If you’ve been riding for any length of time, chances are good that you know the frustration of traffic lights that don’t seem to register that a motorcycle is there. In the Chicago area, where I live, traffic lights in the city are on timers, so it’s less of an issue. However, if I’m riding in plenty of places outside the city, the lights often change based on whether a vehicle—usually a car or truck—is perceived to be waiting at the stop line.
My scooter, with its low steel center stand, can usually trigger these lights—but my motorcycles can’t. Thus, I have a choice: I can wait (possibly forever during off hours) for a car to come up behind me, or else I can run the red light when it’s safe to do so. There’s actually a provision for this in the Illinois state law. It states that, “If a red light fails to turn green after 120 seconds, a motorcycle rider may proceed through the intersection after yielding the right-of-way to oncoming traffic.” This provision may not be perfect, but it’s better than sitting there forever or getting a ticket for no reason.
