bincrosby

There's a certain amount of chicken and egg at work here. Yes, there are cyclists who run red lights and behave badly just because they can. On the other hand, there are traffic laws that I regularly break while biking to stay alive (crossing onto sidewalks, stopping in the road, even ignoring stop signs to get away from large vehicles). Having been hit by a bus while on the sidwalk, I'm acutely aware of how frail and unlike a car I really am.

In short, my choices aren't made based on traffic laws. They're based on trying not to get hit on a minute-to-minute basis. In places without decent bike infrastructure, strict enforcement just presents a choice between tickets and death.

The "slows to a reasonable speed" exemption is significant here. Bike lanes aren't actually enough to bicyclists from getting hit, particularly by large vehicles (buses, widened pickups, etc) that crowd the bike lane. Given a narrow road and bike lane, it's awfully nice for cyclists to have people slow down as they pass.

That said, all of this is going to depend on sensible application, and I'm glad to see there won't be a strict-enforcement campaign. It goes on already-massive list of traffic laws that most drivers break every day - it's hardly surprising to see a traffic law that's impractical and dangerous to follow in all cases. Used well, these laws are about giving cops options when people take dangerous actions. Used strictly or vindictively, they make driving an impossible task.