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Published February 23, 2011
Ever been itching to run a red light that just won't change? Kansas lawmakers think motorcycle riders should be able to do just that.
The Kansas House on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow bikers to run a red light if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "reasonable period of time." The proposal leaves the discretion in the hands of the motorcyclist, but is aimed at ensuring riders don't get trapped in perpetuity at intersections because of signals that either malfunction or don't detect the motorcycles.
Motorcycle riders testified this month that their bikes were often not big or heavy enough to trigger the sensors that cause red lights to switch. For fear that riders would have to choose between being stuck on the Kansas tundra or running a light and risking a ticket, they urged 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."
Though Peters supported the bill, it was opposed by Kansas police organizations that want their officers, not motorcycle riders, to have the discretion. One Republican lawmaker unsuccessfully tried to strip the red-light provision, saying, "I see no skeletal remains of motorcyclists sitting at red lights that never change," according to The Wichita Eagle.
The bill passed the House Tuesday as part of a broader road safety package. The other component in the package would prohibit local jurisdictions from imposing extra fines on drivers for seat-belt violations. The bill kept the statewide fine at $5 -- that would eventually rise to $10 or $60 depending on the severity of the violation.
The language in the motorcycle bill also covered bicycle riders.
House greenlights the "Dead Red" motorcycle bill
TOPEKA — The Kansas House has passed a bill to allow motorcyclists to ride through red lights that never change.
The measure, called the Dead Read bill, passed in conjunction with a measure to stop cities and counties from tacking extra fines onto seat-belt violations. The state passed a mandatory seat-belt law last year to qualify for federal highway funds, but set the fine at $5 for adult violators.
The two measures were combined into a single bill, House Bill 2192, by the House Transportation Committee, said its chairman, Gary Hayzlett, R-Topeka. A stand-alone version is on the calendar awaiting House action.
The bill was introduced after motorcyclists from the group ABATE — A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments — complained that their cycles lack the necessary mass of metal to trigger sensors in pavements that switch traffic lights at intersections.
That, they said, requires them to risk a ticket or wait indefinitely until a larger vehicle comes along to trip the sensor.
Rep. Owen Donohoe, R-Topeka, tried to amend the bill to strip out the dead red provision, saying it could cause accidents as cycles go through red lights and enter traffic.
"I see no skeletal remains of motorcyclists sitting at red lights that never change," he said.
John Faber, a lobbyist for ABATE, said he was pleased the bill passed but predicted it might face a rough road in the Senate because it was paired up with the seat-belt measure.
"The Senate's a little more moderate as far as seat belts go," Faber said. The Senate could strip out the seat-belt provision or it could kill the bill, he said.
Ever been itching to run a red light that just won't change? Kansas lawmakers think motorcycle riders should be able to do just that.
The Kansas House on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow bikers to run a red light if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "reasonable period of time." The proposal leaves the discretion in the hands of the motorcyclist, but is aimed at ensuring riders don't get trapped in perpetuity at intersections because of signals that either malfunction or don't detect the motorcycles.
Motorcycle riders testified this month that their bikes were often not big or heavy enough to trigger the sensors that cause red lights to switch. For fear that riders would have to choose between being stuck on the Kansas tundra or running a light and risking a ticket, they urged 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."
Though Peters supported the bill, it was opposed by Kansas police organizations that want their officers, not motorcycle riders, to have the discretion. One Republican lawmaker unsuccessfully tried to strip the red-light provision, saying, "I see no skeletal remains of motorcyclists sitting at red lights that never change," according to The Wichita Eagle.
The bill passed the House Tuesday as part of a broader road safety package. The other component in the package would prohibit local jurisdictions from imposing extra fines on drivers for seat-belt violations. The bill kept the statewide fine at $5 -- that would eventually rise to $10 or $60 depending on the severity of the violation.
The language in the motorcycle bill also covered bicycle riders.
House greenlights the "Dead Red" motorcycle bill
TOPEKA — The Kansas House has passed a bill to allow motorcyclists to ride through red lights that never change.
The measure, called the Dead Read bill, passed in conjunction with a measure to stop cities and counties from tacking extra fines onto seat-belt violations. The state passed a mandatory seat-belt law last year to qualify for federal highway funds, but set the fine at $5 for adult violators.
The two measures were combined into a single bill, House Bill 2192, by the House Transportation Committee, said its chairman, Gary Hayzlett, R-Topeka. A stand-alone version is on the calendar awaiting House action.
The bill was introduced after motorcyclists from the group ABATE — A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments — complained that their cycles lack the necessary mass of metal to trigger sensors in pavements that switch traffic lights at intersections.
That, they said, requires them to risk a ticket or wait indefinitely until a larger vehicle comes along to trip the sensor.
Rep. Owen Donohoe, R-Topeka, tried to amend the bill to strip out the dead red provision, saying it could cause accidents as cycles go through red lights and enter traffic.
"I see no skeletal remains of motorcyclists sitting at red lights that never change," he said.
John Faber, a lobbyist for ABATE, said he was pleased the bill passed but predicted it might face a rough road in the Senate because it was paired up with the seat-belt measure.
"The Senate's a little more moderate as far as seat belts go," Faber said. The Senate could strip out the seat-belt provision or it could kill the bill, he said.
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