Utah House Passes Bill That Would Allow Drivers to Run Red Lights: I just don't get this one. I'm sure there will be some who agree with the bill. Mark...

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

I just don't get this one. I'm sure there will be some who agree with the bill.
Mark

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-house-passes-bill-that-would-allow-drivers-to-run-red-lights/ar-BBUaeuz?li=BBnb7Kz

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

markngolf wrote:

I just don't get this one. I'm sure there will be some who agree with the bill.
Mark

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-house-passes-bill-that-would-allow-drivers-to-run-red-lights/ar-BBUaeuz?li=BBnb7Kz

I think I get this one. When we lived in Idaho, there was (I assume still is) an exception to the law that allowed motorcyclists to run a red light or red left turn arrow if the mechanism didn't detect the motorcycle sitting there. It required that the light fail to turn green after at least two full cycles before it was permitted to run the red light or arrow. Turns out some of the traffic lights weren't set sensitive enough to detect the smaller metal mass of a motorcycle. I noticed that some of those lights, at least in the Boise area got reset after awhile. It was torture to sit there forever on the motorcycle waiting for the light to turn green when it was stinkin' hot out!

DrJ

I met a 22 year old South African woman who told me that a similar law was passed in South Africa. She said many rapes were occurring by bad guys grabbing girls and women stopped at red lights. The woman I met wants to move to the US because she doesn't feel safe in her home town. DrJ

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

markngolf wrote:

I just don't get this one. I'm sure there will be some who agree with the bill.
Mark

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-house-passes-bill-that-would-allow-drivers-to-run-red-lights/ar-BBUaeuz?li=BBnb7Kz

At first I my thoughts were exactly like yours until I read the link. I have sat at red lights for a long time only to realize the light was not working properly. At that point I checked the rest of the intersection to be sure I could proceed safely before going through the red light. I think the link just makes it legal to go through after checking the rest of the intersection for safety.

I also agree with the poster above me who sat on a motorcycle with apparently not enough weight on the roadway plate to trip the light. Like him, I waited for a while and then proceeded through safely.

Dennis

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Sorry, don’t need protection.
Look everywhere, no cop, go ahead.
Common sense. Does not apply to traffic camera state. 😖

SuperFly48 Loc: NE ILLINOIS

While I get the reasoning, look what happened to the Right Turn on Red Law; it's ridiculous around here; they don't even pause to look any more; they just go likes it's green!

CaliforniaDreamer

I use to ride my bicycle to work. It would never trigger traffic lights. If cars were behind me I would wait else I would just go through after careful check. I got cought by a red light camera a couple of times but I am sure they had no way of identifying me.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

markngolf wrote:

I just don't get this one. I'm sure there will be some who agree with the bill.
Mark

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah-house-passes-bill-that-would-allow-drivers-to-run-red-lights/ar-BBUaeuz?li=BBnb7Kz

If you lived in one of the western States you’d understand. The problem still exists in Idaho. I often have the motorcycle problem. You see, the sensor driven lights don’t cycle at all if they don’t sense. But there are also many places where there are lights to deal with traffic for an hour or so in the morning and at five but are otherwise empty and you can see for miles in every direction.

Most police officers would reasonably not give you a ticket if they caught you in those situations. But the law is possibly because of a few unreasonable ones ticketing legislators.

Or they might allow automatic ticket generation by camera.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

dennis2146 wrote:

At first I my thoughts were exactly like yours unt... (show quote)

Hi Dennis,

I understand. I've been in that situation a few times. I simply proceeded thru the red light after thoroughly checking for traffic. I did not need a NJ bill to do so. I think it's common sense. Had I been stopped by police, the declaration that the light was malfunctioning would have easily handled the situation.
Mark

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

SuperFly48 wrote:

While I get the reasoning, look what happened to the Right Turn on Red Law; it's ridiculous around here; they don't even pause to look any more; they just go likes it's green!

Up here it seems stop signs, red lights and speed limit signs are regarded by most as mere suggestions!!

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

DrJ wrote:

I met a 22 year old South African woman who told me that a similar law was passed in South Africa. She said many rapes were occurring by bad guys grabbing girls and women stopped at red lights. The woman I met wants to move to the US because she doesn't feel safe in her home town. DrJ

I appreciate that horrible condition, but I doubt that occurs in Utah.
Mark

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Wingpilot wrote:

I think I get this one. When we lived in Idaho, th... (show quote)

Common sense prevails!! In my opinion, a "bill" is totally unnecessary.
Mark

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

IDguy wrote:

If you lived in one of the western States you’d un... (show quote)

I lived at White Sands Missile Range and El Paso for 1.5 years. At the range, 120 degrees in the summer was a common occurrence. I still do not think a bill is necessary. Common sense is a viable solution.
Mark

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

dennis2146 wrote:

.....
I also agree with the poster above me who sat on a motorcycle with apparently not enough weight on the roadway plate to trip the light. Like him, I waited for a while and then proceeded through safely.

Dennis

It's not a <pressure> plate in the road, it's a loop of wire that detects the presence of steel, like a metal detector.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

markngolf wrote:

Common sense prevails!! In my opinion, a "bill" is totally unnecessary.
Mark

(Much less common sense anymore, so they have to legislate it.

)