Gurnee and other Illinois motorcyclists can now rejoice. The State of Illinois has enacted House Bill 2860. The new law states that motorcyclists are now able to go through a red light if the light has failed to detect the motorcycle and will remain red indefinitely.
The major issue for motorcyclists is weight. Motorcycles do not weigh nearly as much as most cars, which in turn prevents them from activating the sensors that detect a vehicle at an intersection and that change light signals to let them proceed. If a motorcyclist comes to a red light and fails to activate the sensor, he or she could be waiting at that light forever — or until a car comes along.
There are now limited circumstances when an Illinois motorcyclist may proceed through a red light. Fortunately, those same rules will also reduce chances of being held at fault if an accident were to occur. When passing through a red-light intersection, the motorcyclist should ensure these three criteria apply:
- The sensor must fail to detect the bike
- The motorcyclist waits at least 120 seconds before proceeding through the red
- The motorcyclist yields to any traffic coming across his or her path (in other words, drivers along the intersecting road, who still have a green light)
The law comes amidst many complaints from riders about long waits at intersections. The sensors below ground were designed to activate only from the weight of a four-wheeled passenger vehicle or larger, so this can only be seen as a major victory for motorcycle riders.
The motorcycle accident attorneys at the Gurnee office of Hupy and Abraham are excited about this new law benefiting motorcyclists, but still urge riders to be extremely cautious while proceeding through red light intersections. Ensure you wait 120 seconds and yield to crossing traffic.