Why motorcycles can sometimes legally run red lights (Yeah, really)
If you see a rider proceeding through a long red light while you're driving, that's not recklessness - there's a reason for it. In fact, this is completely legal behavior!
Because most traffic lights use sensors under the road (called inductive loops) that detect metal to know when a vehicle is waiting. But motorcycles don’t always have enough metal to trigger the sensor... so the light never knows they’re there.
That’s where Dead Red laws come in. These laws let motorcyclists go through a red light if it clearly isn’t changing. For example:
🏠 South Carolina: you have to wait 2 full minutes.
🏠 Utah: it's 90 seconds.
🏠 Idaho: wait through one whole light cycle.
🏠 Tennessee: lets you go if you believe the sensor didn’t detect your bike (yep, really).
As of now, 21 states have some form of this law, including Minnesota, Oregon, Virginia, and Colorado. Other states like Alabama and Nebraska have tried to pass similar laws but failed.
If you're a motorcyclist in a state without Dead Red laws, you can try lining your tires up with the cut marks in the pavement where the sensors are, or asking the car behind you to pull up closer and help trigger it.
#MotorcycleLife #TrafficLaws #RedLight #Cars
