Cost of violations increase: ‘Drivers will have to prove their innocence’
In Russia, fines for refusing to stop at the request of a traffic inspector have been raised — a change that could create additional opportunities for abuse by traffic police officers
What’s new
On July 18, amendments to the legislation came into force in Russia, tightening liability for traffic violations. The main change is a significant increase in the fine for refusing to stop when requested by an inspector.
Previously, the fine ranged from 500 to 800 rubles; now it has risen more than tenfold — from 7,000 to 10,000 rubles.
Other new measures include increased liability for truck owners who refuse to undergo weight and dimension control, as well as violations when passing through automated weight control checkpoints (for vehicles with a gross weight over 3.5 tonnes). The fine for truck owners can reach 600,000 rubles.
New fines for issuing special permits for overweight vehicles are as follows:
- For individuals: 3,000–5,000 rubles
- For officials: 20,000–30,000 rubles
- For legal entities: 50,000–150,000 rubles
“Additional fines may create problems for freight carriers”
Motor lawyer Vladlen Kopvillem commented to Realnoe Vremya on the recent legislative changes concerning traffic violation fines. The expert shared his professional opinion on the increased penalties for refusing to stop at the request of an inspector. According to him, the substantial increase in fines — up to 10,000 rubles — is unjustified. He placed particular emphasis on the issue of proving whether the demand to stop was actually made.
The expert believes that the new regulations could create additional opportunities for abuse by traffic police and result in unjustified fines for drivers.
As for the weight control of freight vehicles, Kopvillem considers the new measures excessive. “The weight and dimension control system already includes strict measures, and additional fines could create problems for freight carriers,” the expert notes.