What are the penalties for disobeying traffic lights?
2 Answers
Red light means stop, yellow light means slow down and cross the line to continue, green light means normal passage. According to Article 2 of the "Scoring Standards for Road Traffic Safety Violations", driving a motor vehicle in violation of road traffic signals will result in a fine and 6 demerit points. Traffic safety education will be conducted for the parties involved. If a non-motor vehicle driver refuses to accept the fine, their non-motor vehicle may be impounded.
From my years of driving experience, the penalties for running a red light are no joke. Typically, it's a fine ranging from 200 to 500 yuan, with 6 points deducted from the driver's license, and accumulating too many can lead to license suspension. I've personally seen a friend get penalized for this—he ran a light to save time, only to end up spending money and effort dealing with the ticket, and worse, his insurance premiums went up. If an accident is caused, it could lead to criminal liability, even detention. The penalties are designed reasonably to discourage risking lives to save a few seconds. I always strictly obey traffic signals, waiting for the green light before moving—it's both safer and avoids trouble. I recommend installing a dash cam to prove innocence; otherwise, when caught with solid evidence, it's hard to appeal. Road safety comes first; following the rules is being responsible for yourself and others.
