Does Crossing the White Line and Then Noticing a Red Light Count as Running a Red Light?
4 Answers
If a vehicle's front wheels have just crossed the stop line when the light turns red, and the vehicle stops immediately without moving further, it will not be considered as running a red light. According to Article 2 of the 'Scoring Standards for Road Traffic Safety Violations,' continuing to proceed in violation of the rules constitutes running a red light, which results in a deduction of 6 points. If the vehicle completes crossing the line and continues to move until it is fully past the line before stopping, thereby affecting the passage of other vehicles and pedestrians, it will be penalized as stopping beyond the line. Crossing the stop line can be divided into two scenarios: the front wheels crossing the stop line, or the entire vehicle crossing the stop line. The 'Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China' Article 38 states: Motor vehicle signal lights and non-motor vehicle signal lights indicate: When the green light is on, vehicles are permitted to proceed, but turning vehicles must not obstruct the passage of straight-moving vehicles or pedestrians. When the yellow light is on, vehicles that have already crossed the stop line may continue to proceed. When the red light is on, vehicles are prohibited from proceeding. When the red light is on, right-turning vehicles may proceed if they do not obstruct the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians. At intersections without non-motor vehicle signal lights or pedestrian crossing signal lights, non-motor vehicles and pedestrians should follow the motor vehicle signal lights. The new traffic regulations clearly stipulate that running a red light requires the following three necessary conditions: The vehicle illegally crosses the stop line. The vehicle illegally enters the intersection. The vehicle illegally crosses the opposite stop line. Electronic police (traffic cameras) capture three complete video images to constitute running a red light: an image of the vehicle at the moment of violation, an image identifying the vehicle's license plate, and a panoramic image. There are three scenarios regarding whether a vehicle is running a red light while driving: If the vehicle's front wheels cross the stop line or both front and rear wheels cross the stop line but the rear of the vehicle has not yet crossed, and the vehicle stops immediately, traffic police will not penalize it as running a red light, but may penalize it for improper stopping, deducting 2 points. If the vehicle's front wheels cross the stop line, regardless of whether the entire vehicle has fully crossed, and the vehicle stops and then reverses, being captured by traffic cameras with two complete moving images, it will be treated as running a red light, resulting in a 6-point deduction and a fine. If the entire vehicle fully crosses the stop line and stops or continues forward, and within one red light cycle, the traffic cameras capture the three complete images constituting running a red light, regardless of whether the vehicle proceeds to the intersection or crosses the opposite stop line, it will be penalized as running a red light, resulting in a 6-point deduction and a fine. Article 2 of the 'Scoring Standards for Road Traffic Safety Violations' states: Driving a motor vehicle in violation of traffic signal lights results in a deduction of 6 points. However, not all situations will lead to a 6-point deduction. For example, violations such as making a left turn from a straight lane will still be penalized under the 'Road Traffic Safety Law' as violating a prohibitory sign, resulting in a 3-point deduction. Additionally, running a red light recorded by cameras will only incur a fine without point deduction.
I've been driving a taxi in the city for fifteen years, and this question comes up every day. Simply put, if the wheels have just crossed the line when the light turns red, it doesn't count as running a red light—just stop the car and stay still, and you'll be fine. The camera needs three consecutive shots to confirm a violation: the front wheels crossing the line, the rear wheels crossing the line, and the car driving to the opposite side of the intersection. But pay close attention to two things: it's safest to stop and stay still after crossing the line, and don't reverse, or you might actually get caught running the red light. I've seen too many drivers panic and reverse, triggering a second photo, only to end up with a ticket—which is even worse. If poor visibility in rainy weather causes you to accidentally run a red light, keep the dashcam footage as evidence for an appeal.
Last time, before my daughter's driving test for Subject 3, she specifically asked the instructor about this. If the front of the car just crosses the stop line when the light turns red, and you brake hard to stop, generally the traffic cameras won't penalize you for running a red light. Nowadays, the intersection monitoring systems require three photos as evidence: the car hasn't crossed the line while the light is green, the car crosses the line as the light turns red, and the vehicle continues through the intersection. But if the tires cross the line and continue moving, even just sliding half a meter, it might be captured. Especially if the entire car body crosses the stop line, it basically constitutes a violation. It's recommended that new drivers slow down when encountering a yellow light and not rush those few seconds.
It depends on the specific situation. Last week when I was driving to Hangzhou, the front wheels had just crossed the line at Jianguo Road intersection when the light turned red. My heart was in my mouth, but I stopped immediately. Later, I checked the 12123 app and indeed there was no violation record. A traffic police friend told me whether it's illegal depends on the vehicle's position: if only the front wheels cross the line but the vehicle doesn't move further, it doesn't count as running a red light, but it becomes risky if the rear wheels follow. Also, pay special attention that many newly installed high-definition cameras can even capture whether the driver is looking down at their phone, so never touch your phone when crossing the line.
