pulled over for going through red light last night

[saddlebum]

I leave work at 1:00 am every night. The traffic lights do not change to green untill aproached by a cage and ignores motorcycles. When driving my truck I have notice that the light changes in 16 seconds. So, when I approach the light with my motorcycle I count off 20 seconds then go through if the way is clear. Last night I was pulled over for crossing on a red light. I explained the above situation to the officer and after verifying my license he let me off. Who is too say the next time I will get let off though and as I explained to him I can't sit there all night waiting for a cage to approach the light. I know this is not an uncommon occurance, so how do the rest of you deal with these situations

[Yammer Dan]

Don't have any red lights in our county.

Well there is that one on the porch at..... But i know nothing about that!!

[Bwhite]

MINNESOTA RED LIGHT LAW

Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: Subd. 9. [AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE RELATING TO UNCHANGING TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL.]

(a) A person operating a motorcycle who violates subdivision 4 by entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light has an affirmative defense to that charge if the person establishes all of the following conditions:

(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop;

(2) the traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time;

(3) the traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or engineered to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle; and

(4) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or is so far away from the intersection that it does not constitute an immediate hazard.

(b) The affirmative defense in this subdivision applies only to a violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light and does not provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.

[Dave77459]

I have a light on my way to work where the detectors frequently don't detect me. Texas has a defense for proceeding through the intersection (lights are, by law, required to detect motorcycles; if they don't... grayness), so I will wait for at least half a cycle length (120 second cycle length for this intersection), and then go through.

 

Sometimes I will turn right (we have a right on red law) and do a U-turn before I have to shift into second.

 

I don't know your laws, but you might look to see what is legal in your area. You clearly sat at the light and waited, and did a safe maneuver.

 

Dave

[Solodadof2]

Everytime you are stuck at the light call the local police department to send a car to activate it. If they say just go through it get a name and badge number!

[flb_78]

Everytime you are stuck at the light call the local police department to send a car to activate it. If they say just go through it get a name and badge number!

 

I like this idea, just be sure to call the non-emergency number!

[phertwo]

I've been stuck in your situation a few times in Mississauga where the light change times are long waits. I usually just throw my bike into neutral, hit the kick stand, jump off the bike and walk over to the pedestrian WALK button. I press that a few times and head back to my bike. By the time I jump on, the light is usually in the process of changing.

 

There is also this helpful site that has a number of ideas...

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights

[OddStar]

Six years ago was browsing on ebay and saw a 'red light changer', actually a small magnet that makes the bike "look" as big as a car. For $9 thought what the heck...

 

Mounted it under the radiator with a zip tie and went to an intersection that I knew had been problematic for me. Rolled up to the wired area and sure enough that stubborn light changed. Just my

[j_berg]

law is in wisconsin that if you honestly dont think the light is going to change you can legally go after 45 sec.

[GaryZ]

I've been stuck in your situation a few times in Mississauga where the light change times are long waits. I usually just throw my bike into neutral, hit the kick stand, jump off the bike and walk over to the pedestrian WALK button. I press that a few times and head back to my bike. By the time I jump on, the light is usually in the process of changing.

 

+1

This is what I usually do . . .

Although I will say that I have not had any lights fail to change when on my VR

[Flyinfool]

I also put a very powerful rare earth magnet on the bottom of my bike and have not been stopped by a red light since.

 

You have to research your local laws on running a red light with a MC. Every state here has a slightly different version of the red light law for MC.

[slick97spirit]

I read on a post about boots on here that one guy drives 4 nails into the heel of his left boot. He said that was enough to change the stubborn lights. Don't know myself if it works but, thought it was interesting.

[BigBoyinMS]

I read on a post about boots on here that one guy drives 4 nails into the heel of his left boot. He said that was enough to change the stubborn lights. Don't know myself if it works but, thought it was interesting.

 

Sounds like a good idea for embedding some neodymium magnets into the heal of your boot.

[Scooter Bob]

Sounds like a good idea for embedding some neodymium magnets into the heal of your boot.

 

:scratchchin:Might be tough gettin' yer foot off the floorboard to shift though. LOL

 

Later, Scooter Bob

[Venturous Randy]

The trick is to lay your bike over on it's side on the ground and it will trip the light. It makes a bigger footprint.

Fortunately, here in Tennessee we have lawmakers with some sense and there is a law like noted above where it is legal to run a light if it is not changing for you on a motorcycle.

RandyA

[CMIKE]

This can be a problem...since we have the Right on Red here...I usually turn right and then u turn back into the road I was on.

 

I thought about those red light magnets but, I had heard they do not work to well...but maybe they do.

Edited August 6, 2010 by CMIKE

[OB-1]

I leave work at 1:00 am every night. The traffic lights do not change to green untill aproached by a cage and ignores motorcycles. When driving my truck I have notice that the light changes in 16 seconds. So, when I approach the light with my motorcycle I count off 20 seconds then go through if the way is clear. Last night I was pulled over for crossing on a red light. I explained the above situation to the officer and after verifying my license he let me off. Who is too say the next time I will get let off though and as I explained to him I can't sit there all night waiting for a cage to approach the light. I know this is not an uncommon occurance, so how do the rest of you deal with these situations

 

The nearest traffic light is 50 miles away and I think the nearest traffic activated traffic light is several hundred miles away. So, this is not something I have to deal with, but I think I would do just as you did.

[OddStar]

This can be a problem...since we have the Right on Red think here...I usually turn right and the u turn back into the road I was on.

 

I thought about those red light magnets but, I had heard they do not work to well...but maybe they do.

 

You've heard... ...but for six years I've proved the little 9 buck gizmo keeps me goin', w/o doin' (possibly dangerous) dipsy doodles at intersections. Where I live it takes me a good 40 miles to get out to cruzin country, and till then I've got to deal with way too many red light triggers and red light camera's (not to mention the whole UN on the road next to me that don't know our language much less our traffic laws). Believe me it was the best 'take it on faith' purchase I've made since I bought a radar jammer ( and still lol every time I think about that smokey's face, looking at his radar gun as my XJS flew past him at 90+).

[BuddyRich]

I usually just throw my bike into neutral, hit the kick stand, jump off the bike and walk over to the pedestrian WALK button. I press that a few times and head back to my bike.

 

 

:rotf: Sorry,It would just look like a Chinese fire drill on a bike if I was watching it from the corner...

[mrich12000]

:soapbox:Well there are strong strobe light systems that can go into the bike headlight housing(home brew) Just need the optics code for your area . think most strobe at 1750 per second. so a an old radio shack strobe could in fact trigger the strobe.(Don't get caught.) Michael..

[RandyR]

The trick is to lay your bike over on it's side on the ground and it will trip the light. It makes a bigger footprint.

Fortunately, here in Tennessee we have lawmakers with some sense and there is a law like noted above where it is legal to run a light if it is not changing for you on a motorcycle.

RandyA

 

ditto Georgia.

 

Another legal argument if it comes to that... "the light is defective, I waited and it didn't change colors'.

[BigBoyinMS]

A couple of weeks ago I was coming back to work after lunch but I came a different way than usual. The last traffic light was a newer one that had the embedded sensors and it didn't recognize my bike so I sat there through two changes. I always give them 2 changes then I'm gone whether there's a LEO around or not. Just so happened that I checked my mirror halfway through the intersection and there was a local PO sitting just where I had been waiting for the light. I guess he pulled up behind me just as I was pulling away. He never moved so I guess he was ok with me rolling through the red light.

But it was a little disconcerting to see him there.

[Eck]

Don't have any red lights in our county.

Well there is that one on the porch at..... But i know nothing about that!!

[Dragonslayer]

I bought an item off E-bay one time which was described as being engineered to trip traffic lights for motorcycles. I think I paid around $15.00 US plus shipping. What I received was two round magnets which ressembled refrigerator magnets. The theory being that the magnetic field created by the magnets would trip the traffic light sensor.

Well I don't know if they actually worked or not because I could not tell much difference. It would be interesting to have a more informed opinion on this subject. Surely, there is a traffic engineer out there some where that would know.

When I get stuck behind a light like that I always look both ways to make sure there are no on coming traffic especially LEO"s then run the light. However, around here they are installing camera's on all the intersections to catch people running lights remotely, then sending a ticket in the mail. I wonder how they are dealing with the motorcycle issue.

At least in Georgia we still have the right turn on red after stop rule if not otherwise posted. So I guess your are only in a bind if you want to take a left.

[Rick Haywood]

The trick is to lay your bike over on it's side on the ground and it will trip the light. It makes a bigger footprint.

Fortunately, here in Tennessee we have lawmakers with some sense and there is a law like noted above where it is legal to run a light if it is not changing for you on a motorcycle.

RandyA

 

 

You do understand that other than the statement

"POLICE PROTECTION"

your statement is the 2nd biggest oxymoron there is LOL:thumbsup2: