Traffic Signals that Don't Recognize Motorcycles

Arizona Grants Some Relief, but Doesn’t Fix the Problem

Any motorcycle rider who has ever pulled up to a stoplight with a triggering device in the roadway that fails to detect the bike knows how frustrating it is.

Do you go through the red light? If you do, are you risking a ticket?

Ultimately, you have no choice. You either sit until a car trips the signal, or you go, and take your chances.

In most states, the lights are required to detect a 750cc motorcycle at three feet away. However, many of the devices fail to do so. Often times, the weight of the motorcycle is below the detectable range, and the signal won’t change.
For years, more sensitive figure "8" style detectors have been available, that will even detect a bicycle, but there hasn't been a big move toward installing them.
Arizona is one such state that hasn’t implemented these devices.

Most states, including Arizona, provide that when arriving at a non-functioning signal device, that a driver may stop, and then proceed cautiously. However, the standard statute may not be as specific as the more recent legislation. As you are well aware, Arizona legislation could change the law, and unless you put forth the time and effort to research the issue, you would never know whether or not you were in violation.

For now, you can rest easy. At the time this article was published the valid Arizona statute states:

“The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection that has an official traffic control signal that is inoperative shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop before entering the intersection and may proceed with caution only when it is safe to do so. If two or more vehicles approach an intersection from different streets or highways at approximately the same time and the official traffic control signal for the intersection is inoperative, the driver of each vehicle shall bring the vehicle to a complete stop before entering the intersection and the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of the vehicle on the right.”

Warren Levenbaum

Law Tigers
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