Law tweaked on phones, speeders, bikers

Correction: The Road Worrier column Tuesday on Page 1B incorrectly described a new law that allows a motorcyclist to proceed through an intersection in some circumstances after waiting at least three minutes for a faulty red light to turn green. The law affects motorcyclists traveling straight ahead or turning in either direction.

Last year our brave legislators began, gingerly, to put their foot down on a dangerous but popular practice: phoning while driving.

First, they banned it for drivers under 18 years old, except when the teens were chatting with parents, spouses or police dispatchers.

This year they broadened the cell-phone ban a bit to include another group: school bus drivers.

The change took effect Saturday. Are we feeling safe yet?

The new ban also covers drivers of school activity buses and any other vehicle transporting public, private or parochial students for money. It's OK to phone when the bus is stopped, but not while it is rolling.

This law still leaves the other 90-something percent of us drivers free to gab, yak and jabber on our phones as we weave in and out of traffic.

Some legislators recognize that phoning is dangerous no matter who's driving. We can expect to see a persistent push in coming years to extend the ban to the rest of us.

These traffic law changes also took effect Saturday:

* The broken-speedometer alibi won't fly any longer for drivers charged with going more than 25 mph over the speed limit.

The change was inspired by a News & Observer report that some prosecutors allow speeders to plead repeatedly to having "improper equipment," even when their speedometers work just fine. Instead of a conviction, these folks got off with something called a prayer for judgment continued.

This law still leaves most speed freaks free to exploit a big loophole in our traffic laws — provided they're not charged with going faster than, say, 90 mph in a 65 mph zone. Let's hope our legislators revisit this issue, too.

* Motorcycle drivers no longer must wait in vain for a red light to turn green.

Traffic signals sometimes get stuck on red because some motorcycles cannot trip the electromagnetic pavement loop sensors that detect waiting vehicles. This change will give motorcyclists the chance to beat a ticket for running a light that doesn't work properly.

Going through a red light is legal only for a motorcycle driver who stops and waits at least three minutes at a light that is controlled by one of those pavement loop sensors. And only if there are no pedestrians crossing the intersection, and no other vehicles that have the right of way.

"They really need to be careful because people coming [toward the intersection] see they have a green light — so they're not going to be watching for that motorcycle," said Lt. Everett Clendenin, spokesman for the state Highway Patrol.

* Unmarked tow trucks are no longer allowed.

Was this a problem? From now on, tow trucks must be labeled with the name and address of the owner or tow-truck business. A phone number might be helpful if that's your car they're hauling away, but it's not required by law.

* You can lose your driver's license if you help someone under 21 obtain alcoholic beverages.

If you're the adult buying beer for a party -- or spiking eggnog for a Christmas dinner -- you have a new incentive to keep it away from underage drinkers.

Next year's laws

Look forward to confusion around another package of traffic safety changes that will become law Jan. 1:

* Motorcycle helmets must meet federal safety standards, specifically, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218. It has to do with padding, weight, chin straps and design.

Read the particulars online at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/motorcycle/UnsafeHelmetID/.

* Police will have quicker authority to send a tow truck to remove a wrecked or parked car from the right-of-way of a public highway or rest area.

* The right-on-red rule could get more confusing than ever.

Until now, the law has made no distinction between solid red and right-arrow red signals. You may turn right after you stop and yield to everybody else -- unless a sign says right-on-red is not allowed.

The new law could be interpreted to exclude turns on right-arrow reds. It adds the word "circular" to say that right-on-red rules apply at a traffic signal "emitting a steady red circular light."

This change was a surprise to the Highway Patrol.

"Oh, Lordy," Clendenin said when the Road Worrier read him the law. "We've always treated a red light as a red light, whether it's a red arrow or not. You just don't know how many e-mails I get a week about these red turn arrows."

After consulting the agency lawyer, he said the Highway Patrol's interpretation of the right-on-red law will not change for now.