Driving through a red light

A driver who drives through a red light in Israel can expect a fine of 1,500 ILS, as well as 10 traffic points. In some cases, the offense will lead to an indictment. In such case, the driver is exposed to severe penalties, in addition to the points added to the driver’s record. It is important to know that professional legal representation by a traffic lawyer can, in many cases, prevent prosecution and lead to the cancellation of the fine, or depending on the circumstances, to a reduced sentence.

The obligation to obey traffic signs, including traffic lights, is stipulated in Section 22 of the Traffic Regulations. Driving through a red light is one of the most dangerous offenses of disobeying a traffic sign, and traffic offenses all together, since it has great potential to cause a traffic accident and even a fatal accident that involves the death of a person.

The enforcement of driving through a red light is usually performed by electronic cameras. These are stationed at intersections throughout the country and take a picture of vehicles passing through a red light.

For this offense, the driver will receive a fine of 1,500 ILS or a summons, depending on the circumstances in which the offense was committed. In this regard, it should be noted that when the offense is enforced by an electronic camera, it expires within 4 months from the date of its commission. In other words, if the ticket is sent to the driver after this date, the statute of limitations may lead to the dismissal of the ticket.

When will the driver be summoned to court?

As mentioned above, there are situations in which driving through a red light will lead to a summons. In such a case, the driver will be forced to stand before the court which, upon conviction, may impose a variety of penalties, starting with a monetary fine, suspension of the driver’s license and even imprisonment. And, in addition, 10 traffic points will be added to the driver’s record.

When will the driver be summoned to court for this offense? Here are three examples:

When the driver committed the offense while causing disturbance or risk to another person. This is usually a situation of a car accident in which another driver or a pedestrian is injured because the driver drove through a red light.
The driver went through a red light when a car came from the other direction at the intersection.
The driver has a conviction for driving through a red light in the three years preceding the current offense.

What are the penalties for this offense?

The penalties for driving through a red light vary depending on the circumstances of the case. The first option is that the driver receives a fine of 1,500 ILS and assigned 10 traffic points. The second and more serious option is to receive a summons. This means that an indictment will be filed against the driver for the violation. In addition to the traffic points added to the driver’s record, the court can impose various penalties, including a suspension of the driver’s license, a higher monetary fine and, in very extreme cases, probation and even actual imprisonment.

The importance of legal representation

Caught driving through a red light? Whether you received a notice of a fine or a summons, you should consult a traffic lawyer. More often than not, a driver who receives a fine chooses to pay it without being aware of the implications of the traffic points attached. Accumulating points exposes the driver to corrective measures such as a preventive driving course, and upon accumulating more than a certain number of points, the driver’s license may be suspended for several months.

On the other hand, when the driver consults a lawyer, other alternatives arise, such as examining whether the statute of limitations applies or whether the camera that recorded the driver was working properly at the time, thus preventing the accumulation of points and the imposition of the fine.

If the driver received a summons for driving through a red light, seeking legal representation is even more important. Why? Because in such case, in addition to the 10 traffic points that will be added to the driver’s record, the driver is also exposed to the suspension of their license, a fine and maybe even imprisonment. A professional and experienced lawyer will know the proper arguments to claim before the prosecution or the court in order to reduce the penalties imposed on the driver to the minimum possible under the circumstances.