Photo: pixabay
You know those street lights that stay on red until you approach them and trigger a sensor in the asphalt? Yeah, they are horrendous if you ride a bike because you almost never manage to trigger them. Well, a new law allows you to skip those red lights if you’re in Pennsylvania. The red-light-passing bill was signed into law in July by Governor Tom Wolf, following to take effect starting September 18.
The new rule allows drivers and riders to go through a red light if the sensor in the road seems to be malfunctioning. The problem was raised by motorcyclists who had to sit at such a red light until a larger vehicle came by to trigger it, but the rule has been expanded to apply to everyone now.
"You'll sit at these lights and wait and wait and wait, and nothing happens," Ken Gaudio of Waymart told WNEP. "You're sitting there for two minutes, three minutes and it's not changing so you know something is wrong. That the sensor in the road is not picking up the weight of the bike."
If such an event happens, and the driver/rider has come to a complete stop, he/she must then make sure it is safe to continue, and only then can proceed with caution through the intersection. The law isn’t specific on how much you have to wait before deciding the sensors don’t work, leaving it to drivers and riders’ call.
People seem happy about it, but there are a few saying that a lot of accidents are going to happen because of this. Being a judgment call, some people could miscalculate how safe it is to pass or abuse the rule and cut off other cars legally driving through such intersections.
As an everyday rider, I believe it’s a good idea, but I would advise every two-wheel brethren to be extra careful when going through such intersections, especially if you’re the one going on a green light. Some numbnuts might consider his red light is broken and decide to cross without noticing you coming.
"You'll sit at these lights and wait and wait and wait, and nothing happens," Ken Gaudio of Waymart told WNEP. "You're sitting there for two minutes, three minutes and it's not changing so you know something is wrong. That the sensor in the road is not picking up the weight of the bike."
If such an event happens, and the driver/rider has come to a complete stop, he/she must then make sure it is safe to continue, and only then can proceed with caution through the intersection. The law isn’t specific on how much you have to wait before deciding the sensors don’t work, leaving it to drivers and riders’ call.
People seem happy about it, but there are a few saying that a lot of accidents are going to happen because of this. Being a judgment call, some people could miscalculate how safe it is to pass or abuse the rule and cut off other cars legally driving through such intersections.
As an everyday rider, I believe it’s a good idea, but I would advise every two-wheel brethren to be extra careful when going through such intersections, especially if you’re the one going on a green light. Some numbnuts might consider his red light is broken and decide to cross without noticing you coming.
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