One of the unfortunate aspects of riding is that eventually, you have to stop. Of course, if you ride in a major city like I do, you realize that stopping happens a lot more than most people are willing to tolerate! Chances are, in most circumstances, you are stopping because of the dreaded red traffic light.

Regardless that I was a long-time rider, several years ago I was made aware of something I didn’t know. I found out that there is a problem with Red Light Traffic Sensors recognizing the presence of a motorcycle. I say I was unaware of this because there are no red light sensors in New York City (and all 5 Boroughs). All our lights here are on timers. So having never encountered them on roads where I was the only vehicle (after all, I’m not the only vehicle even in my own driveway!), I had no idea that this problem existed.

However, the problem does exist and it really is an annoyance. As such, the purpose of this article is how to deal with this situation and understand why it happens.

Simply stated, red light sensors are in place in areas where timed traffic lights are not as practical. They are designed to keep the light green in the direction that has the most traffic and to change the light from red to green as the traffic need arises (can you guess why we don’t use them in NYC now?!). Of course the flaw in the system is that the sensor actually has to detect the traffic to work…go figure…

By placing signal-receiving wires in the ground, one of the ways the system detects the presence of a vehicle is by measuring the electromagnetic energy given off by the vehicle. For cars and trucks, this isn’t a problem. However, motorcycles and scooters have much less mass, much less metal in their construction and, consequently, have a lot less electromagnetic energy being radiated. Yes, sorry guys, this is one of those situations where size really does matter. The good news is that since we now understand how the system works, we can now understand how to come up with a solution. I’ll go over some of the options available and comment on what my own experiences have shown.

The first thing you have to know is that this is not an issue when there are other vehicles present with you. Even if those other vehicles are all motorcycles or scooters, enough of them all in the same area are usually sufficient for the sensors to detect and change the light for you. So if you are riding with other traffic, chances are you won’t even realize that there is a problem. But of course, this is not the point of this article and the scenario here is that you are stuck at a red light that won’t change and you need to know what to do about it.

Given that we know how the system operates, there are some things that you can try to get it to work for you. First, you need to increase your electromagnetic output. This can be done one of four ways:

You can rev up your engine a few times. The good news is that this can increase the activity and output from the engine so the sensors can detect you. The bad news is that you need to be in neutral (or have a clutch you can engage) to be useful. Not exactly a great option if you are on a scooter with automatic transmission.

Next, you can try shutting off your machine and starting it back up again while over the sensors in the road. The pulse from the starter and the engine on startup can help increase your electromagnetic output. I’ve personally tried this and found that it works.

There are some people that claim that if you lower your sidestand right on top of one of the road sensors; it will cause your machine to be more easily detected. Personally, I have never done this and from a practical standpoint, I’m not sure if it is a great idea. The fact is, you are more apt to have this problem at night (when there is no other traffic) and trying to look down and find those lines in the road (where the sensors are located) seems impractical to me. Also, I don’t want my attention off of the road while I’m twisting to look down to make sure my sidestand is in contact with the right place in the road.

There are aftermarket companies that offer devices to mount on your machine that will help to trigger these sensors. These devices are (from what I have seen) magnetic blocks that are supposed to be mounted near the bottom of the machine near the road. The problem here is that many motorcycles and scooters have full bodywork that limits your mounting options and may not allow optimum placement. Additionally, like “deer whistles”, I have heard conflicting testimony as to how effective they really are. Some people swear by them…others swear at them.

I have hear it mentioned that one method is to pull the bike over, get off, and look for one of those “Push to Cross” buttons that are mounted on traffic posts. Personally, I find this method to be dubious at best. Yes, I know some people will chime in and say that these buttons really work. What I will say is that in my own personal experience, pushing these buttons has about the same effect as pushing an elevator button repeatedly when it is already lit. That is, it only serves to make you feel as though you are accomplishing something. Another thing to consider is that I don’t believe dismounting near an intersection is the best of ideas. Aside from being impractical, if you leave the bike running, you are risking theft of the machine. If you shut it down, you are risking not being seen by other vehicles (especially at night).

If all of these methods fail you, you are essentially left with two choices. You can either wait patiently for other traffic to arrive and trip the sensor for you, or you can attempt to proceed through the red light.

If there is other traffic on the way, I think the best bet would be just to wait for a moment and let that traffic trip the sensor for you. However, if there is no other traffic in sight, then your best bet would be to make a right turn. In most places (but sadly not in NYC), you can make a legal right turn on red. This would be your safest choice. If this option is not available, then you might have to proceed (with extreme caution) and treat the light as you would a flashing red or stop sign. There are some jurisdictions that have passed laws addressing this very issue that makes it legal for a motorcycle/scooter operator to proceed through a red light in this situation, essentially treating the light as if it were broken. The thing to remember is that this is not the case in the majority of situations and (with the exception of a legal right turn on red) could be considered a traffic violation. Again, I’m not here to preach or to discuss the practicality of the law…I’m here to give information with the expectation that you will do what you feel is necessary and safe.

The final point has to do with these red light sensors, but not how they operate. When these sensors are mounted in the road surface, many times they are covered with an alternate material that is different from the asphalt that is normally used for paving. This is the reason why you can see where they are in the road. There are several problems with this situation. First, the sensor area might be lower than the level of the road which means it could collect oil grime and other material that could reduce traction. Secondly, the actual material they use to cover the sensors might be a soft rubber-like material or even a liquid designed to harden (like “tar snakes”). Finally, the fact that it might not be a smooth surface means that it won’t have the same grip as you would on a smooth patch of road. The point is that in all of these cases, there is a possibility of reduced traction in these areas. Of course, the irony of having reduced traction in precisely the area where the most stopping is expected to occur is not lost on me! I guess it is the same reason that credit card companies put the number to call for lost cards on the back of the card…or the reason the phone company has a number you can call if your phone isn’t working. Needless to say, you should be aware of this and try to adjust your riding style to minimize the risk.

Ride safe and ride often!

-Joe

Photo by Ewan-M

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