According to Clause 3, Article 10 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, traffic light signals have three colors, as prescribed as follows:
- Green signal means go;
- Red signal means no go;
- The yellow signal means that traffic participants must stop their vehicles before the stop line, except in cases where they have already passed the stop line, in which case they may continue.
In addition, National Technical Regulation on Road Signs No. QCVN 41:2019/BGTVT (issued with Circular 54/2019/TT-BGTVT) also gives similar explanations.
"The yellow signal signals the change from green to red. When the yellow signal is on, you must stop before the stop line. If you have gone past the stop line or are too close to the stop line, if stopping is dangerous, you can continue.
In case of flashing yellow light, it is okay to go but you must reduce speed, pay attention, and give way to pedestrians or other vehicles according to the provisions of the Road Traffic Law. However, up to now, traffic participants have mainly only cared about the two types of green and red lights, forgetting that not obeying the yellow light signal can also be punished.
Accordingly, if the yellow light is on and the driver has not yet passed the stop line but still continues to drive, he/she will be guilty of running a yellow light and will be fined, except in cases where the vehicle has not yet passed the stop line but if it stops, it will endanger itself or other vehicles. This also means that not stopping at a yellow light if the driver has already passed the painted line will not be fined.
Regarding the administrative fine for running a yellow light, Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP, does not specifically regulate the violation of running a yellow or red light, but only regulates the violation of not complying with traffic light signals.
Accordingly, drivers of motorbikes and mopeds (including electric motorbikes) who do not comply with traffic light signals will be administratively fined from VND800,000 to VND1,000,000, with an additional penalty of having their driving licenses revoked for 1 to 3 months.
Drivers of cars and similar vehicles who fail to comply with traffic light signals will be fined from VND 4,000,000 to VND 6,000,000, and have their driving licenses revoked for 1 to 3 months (from 2 to 4 months if causing a traffic accident).
Thus, if the yellow light is on but the driver has not passed the stop line but still deliberately continues driving, he will be considered as disobeying the traffic light signal and will be punished as if he ran a red light.
In case the vehicle has not yet passed the stop line but stopping would endanger the vehicle or other road users behind, or the vehicle has passed the stop line, it is allowed to continue, it is not considered a violation of traffic light signals and will not be penalized.
Minh Hoa (t/h)
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