Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Your patient is wrong. Follow the link. If you want a highly technical explanation, follow this
link. The only proviso is that you have to locate the wires on induction coil detectors. Paving can bury them. If I can detect the loop, I have a 99% success rate in tripping them.
The motion detector sensors are more difficult. You look stupid but waving your arms around like an idiot generally makes those work. Shining a helmet light at them works well too...in the dark of course.
I'm guessing that not all traffic lights can be tripped by bicycles and/or motorcycles. That's why my state just enacted a "dead red" law.
I have two lights on my daily commute that I can not trip. And yes, I did the dead red thing even before the law. I also treat stop signs as yield signs when there is no other traffic present.