Support NeoGAF

[ElectricBlanketFire]

*waits 2 seconds...YEP IT'S BROKEN! VRRRRROOOOOOOM!*

A new state law that takes effect in March will let drivers in Ohio legally drive through a red light.

But on one condition: Drivers, after first coming to a full stop at the light, must believe that the red light is malfunctioning before driving through it.

If that sounds like an invitation to roll up to every red light and keep on trucking, that's not the intention. But many worry that's exactly what will happen.

"I don't know if it's the wisest decision. People are already in a hurry going nowhere anyway," driving instructor Charlie Allen told CNN affiliate WBNS.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

I assume every red light that I get stuck at in the middle of the night when there is noone else around is malfunctioning.

 

[Seesaw15]

Do that all the time in California. If it's broken treat it like a stop sign.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

I'm really curious what prompted this really awesome and totally not dangerous law.

 

[5taquitos]

Don't red lights either flash or turn off when they malfunction?

Even if they didn't, this seems unbelievably stupid.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Seems like an unnecessary law. If you do run in to this scenario AND get caught then its easily defensible. "Officer just turn around and see that the light never turns green"

 

[LiK]

Do you really need a law for that?

 

[Like the hat?]

Sounds like a way to trick people into running lights and giving them tickets

 

[adj_noun]

But on one condition: Drivers, after first coming to a full stop at the light, must believe that the red light is malfunctioning before driving through it.

Prove I didn't believe it, copper.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I'm really curious what prompted this really awesome and totally not dangerous law.

State Senator that was late for work drafted the bill.

 

[Ithil]

Green means go
Yellow means prepare to stop
Red means stop, if you want to, if you don't, go.

 

[Volimar]

We do get quite a few black outs etc. I'm always pleasantly surprised to find the number of drivers who know how to treat a malfunctioning light. Aside from a few dumbasses trying to use this to get out of tickets, I doubt we'll see many problems.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Isn't this basic driving rules? If the light is off, stuck, or flashing, treat it like a stop sign?

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Weird. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for driving through a malfunctioning red light?

 

[Smellycat]

This happens all the time to turn left signals! I usually have to wait 2 or 3 cycles at some traffic lights before it finally turns green.

 

[FTF]

I assume every red light that I get stuck at in the middle of the night when there is noone else around is malfunctioning.

Yup, same. With no one around what set that sensor off?

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

I remember being out late one night and sitting at a red light for what seemed like five minutes. I eventually just drove through since I was the only car on the road at the time.

 

[capitalCORN]

Laws are the enemies of freedom.

 

[hoserx]

I live in Ohio and there is a red light I deal with every single morning at about 4:40 am. No one is at the intersection but me...........and I always have to wait 5-6 minutes. I have to be on the air at 5am so it can get hairy sometimes.......... I will run this light from now on. (starting in March haha).

 

[ShyMel]

But on one condition: Drivers, after first coming to a full stop at the light, must believe that the red light is malfunctioning before driving through it.

And how does one prove that they believe it's broken? Post an angry rant on Facebook over it?

 

[ChemicalCutthroat]

Yeah, this sounds exactly like the sort of bill that gets passed after some lawmaker (or their kids) got punished with a ticket or jailtime for blowing through a red light.

 

[AbortedWalrusFetus]

They passed a similar law in PA. On some roads lights only change when a sensor is triggered, and there are times the sensor doesn't work as intended and the light never changes from red. It is apparently a big problem for motorcyclists.

 

[AndyD]

I'm really curious what prompted this really awesome and totally not dangerous law.

Same here.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

oh yeah this doesn't sound like it'll cause car accidents at all /s

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Malfunctioning red lights are bullshit. I've been there a number of times and drove on through after awhile. Like the sensor doesn't feel the weight of the car so it never turns green.

 

[Regiruler]

This is some stupid shit

Unless you have some metric for malfunctioning (30 seconds red with no incoming traffic), this will be easily exploited

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

And how does one prove that they believe it's broken? Post an angry rant on Facebook over it?

 

[Laevateinn]

It's like stand your ground but it lets you run over a pedestrian instead of shoot a black person.

 

[QuantumBro]

There's one light on my to my work commute that requires a car to basically be touching the crosswalk to trigger. Twice I've been behind another car and have had to get out of my space and cut in front of them to get it to trigger.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

There's one light on my to my work commute that requires a car to basically be touching the crosswalk to trigger. Twice I've been behind another car and have had to get out of my space and cut in front of them to get it to trigger.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

State Senator that was late for work drafted the bill.

Well shit. I need that job then. I was pissed this morning because a green light on my road lasted 7 seconds, and the following red light 1 minute 20 seconds.

 

[ced]

They passed a similar law in PA. On some roads lights only change when a sensor is triggered, and there are times the sensor doesn't work as intended and the light never changes from red. It is apparently a big problem for motorcyclists.

Happens all the time to me, it's exactly what this law is for. However I don't think it's needed, it only happens when there are no other cars, so it's safe to go through after waiting for minutes and there isn't a vehicle in sight.

 

[Caja 117]

Truthiness is now been applied to laws..., is not about facts, is what you feel is real.

 

[thecouncil]

Yeah, Pennsylvania has had this since September. I used to back up a bit / drive forward again to trigger the sensor but now I just drive on through.

 

[Zoe]

Isn't this basic driving rules? If the light is off, stuck, or flashing, treat it like a stop sign?

If it's stuck, the only thing you're supposed to do is take a right turn.

There's one light on my to my work commute that requires a car to basically be touching the crosswalk to trigger. Twice I've been behind another car and have had to get out of my space and cut in front of them to get it to trigger.

I've gotten out and hit the crosswalk button before.

 

[HellforLeather]

Pretty sure there are already laws like this for motorcycles due to some signals not being triggered by bikes. Or laws that say to treat a broken signal like a stop sign. There are a few laws that are determined by judgment of the driver. Speed limits dont apply in bad weather, instead its "what is safe for the conditions" that doesnt mean you have the free reign to do 70 in a blizzard. I dont see what the big deal is.

 

[Dr.Horrible]

Just change the lights to red and yellow.

http://youtu.be/QR10t-B9nYY

 

[Prologue]

I already do this. I spent 5 minutes the other day just waiting at the light to turn left, with barely any cars on the road.

 

[capitalCORN]

Pretty sure there are already laws like this for motorcycles due to some signals not being triggered by bikes. Or laws that say to treat a broken signal like a stop sign....I dont see what the big deal is.

The law has no guideline to a quantifiable measure for a driver to determine if a light is malfunctioning or not. It's carte blanche.

 

[HellforLeather]

The law has no guideline to a quantifiable measure for a driver to determine if a light is malfunctioning or not. It's carte blanche.

I could be wrong but I dont think there is a quantifiable measure for motorcycles being stuck at a red light either.

 

[Trickster]

I...kinda get why it could be needed. But still, shouldn't need to have a law for that.

 

[jtb]

Is this not already common practice? Treating a malfunctioning stoplight as a 4 way stop sign? I need to go back to Driver's ed apparently.

 

[capitalCORN]

I could be wrong but I dont think there is a quantifiable measure for motorcycles being stuck at a red light either.

Unless every single stop has a camera, and there's constant monitoring, there's no oversight. It's easily abused.

 

[Syf]

What could go wrong?

 

[Zoe]

Is this not already common practice? Treating a malfunctioning stoplight as a 4 way stop sign? I need to go back to Driver's ed apparently.

If it's flashing, yes. If it's stuck on solid, no. The only thing you're allowed to do on a solid is turn (after stopping).

 

[WedgeX]

Suburbanites driving through Detroit have been assuming every red light has been malfunctioning since the 1980s. Sad that Ohio has followed suit.

 

[SliceSabre]

As a Ohioan I cannot wait to get fucking killed.

 

[painey]

I'm torn.. on the one hand, it makes driving a lot less safe. On the other hand, it makes leaving Ohio a lot quicker..

 

[Somnid]

Aren't there already rules for this? That a malfunctioning light is treated like stop sign? It doesn't matter if it's malfunctioning, what if it is and two drivers go at the same time and T-bone eachother? Why would anyone bother proposing this?

 

[SpecX]

Makes sense in theory, but opens the door for many people to exploit it. The rain jacked up one of the sensors at the light near work. Everyone was getting their turn for green except the side I was on. Everyone decided to run the light in this event together since we had waited 3 cycles with no change.