Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Stouts fire sends smoke into Rogue Valley, still threatens Douglas County homes ... Air quality suffers as smoke floods Rogue Valley; evacuations ordered in Azalea ... Staging a life's work ... Stouts fire sends smoke into Rogue Valley, still threatens Douglas County homes ... Air quality suffers as smoke floods Rogue Valley; evacuations ordered in Azalea ... Staging a life's work ... OUR VIEW Our View: Lawmakers ending a small annoyance in the law Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Lawmakers in Salem don't spend all their time on momentous issues involving billions of dollars or fundamental changes that matter to everyone in the state. Sometimes, they take a moment to fix a small but annoying glitch in a law that affects relatively few people. That's the case with Senate Bill 533. It won't make big headlines, but it will make life a little easier for motorcyclists and bicycle riders. Drivers of automobiles don't think twice when approaching a sensor-activated left-turn light late at night when there is little traffic on the road. They know their car will trigger the sensors embedded in the pavement, the light will change, and they'll be on their way. Not so for bicyclists and riders of some motorcycles that don't activate the sensors. They can be stuck as the signal cycles through for every lane but theirs. The rider then faces a dilemma: Carefully run the red light and risk a ticket, wait for another vehicle to come along and trigger the light, or make an awkward move to another lane and take a detour to reach their destination. SB 533 would make it legal for riders in that situation to proceed with caution if the light fails to turn green after one full cycle. The rider would accept liability if an accident occurred as a result of proceeding against the red. Motorcycle riders approached the Legislature and asked for the change. At some point, the bill was amended to include bicycles as well.  The bill would not allow bicycles to roll through lights or stop signs without stopping — something many do to the aggravation of motorists. The bill passed the Senate unanimously last week; a committee hearing has been scheduled in the House. This isn't a new idea — 14 states have some form of the law. And it doesn't affect the majority of Oregonians. But it is a real problem for those it does affect, and it's a common-sense solution that won't cost anyone a dime. If only all the problems before the Legislature were that easy to solve.       MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501