Is Running a Red Light on a Traffic Officer’s Command Subject to Post-Offense Penalties?

Specifically, Article 11 of the 2024 Road Traffic Order and Safety Law clearly states:

Road users must comply with road signs in the following order: instructions from traffic controllers; traffic light signals; road signs; lane markings; and other road surface markings…

Therefore, when approaching an intersection with a red light, but a traffic police officer directs vehicles to proceed, road users must follow this instruction and will not be penalized.

In cases where there is no traffic controller signaling permission to proceed through a red light, and a driver intentionally violates this rule, they will be subject to penalties.

According to Decree 168/2024, effective from January 1, 2025, car drivers who fail to comply with traffic light signals will face fines ranging from 18 to 20 million VND (previously 3-4 million VND).

Motorcycle riders will be fined 4-6 million VND (previously 800,000-1 million VND); cyclists and moped riders will face fines of 150,000-250,000 VND; and pedestrians violating red lights will also be fined 150,000-250,000 VND, 2.5 times higher than before.

For on-the-spot fines, the surveillance camera system operators will send images of violators to traffic police officers on duty, who will then show the violators the evidence before issuing a fine.

For automated fines, police will show drivers the images or videos capturing the entire sequence of the violation before issuing a ticket, ensuring objectivity in the process.

Note that if you receive an automated fine despite following a traffic police officer’s instructions, you have the right to contact the relevant authorities to file a complaint and seek resolution.