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What drivers need to know about Ohio's new red light law

Posted at 11:15 PM, Jan 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-18 23:15:36-05

A new Ohio law allows drivers to pass through red lights if they believe the intersection has a malfunctioning traffic signal. 

House Bill 154, which passed in December, amended the Ohio Revised Code to address the issue of drivers stuck at an intersection when the light is not functioning properly. 

The law requires drivers to “stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, stop before entered the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if none, stop before entering the intersection.” 

The law doesn’t go into effect until March 21, but it’s already getting push back from drivers. 

Driving instructor Lindsay Paulo, owner of Precision Driving Academy, explained that the law does not specify how long a driver must wait before determining that the signal is broken. 

“They have left it open ended,” Paulo said. “So what is reasonable to you might not be reasonable to me.” 

Paulo worries that the new law could encourage bad behavior. 

“I don’t want to say that people could interpret it as a free pass but I think that’s the way it’s going to end up,” she said. 

Ron Wainwright has a similar concern. His sister-in-law Shirley Duncan-Barnes was killed by a driver who blew through a red light in September. 

“It opens up a lot of doors to make people just say you can run a red light on a judgment call,” he said. “It hurts us to even think about it so why would you want to send another family through a situation like that.” 

According to the law, the driver is required to “exercise ordinary care while proceeding through the intersection.” 

 

Drivers who encounter broken signals are still encouraged to contact law enforcement.