Will I get points deducted for running a red light at 80 km/h?

[MacSarah]

Driving at 80 km/h through a traffic light exceeds the speed limit set for intersections and constitutes a speeding violation, which will result in a fine ranging from 20 to 200 yuan. More details are as follows: 1. According to Article 42 of the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China": When driving on the road, motor vehicles shall not exceed the maximum speed indicated by speed limit signs. On road sections without speed limit signs, a safe speed should be maintained. When driving at night or on sections prone to danger, or under weather conditions such as sandstorms, hail, rain, snow, fog, or ice, the driving speed should be reduced. 2. Article 44: When passing through intersections, motor vehicles shall proceed according to traffic signals, signs, markings, or the direction of traffic police. When passing through intersections without traffic signals, signs, markings, or traffic police direction, drivers should slow down and yield to pedestrians and vehicles with the right of way.

[JordanMarie]

I often hear friends discussing whether running a red light while driving will result in penalty points, especially with some curious about whether higher speeds lead to harsher penalties. From my experience, running a red light is a serious traffic violation in itself, and regardless of speed, it will result in penalty points and fines. In most cities, such as under domestic standards, running a red light typically incurs 6 penalty points and a fine ranging from 200 to 500 yuan. If the speed reaches 80 kilometers per hour or higher, the risk increases significantly—speeding through a red light can lead to instant accidents with a soaring fatality rate. Traffic police may also consider the speed as speeding or unsafe driving when issuing penalties, leading to additional penalties, such as extra points or higher fines. Worse still, if property damage or personal injury occurs, it may escalate to criminal charges, license revocation, or even imprisonment. Therefore, I advise strictly adhering to traffic signals in all circumstances—better to wait a few more seconds than to take a shortcut by running a red light. This ensures safety for yourself and others while avoiding unnecessary trouble.

[Wilma]

From a regulatory perspective, running a red light is a major offense in traffic law. If you speed through at 80 km/h, you’ll definitely face severe consequences. The basic rule is that running a red light typically results in around 6 penalty points plus a fine. However, if your speed is excessively high—like 80 km/h—the system may automatically flag it as reckless driving or speeding, potentially triggering additional penalties. For instance, in some regions, exceeding the speed limit by 20% or more starts with a 3-point deduction. Combined with the red light violation, your points could plummet instantly. I’ve also observed cases where high speed drastically increases the risk of accidents—if a collision occurs, insurers might deny coverage, leaving you fully liable. In short, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ you’ll lose points or face worse. For daily driving, I stick to slowing down at intersections and making it a habit to watch the lights—this minimizes headaches and keeps driving safer.

[RachelMarie]

I personally experienced the lesson of mistakenly running a red light at a highway intersection. Although my speed wasn't exactly 80 km/h, driving too fast was truly frightening. That incident taught me a lesson: running a red light inevitably results in penalty points, typically 6 points plus a fine of several hundred yuan. If you speed through at 80 km/h, the cameras are more likely to catch you, and it's easier to be seen as reckless driving, leading to heavier penalties. For example, additional penalty points, doubled fines, or even a direct three-month license suspension. The key point is that lives are at stake—at high speeds, even emergency braking may not prevent an accident. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I now slow down in advance and watch the signals when driving. Safety first is much more worthwhile than rushing for time.