A new traffic regulation that penalizes drivers for running yellow lights has stirred up controversy since it took effect on January 1， 2013. under the new regulation， the strictest to date in china， drivers running a yellow traffic light will have six points deducted from the 12 points allocated to their drivers licenses. Previously， drivers were docked only three points for driving through red light.

traffic authorities reiterated that yellow lights are there to remind drivers to reduce speed when approaching an intersection. if a car is partly over the stop line when the light changes from green to yellow， it is permitted to cross the intersection. But cars that have not reached the stop line are prohibited from driving through a yellow light. on January 7， in response to rising public questioning of its validity， the authorities said currently they would not punish yellow light jumpers but help to correct the violation.

under current traffic regulations， drivers who lose all 12 allocated license points are required to attend a seven-day course of on traffic rules and pass a written exam before they can drive again.

supporters say harsh punishment of yellow light runners will correct bad driving habits and protect the publics safety. however， others maintain that the rule may result in accidents like rear-end collisions and that the punishment lacks legal grounds as there are no explicit provisions for it in the law.

Zhou Chengran Ph.D - law

Harsh punishment for running yellow lights shows that we value the safety of lives over smooth traffic flow. According to traffic regulations， drivers at yellow lights have a limited right to pass through the intersection， while green lights permit vehicles at the nearby side of the crossing to go. In China， a country that is quickly adopting a car culture， drivers should develop the habit of reducing speed ahead of time when approaching intersections and giving way to pedestrians.

In our current society with such diversified interests， it is impossible for a new policy to satisfy everyone. Disagreements sometimes do not arise from what is "right or wrong，" but from what is more important. In this case， peoples safety is obviously what should be put first. Running yellow lights makes pedestrians feel unsafe， and even threatens lives. Harsh punishment for such behavior should be encouraged and carried out.

Jia lijun Lawyer

Different traffic light colors have their respective functions： green allows traffic to proceed in the direction shown， red signals the driver to stop and yellow is a caution that the signal is in the process of change. If the penalty for running a yellow light is the same as that for a red light， why is it necessary to have yellow lights？ It is a kind of lax law enforcement if yellow light runner are penalized the same as those who run red lights.

Citizens behaviors that are not explicitly forbidden by the law should not be punished. It is one of the basic principles of Chinas Law on Administrative Penalties. Administrative penalties are invalid if they are not imposed in accordance with the law. In this case， Chinas traffic laws neither say running a yellow light is illegal nor set punishment criteria for such behavior. Therefore， as an administrative penalty， deducting allocated points from drivers licenses for running yellow lights lacks the legal grounds.

Wang Shengli Iqilu.com

Driving through yellow lights is as dangerous as running red ones. Those who criticize the new regulation are actually excusing themselves for bad driving habits. People ignore the warning of yellow lights and drive through intersections whether the light is yellow or not. The new regulation， depriving some people of such "privilege，" inevitably makes some drivers feel uncomfortable. Strict regulations， although initially uncomfortable， will eradicate potential safety hazards in the long term.

It is a cardinal rule that every driver should slow down when crossing an intersection. Rear-end collisions or emergency braking can be totally avoided. Drivers keeping safety in mind will always have their eyes on traffic signs， as well as surrounding vehicles and pedestrians. Colliding with vehicles ahead because of a changing traffic light actually results from drivers neglecting driving safely and the rules of the road.

yuan guangkuo Xian Evening News

A ban on jumping yellow lights will correct bad driving habits.

Before this rule was implemented， many drivers would accelerate their vehicles during the seconds between the yellow and red lights. This can easily lead to traffic accidents.

Although some may feel uncomfortable with a harsh punishment for this transgression and regard it as unreasonable， they will understand the good intention behind the regulation in the long term.

In China， an environment where everyone follows traffic regulations has not yet been formed. Instead of thinking of the safety of others， people just think of how quickly they can rush through the crossing while the light is yellow. Drivers have to develop the habit of slowing down at yellow lights.

fu Dalin Beijing Times

We can find no clear evidence in Chinas current laws stipulating that running a yellow light is illegal. People approve or oppose the new regulations based on the interpretation of certain provisions in the law. When deciding how to interpret relevant provisions， the logic followed should be in line with the principles and objectives of the legislation. Generally， the law should be interpreted in a way where peoples civil rights are respected and protected. Otherwise， the law may be abused to infringe on peoples rights.

In the case of whether running a yellow right is illegal or not， the logic that seemingly safeguards rights of those being punished will actually result in threatening the safety of other drivers， pedestrians and even those violating the regulation.

The objective of traffic laws is to safeguard public safety. While being in line with the principles of legislation， harsh penalties set by law will effectively establish the warning function of a yellow light and help people to develop good driving etiquette.

In regard to peoples concerns that drivers may have no time to stop the vehicle as yellow lights turn on， I suggest traffic authorities make detailed explanations， focus on penalizing intentional traffic violators and adopt complete mechanisms to identify traffic violations.

yan Jing Driver

It is hard for a driver to never run a yellow light. Current traffic rules stipulate that if any part of the car is over the stop line when the light turns yellow， it is okay to proceed with no penalty. If the driver is now forced to stop， inertia will continue to move the vehicle for meters before stopping even if the driver step on the brake hard.

And in reality， many traffic lights do not have countdown timers， which means it is impossible for drivers to know when the light will turn yellow. To avoid running a yellow light， drivers have to slow down early enough to stop at any time， which may cause traffic jams. A failure to do so will result in emergency braking when the light turns yellow， and may result in accidents such as rear-end collisions.

liu peng iqilu.com

I do not think it is time to implement such a rule.

For one thing， demanding no running yellow lights goes against scientific theory， Newtons first law of motion to be specific. Experiments conclude that vehicles have to travel 25 meters before they can fully come to a stop when moving at 30 kph. Based on this， when the yellow lights come on， and the vehicle is within 25 meters from the stop line， it is too late to apply the brake to avoid running the light. Therefore， if driving through yellow lights is to be punished， there should be clear signs reminding drivers to stop in time. More specifically， drivers should be warned three to five seconds ahead， before the light turns yellow， at least 25 meters from the stop line. There are no such signs right now at most intersections in China.

In addition， technology used to identify traffic violators needs to be improved， as claimed by the traffic authorities in Jinan， the capital city of east Chinas Shandong Province. When there is a lack of efficient technical means， penalties have to be based on human judgments， which may result in unfairness and go against the principles of justice.

As long as the above-mentioned problems are not solved， there shouldnt be such harsh penalties for drivers running yellow lights.