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A new bill is aiming to protect bicyclists.
California Assembly Bill 122 would allow bicyclists to yield at stop signs if the intersection is clear, reports NBC7.
Supporters of the bill say it will allow cyclists to get a head start into the view of stopped care and be more visible. It would also encourage cyclists to bike on smaller roadways instead of larger roads with stoplights.
“I thought it was very good for us,” cyclist Kelly Kiefer told NBC7. “[Drivers] just look for each car. They don’t pay too much attention to the cyclists. The cyclist pays more attention to the car.”
The executive director of the San Diego County Bike Coalition, Andy Hanshaw says seven other states have similar laws and they have been statistically to save lives.
“It just eliminates some of that unpredictability for the cyclist and makes it safer for them,” said Hanshaw. “If the intersection is not clear, rules of the road are going to apply.”
“We need more of it. What we’ve seen and what we’ve talked about recently in the news is too many tragic cycling fatalities.”
Kiefer hopes if the bill becomes law, it will be easier for drivers to see her.
“They don’t pay attention to all their surroundings," she said. "Sometimes they just go. We have to be more aware of our surroundings than they are.”