B.
wrote:

Does a bicycle have the right to ignore traffic laws in the U.S.?


On a more serious note: In the U.S. we are obsessed with safety.
We will do *anything*, however expensive, that will "improve safety".

However, it is plain and obvious that people can't sin; only objects
can sin. Therefore it's a waste of time to teach people to look both
ways before crossing a railroad, or to ask drivers to notice what is
ahead of them. Nothing but changes in the infrastructure can ever
improve safety.

So where-ever a "yield" sign is required, we put up a stop sign.
Stopping is ever so much safer than yielding.

I don't think I've ever seen a "yield" sign anywhere except inside a
roundabout. The city fathers sign off on whether or not to fund a
roundabout, but don't vote on individual signs inside the roundabout,
so signs inside the roundabout are chosen by traffic engineers.

So all our drivers have been trained that a red octagon means "yield".

One intersection within walking distance of my house saw several
serious collisions before the powers that be put an orange flag on the
top of the sign, and another sign below it that said "cross traffic
does not stop", to indicate that this stop sign actually is a stop
sign.


We have a few of those "cross traffic does not stop" signs around here,
too. It's an interesting bit of safety escalation. The next step, I
suppose, might be a sign saying "No, really! We're not kidding!" added
to the MUTCD.

But regarding stop signs where yield signs might suffice: AFAIK, every
intersection anywhere around here has _something_ - usually a stop sign,
very rarely a yield sign, and of course lots of traffic lights.

I remember reading about rules for unmarked intersections, but I never
experienced one until a few years ago. We were on vacation out west and
I was taking a bike ride in some tiny town. Sure enough, in the
residential areas, there were no signs at all at the intersections.
People were apparently supposed to work out right-of-way, with the
vehicle at the right winning in the case of a tie.

It seemed to work OK. There were no piles of broken car parts or body
parts at the intersections.


--
- Frank Krygowski
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