South Carolina Gov. Gives Bicyclists Permission to Run Red Lights

Gov. Mark Sanford is giving a public green light to a bill that allows motorcyclists and bikers to run red lights after they stop at intersections.

Sanford officially signed the bill in May, but held a ceremonial signing at stops around the state July 9 with bikers at his side.

The legislation requires motorcyclists, mo-peds and bicycles to stop for two minutes before entering an intersection if a traffic signal has not turned green. Motorcyclists pushed the legislation because they said automatic signal controls using sensor embedded in roads don’t always detect their bikes.

The American Motorcyclist Association says Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin have similar laws.