Sometimes Red Means Go In South Carolina

People choose South Carolina as a retirement destination because of its politeness and as a vacation spot because things are unlikely to get as far out of hand as they would in other Southern states.  Case in point, you aren’t even allowed to burn rubber at Myrtle Beach Bike week.  In New Orleans, defying the rules is part and parcel of the carnivalesque atmosphere that pervades year-round, not just in Mardi Gras season.  In Texas, everything is so big that even the sweetest old ladies are brimming with attitude.  Florida makes as much sense as a haunted funhouse.  Despite this, it is South Carolina, and not any of these other places, where you should sometimes go at a red light.  In fact, when you are riding a motorcycle, sometimes going on red is your only choice, unless you want to sit at the deserted intersection until Monday morning, when business hours resume and traffic returns to the intersection.  This is as confusing and accident prone as it sounds.  If you got injured in a motorcycle accident at an intersection in South Carolina, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

When Traffic Signals Aren’t What They Seem

Drivers know that, when they see a green traffic light, they should continue driving and that they should slow down when they see a yellow light and stop when the light is red.  Even young children know this.  By the time you get your driver’s license, you know that you can make a right turn at a red light if you are in the right lane, if there is no traffic in your way, and if there is no sign at the intersection that says “no turn on red.”  How do traffic lights know when to turn red, yellow, and green, though?

Especially at times when there is not a lot of traffic, the traffic lights do not simply change color on a timer.  They change color based on when cars are present at which points near the intersection.  They detect the cars either based on cameras or on electromagnetic loops under the pavement.

Traffic Signal Rules for South Carolina Motorcyclists

The cameras and electromagnetic loops do a fine job of detecting cars waiting to cross an intersection.  Since motorcycles are smaller and lighter than cars, the traffic signals do not always notice when a motorcycle is present.  According to South Carolina law, if a motorcycle stops at a red light, and 120 seconds, that is, two full minutes, go by without the light turning green, the motorcyclist has the right to go, as long as doing so would not endanger other vehicles.  In other words, after two minutes, the motorcyclists can act as though the red light is a stop sign.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a motorcycle accident claim if you got into a collision at an intersection.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/bike-rallies/article304428551.html