Lighting (MD Law):
To increase the visibility of motorcycles on the road, a new law enacted this year allows the use of LED (light emitting diode) and “blue dot” lighting to illuminate the chassis of the motorcycle. The aptly-named blue dot tail lights have red lenses with a blue translucent dot in their center, to attract other drivers’ attention when the brake light is engaged.
Operators of motorcycles must be aware that the LED lights may not be blue or red-colored, which are used by emergency response vehicles.
(September 25, 2008) – With the growing popularity of motorcycles for transportation and leisure riding, there are more motorcycles on the State’s roadways today than ever before. As the number of motorcyclists grows, the concern over motorcyclist safety grows as well. Crashes involving motorcycles have increased dramatically over the last four years. In 2007, 96 people were killed in motorcycle-involved crashes, up from 58 in 2003. In that time, motorcycle registrations increased by more than 39,000.
Action this year by the Maryland General Assembly is designed to enhance safety on the roadways, particularly motorcycle safety. Three bills were passed the legislature and signed into law by Governor Martin O’Malley. The new laws include:
A dramatic increase in the penalty for drivers who fail to yield the right of way and contribute to a crash that results in death or serious bodily injury (In effect since July
Additional LED lighting is permitted on motorcycles to increase visibility (In effect since June 1)
The legal definition of a motorcycle has been expanded to include three wheel vehicles.
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