Stop?

In Colorado, Stop Means Stop.  At a red light (solid or flashing) or stop sign, motorists must make a complete stop at a clearly marked stop line or before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection. And if there is no stop line or crosswalk, the driver needs to stop before entering the intersection itself.  When enforced, this Class A Infraction normally carries a $70 fine and $10 surcharge.  Depending on the circumstances, a red light or stop sign violation could also result in a Reckless Driving conviction. When one of these violations leads to the death of another person (especially at risk roadway users), Vehicular Homicide charges are another possibility.  Why is it then, that in the past week and a half here in Longmont, I have not seen ONE motorist at a Stop signed intersection without opposing traffic come to a stop?  In some cases there was opposing traffic and still the violator pulled right out without stopping, some not even slowing down.  Are people's lives so important that a few seconds of their day are worth the risk of $80 in fines, or even the lives of other road users?  Is this what society is becoming?

Since the State Of Colorado passed SB 18-144 aka The Idaho Stop Law, municipalities have had the opportunity to adopt it as law.  This law allows bicyclists to roll through a Stop sign when unopposed by traffic and treat red lights as a Stop sign, due to traffic control devices not always being able to notice a bicycle as a vehicle at a signal.  Since Idaho adopted this law, vehicle vs bicycle collisions decreased by 14%.  Why is it then that so many municipalities are sitting on their hands and not adopting this new law, as Thornton has and was already in place under Home Rule laws in a few other municipalities here in Colorado?  Longmont City Council decided to sit on their hands on this issue last May for one year.  I had contacted Council via email at one point about their intentions and heard nothing but crickets from most of them.  The one Council Member that did respond stated that the CML (Colorado Municipal League) advised against adopting SB 18-144.  I contacted the CML and they advised they were not advising neither for, nor against adopting SB 18-144.  My Bullshit Meter is a finely tuned instrument.  I'm now left wondering how liable the City of Longmont is for 14% of the bicyclists who have had a collision with a motor vehicle since May 2019...

Again, the needle is skipping on the broken record that is my chirping about Education and Enforcement are what is needed most to protect at risk road users.  The motoring scofflaws that refuse to come to a Stop at Stop signs need to start paying for their selfishness, or others will be paying for their sins...especially at risk road users.

One last thought on the matter, in reading comments on media posts about anything to do with bicyclists there is often much crowing from motorists to the tune of "Bicyclists never Stop for Stop signs!"  How many of them never Stop for Stop signs in their vehicles?  In the past week and a half here in Longmont, I see a parade of hypocrites.