Study backs ‘rolling stop’ for bikes at intersections as group pushes B.C. to legalize it

It is a basic rule of the road — come to a complete stop at a stop sign — but the latest research once again suggests cyclists should ignore it.

Studies and experience have shown the bicycle rolling stop (BSR) is actually safer and more efficient for everyone if bike riders treat stop signs like yield signs.

“People cycling come to the intersection, slow down and, if it is safe, they can continue on without coming to a complete stop,” explained Navdeep Chhina, director of campaigns and inclusion at HUB Cycling in Vancouver. “It decreases the amount of time they will spend in the intersection and, as a result, makes it safer for everyone involved.”

The advocacy group has been pushing for years for the so-called “Idaho Stop” to be made legal in B.C.

In 1982, Idaho was the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow rolling stops for cyclists, followed by several other states, including Washington and Oregon.

A new American study further supports the practice but suggests drivers might be slower to adapt to it, requiring more outreach and education efforts.

“Every time we create a change, we have to educate people,” Chhina agreed. “That includes people driving vehicles, people walking, people using cycles, and also other micro-mobility devices like wheelchairs and scooters.”

Despite HUB’s lobbying, he is quick to point out that B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act still requires cyclists to come to a full stop at all stop signs.

“We encourage people to follow the current laws, so we don’t educate or promote anything that is currently illegal,” he said.

“We have submitted a recommendation to the provincial government, as part of the ongoing Motor Vehicle Act reform, that it should be amended to introduce a ‘stop sign as a yield’ law for people cycling.”

The bicycle rolling stop is just one of almost two dozen recommendations from HUB as it encourages the province to continue being proactive in amending and modernizing the Motor Vehicle Act to ensure cycling and walking are safer, easier, and more accessible to people of all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

HUB has submitted 21 recommendations to the government, including disallowing right turns on red lights. It also wants to see the province create a default speed limit of 30 km/h on all neighbourhood streets.

“And we would like to see the Motor Vehicle Act amended to welcome people who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters on cycling routes. Currently, they are not allowed to do that, which we see as a big equity concern,” Chhina added.