One of the things you might notice when strolling through a Danish city is that people tend to stop and wait for the lights to go green at pedestrian traffic lights – even if there’s not a vehicle in sight.
This is often cited as an example of high conformity and respect for the rules in Danish society. But are there any actual laws that prohibit crossing on a red, or jaywalking as it’s sometimes called?
The short answer to this question is yes, it’s illegal to cross on a red light and there’s a specific clause in the law saying so.
You can find this in chapter 3, part 7 of the country’s traffic laws for pedestrians, which states that at signalled pedestrian crossings, “the carriageway and cycle path may only be entered when the signal for pedestrians shows a green light”.
If a police officer spots you ignoring this rule they can issue a fine of 700 kroner, according to the most recent list of police traffic fines.
According to the table of traffic fines, pedestrians can be given the 700 kroner penalty for “crossing or walking along the carriageway, etc. (not using pavement, pedestrian crossing, etc.)” as well as for failure to comply with traffic light signals – in other words, crossing on a red light.
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Incidentally, a review of the table of fines shows that pedestrians can also be hit with a 700 kroner penalty for jumping or holding on to a moving vehicle, including standing on its side steps while the car is moving. The use of “sleds, skis, skates, roller skates, and similar” for the same purpose can get you the same fine. Likewise, rollerskating or skateboarding along the road is prohibited.
You can also be fined 700 kroner for walking on a motorway or dual carriageway.
Given that the law states you can be fined 700 kroner for walking onto a pedestrian crossing when the light is red, it’s understandable that most people in Denmark adhere to the signals.
There’s not just a theoretical risk you can be fined if a police officer spots you crossing on a red light.
In a 2021 report, a police officer in Funen town Svendborg told local media Fyns Amts Avis that a man had been fined for doing just that, thereby getting in the way “of a car that was proceeding through the intersection”.
Even if there are no vehicles approaching the traffic lights, you should not expect police to look the other way if caught jaywalking.
“We don’t necessarily turn a blind eye if we see someone crossing at a red light. It’s provocative to us if a patrol car is sitting at the intersection and someone does it anyway. In such cases, you can definitely expect a fine,” the officer, Christian Billesø of Funen Police, said at the time.
A spate of police fines for similar offences was also reported in Jutland by local media Vejle Amts Folkeblad in 2020.
“Don’t cross at a red light. It’s illegal, and you risk getting hit by a car,” police inspector Mikkel Ross told the paper.
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