Motorcycle Group Finds New Law Lacking

The new law allowing motorcycle riders to treat red lights like stop signs will make life easier for bikers but still falls short when it comes to safety.

"We're telling everybody to wait 120 seconds" before passing through a red light even if there is no visible oncoming traffic, said Brian Wendholt, the legislative coordinator for the Will County chapter of ABATE, a motorcycle advocacy organization.

Starting Jan. 1, motorcycle riders in Illinois — outside Cook County — got the green light to roll through red lights after stopping and checking for oncoming traffic.

The new law was prompted by stoplight sensors failing to detect motorcycles due to their relative lack of iron content compared to cars, said Wendholt, a resident.

When the sensors fail to recognize a vehicle waiting to proceed, the light does not turn green. Wendholt said he had that happen to him at the intersection of River Road and Route 52, and that he has planned his motorcycle trips around red lights due to the sensor problems.

If he did not, Wendholt said, "You'd have to make a series of right turns to get where you want to go."

While the law does benefit motorcycle riders, Wendholt said, he would prefer to see traffic engineers improve the sensors so they recognize the smaller vehicles. He said he has been told this is a possibility.

"It depends on what traffic engineer you talk to," Wendholt said.

Guy Tridgell, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said, "We continue to make improvements to our traffic signal operations all the time. The technology is constantly improving."

But Wendholt's complaint is not one often made to IDOT, Tridgell said.

"It's not common that we hear of the problem that motorcycles are unable to trigger traffic signals," he said. "More experienced riders seem to be more knowledgeable about where the sensors are located."

Wendholt disagreed.

"I've been riding for 20-plus years," he said. "There's certain bikes where you could place it anywhere in that loop and it won't detect it."

Wendholt was also concerned that law enforcement may not be fully aware of the new law and that motorcycle riders could wind up with unwarranted traffic charges.

"Some of the smaller departments I bet don't even know about it," he said.