Legislation that would outlaw the unauthorized sale, possession or use of controllers that can change some traffic signals from red to green in Michigan has been sent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s desk.

The bill package – SB842 and SB843 – gained overwhelming support in the Senate and House before being sent to the governor March 3.

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.

Under the legislation sponsored by Sens. Tony Stamas, R-Midland, and Jud Gilbert, R-Algonac, anyone who causes a traffic accident using a so-called mobile infrared transmitter, or MIRT, could be charged with a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The use of a controller resulting in death would be a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Unlawful sale or purchase of such a device would be a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while unlawful possession would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

“This is a step in the right direction to further protect Michigan’s motorists,” Gilbert said in a statement. “Outlawing the use of these devices by regular drivers will prevent our roads from becoming a chaotic video game where everyone is trying to change the lights.”

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.