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2012 House Bill 5848: Allow two-wheeler to disregard malfunctioning automated traffic signal
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- Introduced by Rep. Mike Shirkey (R) on September 11, 2012, to allow motorcycle, bicycle, moped or three-wheeler vehicles to proceed through a red light at an automated traffic signal if the device does not detect them within one full cycle, or 60 seconds if it is not working at all. If the person gets a ticket anyway there would be a legal presumption that the automated signal was not working, rebuttable only by testimony that a law enforcement official witnessed the person proceeding before the specified time limits.
- Referred to the House Transportation Committee on September 11, 2012.
- Reported in the House on November 28, 2012, without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill pass.
- Referred to the House Transportation Committee on September 11, 2012.
Comments
1) Re: 2012 House Bill 5848 (Allow two-wheeler to disregard malfunctioning automated traffic signal ) by davemc on December 12, 2012Antonio, you obviously do not ride a bicycle or motorcycle, and you do not have a clue about how traffic signals function. The inductive loop sensors in the pavement at intersections detect a mass of conductive metal. That lets the signal know a vehicle is there. Bicycles and motorcycles do not have enough metal, so they can be stuck there for several cycles of the light until a car pulls up behind them close enough to trigger the inductive loop sensor.
That is why the bill is needed. It's not to let us "ignore" a traffic signal, it is to let us have the same rights at intersections that cars and trucks have. So you have two choices for this problem. Spend a lot of money replacing all the sensor systems in the states so they detect bicycles/etc, or implement this common sense bill.
Introduced in the House on September 11, 2012
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