House Gives the Green Light to Bloom ‘Ride On Red’ Bill
HARRISBURG – In a bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives today endorsed legislation, authored by Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland), to give motorcyclists and other drivers the option to proceed with caution through an intersection when trapped at an unresponsive traffic light.
Bloom said his legislation aims to solve practical problems while ensuring safety.
“I was seeking to provide a safe and responsible legal alternative to prevent riders from being trapped in perpetuity at a locked malfunctioning red light,” Bloom said. “This issue was brought to my attention by a local rider and I’ve learned it’s a frequent problem for riders throughout the Commonwealth. This bill doesn’t give riders or anyone else a free pass to run red lights, but it does provide them with a sensible safe option under established standards already in place for other types of signal malfunctions.”
House Bill 950 would allow the drivers of all vehicles the option to proceed with caution through an intersection when a traffic signal is unresponsive, only after exercising due care as provided by law.
“If the vehicle detection system fails to recognize the vehicle and the driver has come to a complete stop, the driver must then make sure it is safe to continue, and only then would they be able to lawfully proceed with caution through the intersection,” Bloom explained.
Originally intended only for motorcycles, which often do not trigger traffic lights due to their smaller size, the bill was expanded in committee to apply to all vehicles.
“This issue is more common than many people realize, especially on rural roads or during late hours when it could be some time before another vehicle comes along to finally trip the unresponsive light,” Bloom said. “Many in our Plain community who use horses or buggies have encountered this issue as well.”
House Bill 950 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Stephen Bloom
199th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam
717.260.6222
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
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