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IMMEDIATE RELEASE Just the ‘Red Light’ Facts: Inductive Loop Detectors and Motorcycles(Columbia) ABATE has worked with Representative Hosey and others to introduce a house companion bill H 4631 to the senate bill S 1027. H 4631 was introduced today with 27 sponsors. With the debate underway in South Carolina regarding how a motorcyclist should respond when stuck at a red light that does not recognize that a motorcycle is awaiting a signal change, it is important to understand how a traffic light sensor functions. Traffic light sensors are not scales. They are inductive loops. The inductive loop is a vehicle sensor that is simply a coil of wire embedded in the road surface. An electronic module in the traffic signal control cabinet sends a signal through the loop. When a mass of ferrous metal passes over the loop, a shift in the electrical signal will occur. If the shift detected is sufficient, the module tells the computer that a vehicle is present. The key point is the mass of metal must be great enough to overcome a threshold. Only ferrous metal objects above the threshold are detected. Traffic lights in cities in high traffic areas often operate on timers instead of detectors. However detectors are common in the suburbs and on country roads. They may detect when a car arrives at an intersection to trigger a light change or when too many cars are waiting at an intersection to control the length of the light. Detectors are often used to detect when cars have entered a turn lane in order to activate the arrow light. Currently in the South Carolina Senate, is a bill (S-1027) co-sponsored by Senators Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, and Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia, which would let motorcyclists in South Carolina treat a red light as a stop sign after a predetermined amount of time, if the inductive loop fails to detect the mass of a motorcycle. A House version of S-1027 is expected to be introduced in the near future. ABATE of SC is dedicated to educating motorcyclists, motorists, and the general public regarding the issues surrounding this proposed legislation and remain ready to answer questions from the media and the legislators. ### ABATE of South Carolina is a State Motorcyclists Rights Organization dedicated to defending the rights of all motorcyclists who choose to ride in South Carolina. ABATE of South Carolina also encourages all motorcyclists to register to vote and become active in the political process. ABATE encourages motorcyclists to voluntarily obtain motorcycle rider training. Many members of ABATE are involved in a variety of charitable organizations and take great pride in being active members of their communities. To learn more about ABATE of SC visit http://www.abatesc.com |
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