Many bicyclists have had the experience of pulling up to a stop sign with no car in sight and wondering if they should just keep going or first come to a full stop as the law requires.

A bill pending in the N.H. Legislature would change that law and allow bicyclists to slow down, yield to any other vehicle and then cautiously proceed in circumstances when a full stop was not necessary for safety.

House Bill 249 would also allow bicyclists to go through a red light after coming to a complete stop and yielding to any other traffic.

Rep. Seth Miller, D-Dover, said Wednesday his bill would promote safety by reducing the chance that the bicyclist will be rear-ended by a motor vehicle.

He also said that when slowing to a halt for a stop sign, a bicyclist can become wobbly and more prone to a fall.

“The good news is that in New Hampshire we have relatively few vehicle-on-bicycle incidents, but the bad news is that when they happen, they are traumatic and terrible,” he said. “This is an opportunity to further reduce the risk of those happening.”

The House Transportation Committee will consider the bill.

Michael Frank, a Spofford cycling instructor, sent a letter to the committee urging that members support the measure, which, if approved, would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

“More riders are injured in intersection crashes than on any other portion of the roadway,” he said. “By allowing the rider to slow, yield, and proceed, they are able to maintain their momentum and expeditiously clear the danger area.”

Frank said such laws elsewhere have reduced bicycle crashes in intersections, adding that 11 other states have enacted such measures.

“While many may have preconceived ideas that bike riders will dart in front of cars at intersections, studies have shown that when cross traffic is present, bicyclists come to a complete stop to protect themselves,” he said.

He cited statistics, including from the Delaware State Police, which found that in the three years after that state adopted a similar law in October 2017, crashes involving bicycles at stop sign intersections decreased from 82 to 63 compared to the preceding three-year period.

A National Highway Transportation Safety Administration report said bicyclist injuries from crashes declined 14.5 percent in Idaho in the year after it became the first state to pass such a law in 1982.

“Based upon the current research and data available, these laws showed added safety benefits for bicyclists in states where they were evaluated, and may positively affect the environment, traffic and transportation,” it said.

Keene Police Chief Steve Stewart, Cheshire County Sheriff Eli Rivera and AAA Northern New England spokesman Dan Goodman didn’t immediately return calls Wednesday for comment on the proposal.

The House Transportation Committee will schedule a hearing on HB 249 before it is sent to the full House.

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