Christopher
12/20/2012 10:15 AM
In 2010, the Minnesota legislature amended a law to address instances when two-wheeled vehicles are not detected by control systems at traffic lights, and a signal change does not occur.
The law gives bicyclists the option to proceed through the intersection after a reasonable amount of time, and provides an affirmative legal defense to this action, based on five
conditions:
• The bicycle has been brought to a complete stop.
• The traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time.
• The traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect the bicycle.
• No vehicle or person is approaching on the roadway to be crossed or entered, or • Approaching vehicles or persons are so far away that they do not constitute an immediate hazard.
The affirmative defense applies only to an alleged violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light. It does not provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.