Running a Red Light in Florida

So you think you’ve run a red light?

Everyone has been there: Driving along at the speed limit, not breaking any traffic laws, feeling altogether and good about the life when, just as the entire driving experience has receded into something almost relaxing, a light a driver is approaching changes from friendly green to dreaded yellow.

What to do? This situation causes more wrecks and traffic citations than it should. Timid drivers slam on their brakes, while aggressive drivers plow through. Both approaches have their place, and as with any driving issue, there is not one right answer for how to handle this situation.

However, a one simple rule helps to illuminate the entire situation: if a car has not completely passed the bold, white lines that separate the road from the intersection when the light is red, the light has been run.

Penalties for Running a Red Light

Situations of running a red light need to be judged individually. If there is a hard rain and the streets are especially slick, slamming on the brakes five yards from the intersection because the light has turned yellow is a bad idea. Conversely, traffic violations involving running a red light have increased due to the addition of cameras mounted to catch drivers. These red-light violations, when caught by the camera, are $158 a ticket. If a police officer catches the red-light violation, the ticket may be more.

In addition, a driver will receive four points added to their license if they do not refute their red light violation charge. The more points a driver has on their license the higher their insurance rates will increase. If a person’s insurance rates increase too much they will not be able to afford insurance which will result in a suspended license. If a person’s license gets suspended they will have to pay even more fees to reinstate their license and their insurance rates can increases even more as well.

Being that red light violations carry with them four points against a person’s license, they can easily throw a person’s points over the limit and cause a license suspension that way. If a person receives a suspended license from their points being too high or for not being able to afford insurance they may ultimately face other consequences such as the loss of a job or difficulty in finding a new job being that they will have limited transportation.

Defenses for Running a Red Light

Typical defenses for running a red light include… a technical error from the camera, a driver’s car was used by another person, the driver went through a yellow light, and the driver could have been avoiding a dangerous situation and had no choice but to go through the light. 

Contact a Lawyer Today

Running a red light is a traffic violation, but it can be fought in court. For information of fighting a traffic violation, call 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) for a free consultation with our firm. Our offices have ten years of experience fighting traffic citations. If you find yourself accused to running a red light, it may be a good idea to contact our offices to avoid the fines and penalties that you will have to pay for your violation.