A new Illinois law that
went into affect on January 1 of this year allows bicycle and motorcycle riders
to drive through red lights in limited instances. The Alton Telegraph reported
last month that the purpose of the bill was to help motorcycle and bike riders
move out of potentially dangerous intersections sooner.
State
Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton), who sponsored the law, said it allows bikers to go
through a red light if they wait a reasonable amount of time without it turning
green. Governor initially issued an amendatory veto of the
measure because he wanted to have specified a set amount of time that the
vehicles must wait. That veto was overturned by the House and Senate to enact
the bill. Since that time a new bill was introduced in the House which would
require motorcycle and bike riders to wait 120 seconds before proceeding
through a red light.
I don’t
see a problem with this new bill although it seems to have been pushed through
more for convenient purposes rather than safety. I think the new bill requiring
120 seconds makes more sense as there could be a lot of room for interpretation
when determining what a “reasonable period” of time should be before
proceeding through a red light.
If you
or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago motorcycle accident or a
Chicago bicycle accident, then call Chicago car accident attorney Aaron Bryant
for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at
www.blgchicago.com.