Question: I am a motorcyclist and I ride a lot of times when there is not much traffic. A lot of times when you get to a signalized intersection that has weight-activated traffic signals, the motorcycle isn’t heavy enough to activate it. You can sit there all morning or all night and it’s not going to change. This is especially troublesome at major four-way intersections awaiting the left-turn and/or U-turn signal to appear. A police officer told me to just use my discretion and proceed when safe. But that is not a legal solution and though likely any reasonable judge would dismiss such a traffic violation, it is unfair and not worth the hassle such a violation could pose. What is a motorcyclist supposed to do if he has to make a turn and the light isn’t going to change for him?

Answer: The sensors actually are “metal sensitive,” not weight sensitive, according to the city Department of Transportation Services.

But more on that later.

If you go against the traffic signal, you do risk getting cited and, more importantly, could cause an accident.

According to the Traffic Division, “Any action a motorist takes that is in violation of the traffic laws, of course, leaves that motorist open to being cited for that violation, if an officer observes it,” said Michelle Yu, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department.

Whether an officer chooses to issue a citation after receiving an explanation, such as the sensors not working, would be determined by each officer’s use of discretion, as well as “their determination at the time as to degree of danger the motorist’s actions created for themselves and other motorists,” she said.

In other words, there is no blanket answer.

Yu pointed out that if, in the example you give, you were to proceed into the intersection against the signal and were involved in a collision, “then the motorcyclist would be deemed to be at fault or the cause of that collision.”

That all said, the Department of Transportation Services does have advice on what motorcyclists should do when encountering those sensors.

Ty Fukumitsu, chief of the Traffic Signals and Technology Division, previously explained to Kokua Line that motorcycles are being built with alloys or plastics, so are not easily detectable by metal-sensitive sensors that trigger signal changes.

That explanation continues to hold today, he said.

Fukumitsu’s tip: Place your motorcycle atop the little squares cut into the pavement at traffic stops to maximize “pickup.”

You can also call the Traffic Signal Maintenance Division at 768-5323 and ask that the sensors at a particular intersection be checked and adjusted.

Question: Could you please tell us what started the house fire located on the 3000 block of East Manoa Road on March 5?

Answer: The cause of that fire is “undetermined,” said Capt. David Jenkins, spokesman for the Honolulu Fire Department.

The undetermined classification means that the fire investigator analyzed all possible causes, but found insufficient information to identify any one specific cause, he said.

“In addition, there is insufficient information to substantially eliminate some or all of the other possible causes,” Jenkins said. “The case is now closed, and can be reopened if there were introduction or discovery of new information about the fire.”

The fire caused an estimated $300,000 damage to the structure and $20,000 to its contents.

Mahalo

To Mary Jane, assistant manager, and Adrian at Zippy’s, Waipio Gentry, for dropping what they were doing and immediately coming to my assistance when I had a terrible dizzy spell during breakfast there. My 85-year-old husband couldn’t get me up to take me to our car and the emergency room. Since my daughter was already on her way to pick us up, we declined their offer to call an ambulance. Apparently, I had a reaction to the medication I was taking. I am OK, but under a doctor’s care. We are grateful for their help and concern. — The Correas

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.