Should NH Drivers Be Allowed to Go Through a Red Light After Stopping?

A proposed bill from a New Hampshire state representative looks to save gas, but it will probably not sit right with some drivers.

I love looking at proposed bills from local politicians because you can find some interesting ideas.

This Union Leader article talks about some of the more interesting proposed 2016 changes, such as laws regarding bestiality, fake urine and shark fins.

One proposed bill that got me thinking was from Bedford's own representative David Danielson. He sponsored a bill that would allow drivers to go through an intersection after stopping at a red light. This assumes that there is no traffic around, and a community could forbid this altogether.

The idea is to stop wasting gas at a red light if there are no other drivers around, which is a situation we have all been in. Just sitting there at a red light for a minute when there are clearly no cars coming from either direction. Waiting for that light to turn green and allow us safe passage through the intersection.

I have no doubt in my mind that many drivers consider just driving through anyway, or actually do it. There have been times where I am driving late at night and the temptation to drive through a red light (after stopping of course) has been pretty strong. Too bad I am such a stringent follower of rules because I do feel like an idiot waiting.

It really does seem silly to just wait at a red light when there are no cars in view, but this change does bring up some safety concerns and complications for law enforcement. There is room for the proposed change to be abused by opportunistic drivers.

Danielson has been getting some flak for his bill and has said he might just regret bringing it up in the first place. What do you think?