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One Step Closer to Red Light Reform for Riders
- , by Eagle Leather
- 2 min reading time
One Step Closer to Red Light Reform for Riders
March 25, 2014
Senate Bill 5141 Passes
Washington Motorcycles Will Be Allowed to Run Faulty Lights
Imagine
you’re on your motorcycle, and there are no other cars on the road.
You approach a red light and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait…
because you alone with your bike are not enough to trip the sensor on
the pavement that triggers the light to turn green. Your only option is
to turn right.
It’s a safety hazard and an annoyance for riders
across Washington. We at Eagle Leather know how important this issue
has been to the members of our riding community. So when Senate Bill
5141 was proposed to allow Washington motorcyclists to run red lights
at empty intersections when the sensor fails, we paid attention. We've been following the progression of this law since last year, and we even collected a list of faulty traffic lights from you--our
loyal readers—to send to WSDOT. Now it seems that progress is finally
being made in the state capitol. The bill passed the Senate on February
10 with a 46-2 vote.
Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, expressed
concern about the lack of detection by some traffic lights as a
potential hazards for riders and drivers alike. “It becomes quite
dangerous because you have cars piling up behind you, they start
honking at you, then they start going around you,” Hargrove said during
a Feb. 10 debate on the Senate floor.
Others expressed
concern about car drivers seeing motorcyclists running red lights and
thinking they could do the same. "What's to stop a car from going
through a red light if they see a motorcycle doing it?" Ken Barnes of
White Center asked.
The passed bill was delivered to the
governor on March 13, where it is expected to be signed into law. We
want to hear more of your thoughts. Tell us what you think of the bill
now that it’s passed in the state Senate. Sound off on the Eagle Leather Facebook Page.
Click here to read the legislative history of the bill.
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