Running a red light is a traffic law violation that often happens due to DUI. Regardless of what caused you to break the traffic signal, running through the red light leads to penalties. In situations where it leads to accidents, you will also face lawsuits and liability claims.
In Nevada, just running through a red light can get you a ticket and add four demerit points to your driver’s license that stay on it for a year. Repeated violations may also lead to license suspension.
We all know this already. But what many may not know is that there are certain situations under which Nevada law permits motorcyclists to run red lights. Want to know what those circumstances are? Let’s take a look at them:
When Can Motorcyclists Run Red Lights in Nevada?
Nevada law allows motorcyclists and other two and three-wheeled vehicle riders to run a red light if there’s no other traffic on the road and the red light doesn’t change to green in two signal cycles. However, they must first completely stop at the signal and take into account pedestrians and other vehicles around so you don’t cause a motorcycle accident.
Why Does Nevada Allow Motorcyclists to Run on Red Lights?
The law may seem strange to those who may not know, but the reasoning behind it is simple. Two and three-wheeled vehicles do not always have the weight or surface area required to trigger sensors in the pavement that activate the traffic signals. And if there is no other traffic on the road, the motorcyclists (and other two and three-wheeled vehicle riders) can be stuck on the signal until a car shows up, which can sometimes take time. This law, passed in 2013, provides a simple solution to the problem.
Is Nevada the Only State That Allows Motorcyclists to Run a Red Light?
As surprising as it may be for some of you, Nevada, interestingly, isn’t the only state to have this red-light law for motorcyclists. More than twelve other states have it, too (some with slightly different conditions). These include Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Idaho, Nebraska, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, and Virginia.
Hire a Lawyer If You’ve Wrongly Been Served a Red Light Ticket in Nevada
Unlike some other states, Nevada police do not seem to detest the red-light rule for motorcyclists. However, they do agree that it’s difficult to ensure enforcement of the two-signal-cycle condition. Given the challenges law enforcement officers face with the correct implementation of this law, motorcyclists might sometimes be wrongly accused of running a red light.
Fighting a red-light ticket is hard, but it’s not impossible. A seasoned lawyer can help you gather evidence and prove that you didn’t violate any traffic law but were legally entitled to run through the red light in that instance. So, if you have received a ticket for running the red light in Nevada when you have only used your privilege as a motorcyclist, contact us to defend yourself.
Dial 1-800-870-8910 to seek legal advice from the most experienced lawyers in Nevada.
