LANSING – The Michigan House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill proposed by State Representative Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland) to ban lane changes in traffic intersections regulated by a stoplight or a flashing light.
"Many drivers don't realize how dangerous it is to change lanes in the middle of an intersection," said LeBlanc, a longtime driver education instructor and a reserve police officer for the Canton Police Department. "By limiting the factors that contribute to accidents, we can make our roads safer for everyone. This is about driver safety, and it's about pedestrian safety."
About 45 percent of crashes that occur in intersections take place at intersections with signals, according to the Michigan Highway Safety Planning Web site MichiganTrafficCrashFacts.org. In 2005, the group reported 18,325 traffic accidents that occurred when the driver was changing lanes or passing another vehicle.
"Traffic intersections are dangerous because there are so many things happening all at once," LeBlanc said. "Taking away a driver's ability to dangerously change lanes in the middle of an intersection will help reduce the number of crashes. I urge the Senate to move quickly on this bill."
HB 4304 passed on Wednesday, March 21, with a vote of 93-17. It now heads to the Senate, where it has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.