So I found out that running a red light in Brazil is much more serious than I thought. People who do this get a fine of R$ 293.47 and lose 7 points on their CNH (driver's license) all at once. I mean, this is classified as a very serious infraction according to the Código de Trânsito. And accumulating these points is dangerous because it can jeopardize your right to drive.

What I found interesting is that it's not always that simple. There are some situations where the law allows passing, like turning right if there is signage, or when emergency vehicles with sirens are passing. But outside of that, it's basically mandatory to stop when the signal is red.

The ( pardais ), those 'speed cameras,' capture an image of the car at the moment it crosses the line after the signal turns red. There's a small delay between the yellow light changing to red and the sensor activating, but that doesn't save anyone. Many people think they can pass during the transition, but it's too risky.

The coolest part is that you can check your fines on the portal of the Secretaria Nacional de Trânsito, and paying early gets you a discount. Anyone who wants to avoid the headache of running a red light should just slow down when they see the yellow light. It's that simple.