Washington State Running a Red Light Laws

In Washington State, drivers who fail to obey traffic control signals and devices, such as a red light, may be issued a ticket. If you were recently charged with running a red light, an experienced traffic attorney from Callahan Law can assist you in fighting your traffic ticket. Having a traffic ticket on your driving record could affect your insurance premiums or even your employment if you are a commercial driver. As a result, it may well be worth the cost to have legal representation to defend you and your driving record.

You should immediately call us if you are thinking about contesting the ticket, because deadlines are involved.  If you don’t pay the fine or ask to contest or mitigate the charge by the deadline, you could have the matter referred to a collection agency and the Department of Licensing to  suspend your driver’s license.

Washington State law states that all drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians must obey official traffic control devices, such as traffic lights, unless traffic is being directed by a police or traffic officer—authorized emergency vehicles are the exception to the rule.

This law may not be enforced, however, if the traffic light is not in the proper position or visible to the average person. For example, if the light has burnt out and an ordinarily observant person could not tell that the light was red, the driver cannot be charged with violating the law.

When the driver comes to a red light, he or she must stop the vehicle at or before  a clearly marked stop line until the light turns green. The vehicle should not stop within the lines of a crosswalk.  If the driver is turning right, or turning left from a one-way or two-way street onto a one-way street, the driver must remain stopped until the vehicles that have the green light have completed their movements. Drivers who are making a turn must also wait for pedestrians to cross the intersection first. Only after the intersection is clear can the driver lawfully make the turn.

While an officer may ticket a driver for running a red light, more and more jurisdictions are beginning to use red-light cameras in order to catch drivers who violate the law. If you received a ticket after being caught on camera, you should speak with an attorney at Callahan Law to fight the charge.

The traffic attorneys at Callahan Law can help if you have recently been charged with running a red light in Washington State. Contact us today to get started fighting your ticket.