Sitting at traffic lights here in the Midland Odessa area can be tedious. The lights seem to take FOREVER to change, especially if you are waiting at a red light around one of the highways or Loops here. You may as well bring a book to read while you wait for the green to come back your way. Seriously. And that's if you're in a car or truck--with the sensors recognizing you are there. Now, imagine you're riding a motorcycle. Sitting there forever just got a whole lot worse. Those aren't the lightest machines to balance on two legs for extended periods of time. That's why-in MOST states-it is 100% LEGAL for a motorcycle to run a red light as long as conditions are safe and clear for them to do so. The law mostly exists because not all traffic lights everywhere have sensors that pick them up. They pick up heavier vehicles, but not bikes.

Third Annual Academy of Country Music Celebrity Motorcycle Ride
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Leave it to Texas to have the code in place that "certain" lights MUST be equipped with sensors to detect motorcycles. Not sure what the definitions are in the Texas Transportation Code that set the parameters to decide which ones should be equipped to do so, and which don't matter. To me, if it's a law, EVERY signal should be able to detect the presence of a bike. Not just select ones. Either that or shorten the amount of time at every signal to a standard time of a few minutes. What's a 'few'? Maybe 2 or 3. I realize these things are set so that trucks can get thru and passageways aren't blocked by big rigs and oil field trucks waiting to get thru an intersection. But there has to be a way to make it safe, fair, and manageable-FOR EVERYONE-and not make bikers wait forever holding up a heavy piece of machinery.

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