
A new Pennsylvania law will allow motorists to legally pass certain red lights.
The law was created because many light-weight vehicles fail to trigger the weight sensors at intersections, causing the light to become “stuck on red.” Initially, the law only applied to motorcycles, but has since been expanded to all vehicles.
Now, if a light doesn’t turn green after a reasonable amount time, motorists can treat the traffic light like a stop sign.
The problem is, the law doesn’t specify what a “reasonable” amount of time is — leaving it up to the judgement of the motorist.
State Rep. Stephen Bloom, who introduced the bill, issued the following statement:
This allows them to proceed safely as if they were at a stop sign. They can’t do anything dangerous, but it allows a practical solution for a problem many Pennsylvanians are running into.
Not everyone’s happy about the new law, however. Many people believe the law has the potential to be abused by impatient drivers. Local resident Scott Hall told reporters, “I think a lot of accidents are going to be caused by it. That’s the reason why it’s a red light!”
The new law went into effect on Sunday, September 18th.