Fighting a Ticket for Running a Red Light

Whether you didn't notice the light changing or were trying to beat it, a police officer who sees you run a red light likely will pull you over. If you've received a red light ticket, you're not alone. Red light violations are among the most common traffic tickets that drivers receive. Here is basic information about fighting a red light ticket.

Red Light Laws

Most state laws on stoplights read something like this:

A driver facing a steady circular red signal shall stop at a marked limit line, or if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection.

The elements of this offense that the government must prove are basically the same as for driving through a stop sign, with one obvious exception—stop signs are constant while traffic lights cycle through from colors from green to yellow to red.

In most states, it's legal to drive through an intersection when the light is green or yellow. Generally, as long as the front of your vehicle entered the intersection (passed the crosswalk or limit line) before the light turned red, you haven't broken the stoplight law.

The laws of most states also allow drivers to turn right at a red light after making a complete stop. However, some city ordinances prohibit right turns on red lights even though it's legal under state law. Many states also allow drivers on a one-way street to turn left at a red light after making a complete stop if they're turning onto another one-way street (unless posted signs prohibit a left turn on red).

Stoplight Ticket Defenses

Unless your red light ticket was issued by an automated camera system—which many states use to catch red-light violators—the government's evidence will typically consist of only the testimony of the officer who issued the ticket. So, stoplight ticket defenses generally focus on casting doubt on the officer's perception of events—although it's possible the officer had a dashboard camera that caught the violation.

The Officer's View of the Limit Line

As previously noted, if you cross the limit line prior to the light turning red, you usually haven't broken the law.

The only time an officer has a really good view of when your car entered an intersection is when the officer is sitting directly to the side of, and close to, the intersection. But chances are the cop was someplace else—sitting across the street in a parking lot, perhaps.

You can cross-examine the officer as to exactly where the officer was when you entered the intersection. Ask the officer whether other cars were in a position to obscure the view of the intersection. Then, when it's your turn to testify, provide detailed testimony, making it clear where you were when you saw the light turn yellow and how far you were across the intersection when it turned red. Make a simple diagram like the one below (adapted for your particular situation, of course) and show it to the judge.

When a judgment call is involved (such as the location of your front bumper when a light turns red), two observers are always far better than one. So, if someone who was riding in your front seat can testify that the light was still yellow when you entered the intersection, it can strengthen your defense.

The Officer's View of Your Signal

Another defense to a red light ticket focuses on the officer not being able to see the signal that allegedly turned red before you entered the intersection.

When a light turns green, we assume the light for cross-traffic has simultaneously turned red. For example, if an officer approaches an intersection with a green light and sees you drive across the intersection, the officer will assume you ran a red light and won't later check to be sure that the light changes were synchronized. Sometimes they aren't. If you can go back to the scene and document that the light was mistimed, you should be entitled to an acquittal. Although it's unlikely a light was mistimed, don't dismiss this possibility—neither machines nor the people who time them are infallible.

Defenses That Don't Work

People run lights for a lot of reasons, but those reasons generally aren't going to help you beat a ticket in court. Some common excuses that aren't valid legal defenses are:

• You were late for work or school or otherwise in a hurry.
• You didn't notice the light and didn't mean to run it.
• You were under a lot of stress at home, school, or work.

Saying you didn't see the red light because a truck or bus in front of you obstructed your view generally won't work as a defense. It's typically a driver's responsibility to follow far enough behind another vehicle to be able to see a traffic light.

With that said, if all you have is an excuse, it's possible you could come across a sympathetic judge who will reduce your fine or allow you to do traffic school for dismissal (but these options might not be available under your state's laws). If you have a clean driving record, you might find yourself before a generous judge who will dismiss your case in rare instances, but don't count on it.