When driving through Czech intersections, misjudging a flashing amber or a suddenly expiring green arrow can result in severe financial penalties and points on a driver’s license. Recent regulatory clarifications and driving school advisories have brought renewed attention to the risks. In recent social media coverage highlighting the issue, an instructor from Autoškola Vlasty Tiché dubbed the supplementary green turn signal the “falešnice falešná” (false deceiver), drawing attention to the abrupt nature of the signal change.
The Mechanics of the Green Arrow
Under Czech traffic law, a supplementary green arrow—or multiple arrows—illuminated simultaneously with a red or yellow light permits a driver to proceed in the indicated direction. Drivers must yield the right-of-way to vehicles moving in a free direction and must not endanger or restrict crossing pedestrians. Unlike a standard yellow traffic light that precedes a red signal, a supplementary green arrow offers no visual warning before it abruptly goes dark.
Steep Penalties and Points
According to driving school demonstrations and commentary, if the arrow expires while a vehicle is entering the intersection and police intervene, a driver faces a penalty of six points on their driver’s license.
On-the-spot fines can range from 4 500 až 5 500 Kč, while administrative proceedings can escalate penalties from 7 000 až 25 000 Kč, alongside an additional 2 500 Kč fee for the administrative process itself.
Ministry Clarifies Enforcement Nuance
However, the Czech Ministry of Transport clarifies that enforcement is not strictly black-and-white. Alena Mühl of the Ministry’s press department confirmed that the situation is assessed similarly to driving through a yellow light.
“If you enter the intersection at a time when the supplementary green arrow was lit, you initiated the movement legitimately. The fact that the arrow goes out and the red light turns on during the completion of the turn does not mean running a red light,” Mühl stated.
Absence of Warning Lights
When asked why the supplementary green signal does not blink or provide a warning before extinguishing, Ministry officials responded that Czech legislation imposes no such requirement. The legal obligation remains on the driver to monitor traffic conditions, adjust speed, and enter an intersection only when permitted by the active signal.
Individual Police Evaluation
Legal analysts and transit experts note that passing through an intersection immediately after a green arrow extinguishes does not automatically trigger a six-point penalty and fine in every instance. Police officers evaluate specific actions individually, and minor infractions immediately following a signal change can prove difficult to prosecute under standard statutory definitions of social harmfulness.
Instructors continue to advise motorists to approach intersections cautiously, reduce speed when turning on a green arrow, and maintain sharp focus on signal indicators to avoid potential disputes with traffic authorities.
Worth a look
