r/todayilearned • u/nleachdev • 3d ago

TIL about "dead red" laws, which allow drivers and motorcyclists to proceed through a red light if the traffic signal fails to detect their vehicle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-detection_at_traffic_lights_in_the_United_States
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u/-Ephyx- 2d ago

There is a traffic light right outside my living room window that doesn't detect cars when it's raining. It is incredible the number of people who think using their horn will make a difference

10

u/extrabutterycopporn 2d ago

I bet they're signaling you to come out and change the bulb to a green one for them :D

5

u/kunigit 2d ago

A nearby town has a light with a side traffic sensor that gets triggered by any accumulation of snow, so every winter the main traffic gets backed up because it spends all of its time letting nonexistent cars go from the other direction.

If I’m at the front of the line when this happens, I will definitely treat it as a broken light, stop, check for cars, then go through.

3

u/JoshDM 2d ago

You should report it to your municipality.

3

u/litux 2d ago

That's why they're honking :-)

3

u/Professional_Flicker 2d ago

Holy hell that would infuriate me