Motorcycles Allowed to Run Red Lights in Kansas

Kansas riders could soon be able to run the red light thanks to a new bill that leaves the discretion in the hands of the motorcyclist if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "reasonable period of time." The proposal is aimed at ensuring riders don't get stuck at intersections because of signals that either malfunction or don't detect their motorcycles.

This is due to the fact that the bikes were often not big or heavy enough to trigger the sensors that cause red lights to switch. This has so far forced many riders to run a light and risking a ticket, which made them urge the legislature to approve the so-called "Dead Red" bill giving them a free pass.

The riders testifying in support of the bill belonged to a group known as ABATE, or A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments.

"Cars and trucks have no problem with it, but motorcycles have always been an issue," Crawford County Sheriff's Deputy Bob Peters said, according to Fox 14. "You may be on a section or roadway where you may wait for five minutes and there may not be other traffic along to trigger the sensor."

However, Kansas police organizations want their officers to have the discretion. And while makes perfect sense to riders it has managed to attract various critics.

One Republican representative even attempted to amend the bill by stripping the language allowing riders to legally run red lights, saying “I see no skeletal remains of motorcyclists sitting at red lights that never change,” The Wichita Eagle reports.