raffic lights are useful because they regulate the passage through an intersection by using colored light signs. Every road user knows that a red light means stop, while a green one means go. However, drivers often pass through flashing green and yellow lights, especially during traffic jams. In this post, we will address the question of whether going through a flashing green or yellow light is a traffic violation.
Is it a traffic violation to go through a flashing green or a yellow light?
A flashing green light indicates permitted passage and serves as a warning that a yellow light will soon turn on. Therefore, passing through a flashing green light is not a traffic violation.
Passing through a yellow light is prohibited unless the driver could not safely stop in front of the traffic light. Whether the driver could safely stop when the yellow light turned on is the most common disputed element in possible misdemeanor proceedings. Therefore, in order to achieve the most favorable outcome of the misdemeanor proceedings, it is advisable to hire a defense attorney.
The same rule applies to the yellow light that turns on together with the red light before the green light. Passing through this kind of yellow light is also prohibited and is considered a traffic violation.
However, the driver’s behavior during a flashing green light may be an aggravating circumstance in the traffic violation proceedings. For example, this could be the case with a driver suddenly accelerating during a flashing green light in order to cross an intersection faster, before committing a traffic offence.
What is the fine for this traffic violation?
Although passing through a yellow light seems banal, the penalty for this is severe. The penalty for illegal passage through a yellow light can be either a fine in the amount of 20,000 to 40,000 RSD or a prison sentence of up to 30 days.
In addition to the fine/prison sentence, the driver receives 6 penalty points and is banned from driving a motor vehicle for at least three months.
The rule that half of the fine is forgiven if half of the fine is paid within 8 days does not apply to this traffic violation.
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