The Maryland House overwhelmingly approved a measure that would 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 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 changers themselves.

The bill, HB381, passed the House 136-1 and has been forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.

Sponsored by state Delegate Brian Moe, D-Laurel, HB381 is intended to deter anyone other than public safety and transit agencies from using so-called mobile infrared transmitters, or MIRTs.

Under the proposal, a person caught with the device would be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine, The Capital reported.

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 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. In Maryland, the equipment is on about 1,000 signals.