Red Light Jump Challan – Fine for Jumping Red Light Signal in India

Red Light Jumping Challans – An Introduction

India has always witnessed a growing incidence of deaths and mishaps taking place due to varied accidents on the road. This has taken place not only due to the higher proportion of vehicles on roads today, but also due to the failure of citizens in following traffic rules and safe driving practices. One of the prime causes of accidents is jumping red lights. Traffic signals exist in order to manage the overall flow of traffic, particularly at junctions and intersections. The red colour of a traffic light which indicates that you should slow down and stop at the traffic signal. The yellow light alerts people to start slowing down for either stopping or starting. The green light is what allows people to get moving again.

Is a red light jump allowed? 

Jumping a red light or breaking the traffic signal is not legal and is an offence or violation of the traffic rules. It is deemed illegal by the Indian Motor Vehicle Act.

Red light jumping challan – Things to know 

You will have to pay a jumping red light fine if you break the signal or violate the traffic rule. You will be given a red light jump challan of Rs. 1,000 for breaking or not following the traffic signal or light. Prior to the Motor Vehicle Act amendment, a fine of roughly Rs. 100-300 was chargeable as the red light jump fine.

The signal jump challan penalty is similar for all vehicles which are breaking the signals on roads. This is not dependent on the specific vehicle type.

The procedure followed after breaking the traffic signal

If you break a traffic signal or red light, then here are the procedural aspects that will happen thereafter:

• Your vehicle will be stopped by the traffic police officer on the side of the road.
• The police officer will ask to see all your relevant documents of the vehicle including the driving license and the RC book as well. These documents will then be verified for authenticity by the police officer.
• The police officer will then issue the jumping red light challan either offline through the official slip or even online.
• If the challan has been given to your offline, then you should venture to the traffic police station nearest to your location. You will have to ask the traffic police officers present there about the fine that is pending. You will have to pay up this amount and stay free of the liability or obligation.
• If you have been given the challan online, then you should visit the website of your State Transport Department. Find the tab which covers the payment for violating traffic rules or challans. Enter the challan or vehicle number thereafter. You have to then pay the amount stated in the challan. You can make use of your credit or debit card for completing the payment.
• Whatever you do, be it offline or online, ensure that you keep the receipt of this payment safely with you for reference in the future.

Once you pay this fine, then you will be completely free of any liabilities or obligations.

Process to Pay Challan for Jumping Red Light Signal in India

Most metro cities in India have CCTV cameras installed in prominent traffic signals. This helps the traffic police in the country to remotely monitor the vehicle owners who jump traffic lights. When they see an offender breaking the traffic rules, the traffic police issue challans against the vehicle owners. Thus, jumping a signal is an offense that attracts a penalty in the form of a fine issued through a challan. To avoid a challan, one should avoid jumping signals. However, if you are levied with a challan for red light jumping, you must pay the fine offline or online before the last date.

Challan Payment via Offline Procedure 

To submit the red-light jumping challan offline, follow the steps given below:

• Visit a Traffic Police Station near you
• Enquire about your challan details
• Submit the payment after checking the details
• Keep the challan receipt safely with you

Challan Payment via Online Procedure 

To submit the red-light jumping challan online, follow the steps given below:

• Go to the website of the Department of Transport of your respective state
• Click on the ‘Challan payment’ button
• Now, enter your vehicle registration number or your challan number
• Check the challan details
• You will see the tab ‘Pay Now’. Once you click on the tab, you will be redirected to the page of the payment gateway
• Choose the mode of payment from the given options that are available on the page
• Make the payment online using your preferred payment mode
• You will receive a message of payment confirmation
• Download the receipt for future purpose

Fine for Red Light Jumping in Different Indian States in 2024

The amended bill related to fines imposed for breaking traffic signals in India was implemented by the government on September 1, 2019. The fine for red light jumping was increased from INR 100 to INR 1000. Further, the installation of cameras on prominent traffic signals made it easy for the traffic police to catch the offenders and send them e-challans on their address or phone number.

Below is a list of states in India with updated challan rates:

States	Fine Amount
Red Light Jump Challan in Andhra Pradesh	INR 1000
Red Light Jump Challan in Delhi	INR 1000
Red Light Jump Challan in Haryana	INR 5000
Red Light Jump Challan in Karnataka	INR 500
Red Light Jump Challan in Maharashtra	INR 200
Red Light Jump Challan in Punjab	INR 500 – INR 1000
Red Light Jump Challan in Telangana	INR 500
Red Light Jump Challan in Uttar Pradesh	INR 300 – INR 500
Red Light Jump Challan in West Bengal	INR 100

How to Avoid Signal Jumping? Some Tips!

Driving is a responsible task and everyone should drive with a sense of responsibility. The driver must obey all traffic laws while driving so that they do not put the lives of people on the road at risk. Also, it will impose heavy traffic fines on them. To avoid traffic violations, you may follow the tips given below:

• Never overspeed your vehicle while approaching a signal
• Be mindful of U-turns. Don’t forget to use the indicator
• Always slow your vehicle down before you reach the traffic signal
• Keep the brakes of your vehicle serviced regularly to have better control of speed