New proposal on running yellow lights in the draft Law on Traffic Safety and Order

Drop proposal to completely ban running yellow lights

In the draft (second time) of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (ATGT) recently submitted at the 34th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the drafting agency made a new proposal on running yellow lights.

Accordingly, in Article 12 of the draft Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, the drafting agency adjusted and supplemented regulations on traffic light signals. Specifically, traffic light signals have 3 colors: green, yellow, red; they can display time or not.

Currently, running a yellow light is punishable by a fine of up to 1 million VND (motorbikes) and up to 5 million VND (cars).

Green light means go; in case a pedestrian or wheelchair of a disabled person is walking on the roadway, the driver must reduce speed or stop to give way to the pedestrian or wheelchair of a disabled person to cross the road.

Yellow light signal must stop before the stop line; in case of going on the stop line or having passed the stop line and the light signal is yellow, you may continue.

In case of flashing yellow traffic lights, drivers of vehicles participating in road traffic may proceed but must observe, reduce speed or stop to give way to pedestrians, wheelchairs of disabled people crossing the road or other vehicles as prescribed.

The red light signal means no entry as the regulations have always applied.

Thus, compared to the draft (first time) submitted to the 7th session, the regulation on yellow lights has been adjusted, adding the content "drivers driving on the stop line or having passed the stop line with a yellow light signal will be allowed to continue".

How do traffic police currently punish violations of running yellow lights?

According to lawyer Nguyen Tien Dung, Hanoi Bar Association, the 2008 Road Traffic Law also stipulates that when the traffic light is yellow, you must stop before the stop line, except in cases where you have already gone past the stop line, in which case you may continue.

When the yellow light is flashing, vehicles can go, but drivers must slow down, pay attention, and give way to pedestrians crossing the street.

Currently, the regulations do not mention the case where a vehicle has passed the stop line when the light turns yellow, then it is allowed to continue. This makes many traffic participants think that running a yellow light is prohibited.

A Hanoi traffic police officer added that the authorities are currently applying the regulation that if the yellow light is on and the vehicle has entered the intersection (crossed the stop line), it can continue. If the vehicle has not yet crossed the stop line and sees the yellow light, it must stop.

According to Decree 100/2019/ND-CP (amended and supplemented by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP), motorbikes, electric motorbikes and electric motorbikes that run red or yellow lights will be fined from 0.6 to 1 million VND and have their driving licenses revoked for 1 to 3 months.

For cars and similar vehicles (including electric cars) that violate the above regulations, the vehicle owner or driver will be fined 3-5 million VND and have their driving license revoked for 1-3 months.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/de-xuat-moi-ve-vuot-den-vang-trong-du-thao-luat-trat-tu-atgt-192240615190141387.htm