California has numerous traffic laws that affect cyclists. Many of these rules aim to limit crash risk and protect cyclists from injury in traffic. In many cases, California leads the nation in safe cycling infrastructure.
Sometimes it takes a while for lawmakers to adapt to new information about road safety. Research has recently helped establish that stop-as-yield rules can potentially protect cyclists from major collisions. Are there any legal changes in progress that will utilize stop-as-yield rules for the protection of people on bicycles?
What stop-as-yield entails
The idea of stop-as-yield can seem counterintuitive initially. Essentially, when a cyclist approaches an intersection where there is no oncoming traffic and they have the right of way, they can yield to check their surroundings and then proceed without coming to a complete stop.
While this may at first seem unsafe, like drivers conducting rolling stops at red lights, the opposite is actually true. Studies have found that stop-as-yield rules help eliminate traffic congestion and reduce the risk of drivers causing crashes with cyclists at intersections. Cyclists are more consistent about following traffic rules and yielding the right of way. Allowing them to proceed when they can safely do so is often better than forcing them to stop and interact with drivers who may not abide by the law.
When cyclists can use their own judgment to leave a high-risk location, like an intersection, as quickly as possible, they can limit their risk of getting struck by someone who isn’t as safe when approaching an intersection. Unfortunately, there are no pending bills in the California legislature attempting to adopt stop-as-yield rules as part of the traffic code.
However, as lawmakers’ knowledge about research shifts, the chances of lawmakers proposing modifications to existing traffic statutes increase. Given that research indicates stop-as-yield rules can benefit cyclists and have decreased fatal crashes in other states, California lawmakers may eventually modify existing regulations to improve cyclist safety on the streets. In the meantime, cyclists have to continue using their best judgment and adhering to traffic statutes to avoid crashes and citations.
Cyclists injured due to inattentive drivers and those behaving poorly in traffic may have grounds to seek compensation from the motorist at fault for their crash. Both insurance claims and civil lawsuits may help injured cyclists recoup medical expenses and lost wages after a car-bicycle crash caused by a driver.
