Article 12.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Driving through a prohibiting traffic light signal or a traffic controller's prohibiting gesture (current edition)

Administrative penalty or restriction of the right to drive

If a red light was passed, Article 12.12. The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for a fine of 1,000 rubles. If convicted again for the same offense, the car owner will have to pay 5,000 rubles. The penalty in this case may be deprivation of a driver’s license from four to six months. The location of the violation also plays an important role.

If the offense was committed on a railway track, then the motorist will be forced to pay a penalty in the amount of 1000 rubles. or lose the ability to drive a car for a period of 3 to 6 months. When such an offense is committed repeatedly, the deprivation of rights is carried out for 1 year. To eliminate the occurrence of emergency situations on the railway, CCTV cameras are now installed everywhere.

ATTENTION !!! Driving a car through prohibitory markings when the signal is red will be subject to a fine of 800 rubles. At this road sign you must stop only at those intersections that are regulated. Stopping at an unregulated intersection is possible only if there are markings provided for by traffic regulations, which the driver is warned about by this sign.

If a car enters an intersection and there is a traffic jam behind it, then this is also considered an offense and will be equivalent to driving through a red light at an intersection. A car causing a traffic jam will interfere with other cars.

This year, a penalty for crossing an intersection with a prohibitory signal can be obtained by practically driving not through a red light, but when there is no signal permitting movement. This is especially true if, in addition to the main position, there is an additional section at the traffic light.

IMPORTANT !!! If the green sign is not lit when crossing an intersection, then the motorist may receive a fine of 1,000 rubles for crossing.

Driving beyond the STOP line at a prohibiting signal

Crossing the stop line, regardless of the prohibition of the signal, will be an offense if:

1. This is a controlled intersection (there is a traffic light or traffic controller);
2. During the drive to the stop line the red light was on or there was a traffic controller's prohibiting sign.

The stop line must be indicated by appropriate road markings and a “Stop” sign. Sanction: fine of 800 rubles. It is noteworthy that a stop sign means that you must stop directly at a controlled intersection in front of the traffic light. The presence of a stop line requires stopping at uncontrolled intersections with the simultaneous presence of a “Stop” sign.

Fixing the crossing of an intersection with a prohibitory signal

Already from the beginning of 2021, all major cities of Russia began installing automatic crime recording systems. These cameras work automatically. They can be programmed to record certain moments of traffic.

Since last year, such devices are usually programmed to fix:

• crossing an intersection on a yellow light;
• ignoring the red signal when crossing an intersection;
• a vehicle crossing an intersection regulated by an inspector or a traffic light with a yellow or red signal;
• turning when the green sign at the intersection is dead.

When the camera has recorded a violation of traffic rules by one or another car, then after recording, the report is transmitted to the central server. Finding out information about the owner of the car is not a problem for the traffic police. After registering an offense, a letter is sent to the car owner’s address by Russian Post, which contains a photo of the traffic violation, a protocol drawn up and a collection order.

ATTENTION !!! It is not always possible for a camera to record an offense correctly, therefore, if the car owner does not agree with the penalty, he can challenge the traffic police fine in court. The amount of the fine can be significantly reduced if no more than 20 days have passed since the decision was issued. In this case, the offender is entitled to write off 50% of the fine.

If you drive through a red light, the 2021 fine under the camera is repeated - the discount system does not apply.

Fine for crossing the road at a red traffic light (Article 12.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation)

There are not many articles for pedestrians in the Code of Administrative Offences. In fact, the most significant and immediately universal will be Article 12.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation “Violation of Traffic Rules by a pedestrian or other person participating in the process of road traffic.” From its name it is already clear that it is certainly suitable for pedestrians. And since there is no “specialized” article for violating the conditions of crossing the road on a red light by a pedestrian, then it can be applied. So, for pedestrians who did not deign to comply with the requirements of the traffic rules, paragraph 4.4, article 12.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, or more precisely, its first part, will be punitive. We quote...

Everything here is concise and clear. A pedestrian violator faces a warning or a minimal fine.

How can you appeal an administrative penalty?

When a car owner does not agree with the fine, he may well challenge the decision of the traffic inspector. You can prove a traffic police officer’s mistake in court.

Before applying to the courts, you must collect the following documents:

• vehicle owner's passport;
• driver's license;
• identification code;
• registration certificate;
• protocol.

You can appeal to the court only within 10 days after signing the protocol. It must be remembered that when drawing up a protocol, the car owner can add his own explanations or vision of the situation if it differs from the opinion of the inspector.

IMPORTANT !!! In addition, the driver is not prohibited from filming his own video using a mobile phone or camera. You can also use data from the DVR.

You should make sure that the protocol is completed correctly. Mistakes made by the inspector can lead to victory in the dispute between the parties. It is highly not recommended to draw the attention of a traffic police officer to them.

The court's decision may:

• Leave the amount of the penalty unchanged;
• Mitigate the punishment;
• Cancel the fine;
• Remove the driver from driving the vehicle.

IMPORTANT !!! Therefore, before filing a claim, you should consult with a car lawyer. An excellent option would be to invite a lawyer to the court hearing. In this case, the chances of winning will increase significantly.

Is it possible to challenge a fine for driving through a prohibitory signal?

If a motorist has sufficient grounds to challenge the fines, he has the right to do so through the court. The judicial authority in this case is determined by the plaintiff himself: at the place of his registration or at the location of the traffic police, whose officer issued the decision on the offense. District courts are authorized to consider such cases.

For the court, along with the statement of claim, you must provide the following documents:

1. Protocol on administrative violation;
2. Resolution (on imposition of penalty);
3. Technical passport of the car;
4. Driver license;

It should be remembered that the right to go to court is retained for ten days (from the date of execution of the decision).

Can your license be revoked for running a red light in 2021?

Let's look at which cases face the maximum penalty, and where you can get away with it and avoid the worst-case scenario.

If the camera recorded it?

They will only be punished with a fine.

If you drive through a red light for the first time and are caught by an automatic recording camera, you will be fined 1,000 rubles. But for a repeated violation, the fine is fivefold - 5,000 rubles (Part 1 and Part 3 of Article 12.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

The good news is that there is no talk of deprivation of rights here. But at the same time, the risk of running into a fine increases - after all, there are many more cameras on the roads than traffic police inspectors, especially in large cities.

Repeated violation

It is fraught with punishment - either a fine of 5,000 rubles, or deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of 4 to 6 months.

But not everyone knows what a repeated violation is and from what date to start calculations? Repeated violation of driving at a red traffic light is a violation committed by you within a year from the date of payment of the fine, or from the date of returning your driver's license.

Example: on July 22, you were issued a violation order for running a red light, and on July 25, you paid the fine in full at the Sberbank cash desk. The period during which you cannot drive through a red light is from July 25 of the current year to July 25 of the next year. If you violate it, it will be considered a repeated violation, which means you will be punished under Part 3 of Art. 12.12 of the Code.

We also note that the 50% discount does not apply to repeated violations (Part 1.3 of Article 32.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). That is, you will say goodbye to 5,000 rubles entirely. For comparison, if you run a red light for the first time, you can count on a discount when paying a fine - that is, pay 500 instead of 1,000 rubles.

The first time I was caught on camera, and the second time the inspector

There is a looming threat of saying goodbye to your driver's license.

• If, in the case of repeatedly driving through a red light “under the camera,” you only expect a fine, then the traffic police inspector who caught you in the same situation will draw up a report. The text will contain a description of your violation, and below the traffic inspector will indicate whether you deserve to be deprived of your license. Next, the protocol will fall on the table of the traffic police authorities, and the highest ranks will render a verdict.
• If it was the other way around: the first time you were caught by a traffic police inspector, and the second time you were caught on camera, you would face a fine, not deprivation of your license.

It is also interesting that the police officer often records the violation visually. He does not take photos or videos, but looks out for reckless drivers with his own eyes (including in the dark). And based on what he saw, he draws up a protocol, draws a diagram and generally decides the fate of motorists. It is logical to assume that the traffic police inspector may make a mistake and not see exactly which traffic light you were following at the intersection - red, yellow or even green. Hence all sorts of errors. In fact, you may be charged with violating clause 6.15 of the traffic rules, but you did not violate anything. And it turns out that there is a looming threat of penalties for repeatedly running a red traffic light.

What to do? Collect and submit evidence in favor of your innocence: recordings from a car registrator, street CCTV cameras, traffic light layouts, their operating modes, opinions of random witnesses. If the collected evidence does not convince the traffic police inspector, it makes sense to fight for the truth at a hearing in the traffic police or in a magistrate’s court. This is in your own interests!

Didn't have time to pass or stopped at an intersection

And here we have two situations:

1. If you started a maneuver when the green traffic light was on/flashing, but did not have time to completely cross the intersection, the law allows you to continue driving and complete the maneuver. Even if the traffic light has already turned red. And if other drivers are ready to start driving on “their” green light, they must first wait until you complete the maneuver (Section 13.8 of the Traffic Rules).

The decision of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan is indicative: Case No. 12-299/2019 dated January 30, 2021 - the court canceled the fine for a driver from Tatarstan who started driving on green, but entered the intersection when it was red, as a result of which he caused an accident with a car from another direction .

1. If you cross the stop line on yellow or red, you will be fined 800 rubles (Part 2 of Article 12.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). When entering an intersection, the violation is already interpreted under Part 1 and Part 3 of the above-mentioned article of the Code - and there are either fines or deprivation of rights.
2. Another situation is if, having arrived at an intersection without violations, you get into a traffic jam of other cars - in this case you cannot get away with a fine, but it is much less - 1,000 rubles (Part 1 of Article 12.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Thus, in the cases described, you may receive a “letter of happiness” - you will have to seek the truth in the traffic police or in court.

What if I drove through a yellow light?

The fine can only be avoided by exception.

This exception is described in paragraph 6.14 of the traffic rules, and lies in the fact that you can drive through a yellow light if you do not have time to stop without emergency braking. The law allows you to drive further and cross the intersection. Yes, this creates a danger on the road, but other participants are still obliged to let you pass, and only then start driving on green.

An exception is an exception, and you will most likely receive a fine. And then you will have to run to the traffic police and the courts with evidence that otherwise you would have to brake urgently.

Another person was driving

The owner has the right to challenge the decision.

Yes, there is a fair remark in the law: the owner of the vehicle is released from administrative liability if it is revealed that the violation was not committed by him, but by another person in whose possession or use the vehicle was (Part 2 of Article 2.6.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) . Simply put, if you weren’t the one driving, appeal the decision on an accident for running a red light.

By the way, in most cases the courts side with the owners. The main thing is not to forget about the evidence. For example, a lease agreement, sublease, compulsory motor liability insurance policy, a statement to the police about the theft of a car, recordings from surveillance cameras, etc.

The court's decision is based on the absence of an administrative offense in the plaintiff's actions. Thus, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk canceled the fine for repeatedly running a red light, since the TOYOTA CAMRY was not driven by the owner, but by another driver under a sublease agreement (Decision No. 12-475/2020 of July 28, 2021). Another court decision in Nizhnevartovsk to cancel the case - the car was driven not by the owner, but by his wife.

Controversial situations and ways to avoid collection in such cases

Before the expiration of a year from the administrative violation for driving through a red light, the driver must clearly know the fact that this period has expired. Since this is primarily in the interests of the driver himself. Otherwise, a situation may arise when the inspector insists on a repeated violation of driving through a prohibitory traffic light, but the statute of limitations for the offense has actually expired.

In this situation, this is a possible deprivation of the right to drive (Part 3 of Article 12.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) from four to six months or a fine of 5,000 rubles.

In this case, the violator must operate Art. 4.6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and provide the necessary documents to prove the fact of expiration, this will help to avoid accidental mistakes. In any case, in a controversial situation, the driver can challenge the fine. It should be borne in mind that it makes sense to challenge the punishment if there is a solid basis of evidence of innocence .

It should be remembered that a violation at a railway crossing may be the driver’s last. Therefore, repeatedly running a red light on a railway track has a more severe penalty for the driver (you can find out what happens for running a red light through a railway crossing here).

For more information on what determines the size of the fine when crossing the stop line in front of a traffic light and what to do in controversial situations, read our material.