A Washington state lawmaker wants to outlaw the use of a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green.

A traffic-light changer is designed to allow police, fire and other emergency officials to clear intersections before they approach. But some impatient drivers have managed to purchase them on the Internet for as low as $100, according to published reports.

People can even buy kits and build the signal changer themselves.

State Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, has sponsored a bill intended to deter anyone other than public safety and transit agencies from using mobile infrared transmitters, or MIRTs.

Under HB2319, a person caught buying, selling or using one of the devices could face a fine up to $5,000, up to one year in jail or both.

“Don’t spend your money on this kind of device because it will soon be illegal,” Wallace told KING 5 News.

The devices, which sit on a vehicle’s dash, are not regulated by current federal standards because they rely on a beam of light instead of a radio wave to trigger the light-changing mechanisms that have been attached to some intersections.

A recent U.S. Department of Transportation survey showed the devices are in use at 26,500 intersections in 78 cities across the country.

The bill, which previously passed the House, has been forwarded to the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee.