This very common infraction on pedestrian crossings gives rise to a fine of a rather extraordinary amount.
On pedestrian crossings, there are those who wait until they no longer see any cars to cross and there are those, more in a hurry, who take advantage of the slightest respite to move on. There are also the motorists who stop to let pedestrians pass – sometimes receiving a small friendly gesture in return – and those who continue to drive as if the white stripes placed on the ground had never existed. However, these horizontal strips have adorned French roads since the 1970s, after replacing nails, hence the old name zebra crossings. On these crossings, most often located at crossroads or at the exit of roundabouts, motorists are obliged to give priority to pedestrians, an obligation far from always being respected, we grant you that.
However, not giving way to a pedestrian can be very expensive if the latter has already entered the road. The offense is punishable by a withdrawal of 6 points on the driving license and a fine of 135 euros. The driver can even be prosecuted criminally in the event of an accident. But does the pedestrian always have priority? No, because he too can be caught by the patrol. As protected as he is by the Highway Code, the pedestrian also has duties. That of not crossing the street when the little man at the traffic light is red is one of them. And this regardless of the traffic conditions.
However, who has never crossed a street when no car is on the horizon? The temptation is then great to anticipate the transition to green to save a little time. And even if you don’t do it yourself, we see pedestrians crossing on red every day. Many may not know this, but it is an offense punishable by law. The police have the possibility of fining a passer-by who crosses the street when it is not their turn. The amount of the fine incurred by the offender is also quite surprising. Very far from the 135 euros charged to the motorist who does not give way, the rebellious pedestrian risks a fine of… 4 euros. And be careful if he doesn’t pay on time, the fine can go up to 7 euros!
For motorists, however, it is important to know that their liability may still be incurred in the event of a collision on a pedestrian crossing with a passer-by who has crossed on red. Indeed, as stipulated in the Highway Code, the driver must remain in control of his vehicle in all circumstances. He can therefore be prosecuted criminally if the accident caused bodily harm to the pedestrian, although not being the cause of the collision.