The first driver's license in Russia appeared in the pre-revolutionary period - in 1900. Their issuance was regulated by the decree of the mayor of St. Petersburg "On the procedure for passenger traffic by car." Examinations for obtaining rights began to take a little later. And the first division into categories appeared already under the Soviet regime in 1923. For more than a hundred years, the document itself and the issuance of driver’s licenses have undergone repeated changes and innovations. Dramatic changes the Russian driver’s license was introduced in 2011, when the format of the document according to the European standard was approved.
New format
Since 2011, Russia has been operating with a new type of rights. In appearance, the form resembles a plastic card made in blue and pink colors. Imagine what the rights of the new model look like, will not be difficult. All output data of a person are indicated on the front side: name and surname, date and place of birth, date of issue and validity, name and seal of the issuing authority, photograph and signature of the owner, certificate number and name of the country. Visually, the driver’s license of the new sample on the front side is divided into two unequal parts. In the middle left is a color photo of 3 x 4 cm. The name of the country is printed above the photo (the Latin abbreviation accepted according to international standards is RUS). Under the photo is the personal signature of the owner of the rights.
The second part occupies approximately two thirds of the total plane. Above is the name of the document - “driver's license”. The next few lines are the owner's output, which is filled out both in Russian and in Latin. A separate item is the date of issue and validity, the name of the authorized body, below is the series and number of the certificate, which are also recorded on the back. The place of residence is even lower, the categories of vehicles for which driving rights are granted are indicated below.
On the reverse side of the plastic, a bar code is vertically located on the left edge, which makes it possible to read information about the driver. On the right is a table of categories of vehicles. One column indicates the letter designation of the categories, next to each letter is a picture of the vehicle. The next column contains the date of confirmation of the right to drive a vehicle of a specific category and then the expiration date. Under the table, driving experience can be indicated, some personal data, for example, TIN number. Also, a series and a document number are necessarily printed.
Special Marks
New trends in the development of the transport industry and the consequences of their implementation dictate the need to record in the certificates all the new nuances. Recently, new marks in Latin appeared in the document: AT, AS, MS. They are affixed on the reverse side of the form, in a tablet, opposite the category to which they apply.
AT is indicated if the motorist passed the driving test for a vehicle with an automatic transmission. But further it is more difficult. For many citizens who have received the rights of a new model, decoding AS causes a lot of difficulties. The most interesting thing is that not every inspector can explain in plain form in the department where the document is issued.This abbreviation, which stands for automotive steering, is placed opposite the subcategory B1. In simple terms, this mark entitles the motorist to drive motorcycles and tricycles only with an automobile type of steering wheel - that is, the steering wheel in the literal sense, as well as with car-type seats. The mentioned mark is put in the right if category A is not open.
If the car owner has category A open, but there is no category B and its subcategory B1, the subcategory A1 is indicated where the mark MS is put. This is an abbreviation for English motorcycle steering. Its presence in the A1 subcategory means that the driver has the right to drive vehicles with a motorcycle type of steering wheel and landing.
Expanding the range of vehicle categories
Legislators have tried to ensure that the vehicle category introduced in the driver’s license of the new model reflects to the maximum the driver’s skills in driving a particular vehicle. The latest changes to the list of categories of vehicles in Russia were made in 2013. Seven new categories have been added to the rights of the new model. Strictly speaking, these are subcategories within the framework of the existing gradation of the vehicle.
In particular, the A1 subcategory was introduced, which regulates the driving of light motorcycles with engine power up to 126 cubic centimeters. B1 provides for the right to drive tricycles and quadricycles. Vehicles weighing from 2.5 to 7.5 tons are included in the subcategory C1, C1E provides for driving these cars with a trailer, the weight of which does not exceed 750 kg.
Minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats, as well as with a trailer weighing at least 750 kg, are regulated by categories D1 and D1E. M provides the ability to control mopeds, scooters, quadricycles with an engine capacity of up to 50 cubic centimeters. This category can be put in the presence of any other. Trams and trolleybuses received the Latin alphabet - Tm and Tb, respectively.
As follows from the innovations, two sub-categories were added to the main categories. This is due to the expansion of automated technology. Indeed, today, in addition to cars and motorbikes, a whole range of new vehicles has appeared, both in individual entertainment and in the industrial field.
Category Features
Category A1, included in the rights of the new model, means that the driver can control the scooter. This subcategory can be assigned automatically if you pass the exam for category A. B1 makes it possible to drive tricycles and quadricycles. It should be noted that the ATV is fundamentally different from the ATV, and you can’t operate it with the usual driver’s license.
The letter E attached to category B means that the owner of the certificate has the right to drive a car with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg, but not more than 3.5 tons, including the weight of the equipped car. C1 provides for driving cars weighing from 3.5 to 7.5 tons, as well as with a trailer of not more than 750 kg. CE is driving a category C car with a trailer of not more than 3.5 tons. This category can only be opened with C. The next subcategory - C1E - gives the right to drive C1 transport weighing up to 7.5 tons with a trailer whose weight does not exceed the mass of the vehicle itself without cargo. The total weight of the vehicle should not exceed 12 tons. All these rules are also valid for minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats: these are categories D1, DE and D1E.
Specific vehicles
In addition to standard cars and trucks, vehicles such as snowmobiles and ATVs have become very popular in recent years. They also require a separate driver's license of a new type. According to the rules, the rights of a tractor driver are necessary to manage them. To do this, you need to take individual exams, having previously passed training at the State Technical Supervision Service, as well as in specialized educational institutions.Some driving schools may provide the opportunity for such training, but finding them is difficult. For exams, you must bring, among other documents, the usual driver’s license.
To obtain the rights of a tractor driver, first of all, you need to pass the theory of safety rules when operating self-propelled machines. Then - the general rules of the road. In the presence of the usual rights to pass traffic rules is not required. The applicant is also required to pass an exam for the provision of first aid. In addition, a practical driving test is provided, where a snake is performed, maneuvers in a limited space, direct driving and driving to the garage. According to the test results, the corresponding rights with open category A are issued.
Loader Features
Forklifts and electric forklifts also apply to vehicles. Since they are technical equipment that ensures the working process at the enterprise, it is the employer who can direct this technique to training. Classes are held at Gostekhnadzor, although today some driving schools also provide related services. In order to obtain the rights to a new type of loader, in addition to the traditional passing of the theoretical and practical parts of the exam, it is still necessary to study the structure and mechanism of operation of such vehicles.
And what about the electrical equipment? Yes, in principle, exactly the same. To get the rights to a new type electric forklift, exams are taken separately. If everything is fine, documents can be issued on the same day. Such driver’s licenses are also divided into categories, depending on the engine power of the vehicle. Today, the rights to a new type of loader are in great demand, as quite a lot of employers are looking for employees with an existing certificate.
Entrance Examinations
The issuance of driver’s licenses for almost a hundred years has been carried out exclusively based on the results of exams passed, including the theoretical part - the rules of the road - and the driving itself. With the introduction of new norms in the legislation of Russia, the requirements for examinations, as well as for the driving schools themselves, which were forced to license their activities, were tightened.
One of the main requirements today is compulsory attendance at driving schools. To skip, and then come to the exams, as if nothing had happened, will now fail. Admission to exams is issued only to those who have been trained in vocational training, retraining or advanced training. The presence of medical contraindications and the fact of reaching a certain age are also checked. From 16 years old, a teenager has the right to study and pass exams in categories M and A1, from 18 years old - A, B, C, B1 and C1. And the management of heavy trucks, trams and trolleybuses is permissible only from the age of 21.
Also, obtaining a number of newly introduced subcategories is possible only if certain categories are available. For example, to pass an exam and get the right to drive a car of categories BE, CE, DE is possible only with open cat. B, C and D, valid for at least a year.
Moreover, in order to obtain the minimum necessary driving experience, a person must leave with the instructor the number of hours specified by law. The cadet must provide inspectors with a special document, which is the basis for admission to the exam. According to current standards, this amount is 50 hours (for beginners, if there is experience in driving a car, shortened training programs are provided in driving schools). The rules for passing exam tests have also been tightened. Previously, the exam consisted of two parts.
The first is tests for knowledge of traffic rules. The practical part was a rental on a racetrack with a traffic police inspector sitting nearby. Now, another step has been added - driving a car in traffic conditions.To obtain rights no more than five penalty points are allowed. If at least one stage of the test is failed, a retake is assigned, not earlier than a week later. If three consecutive attempts fail, the next exam can only be scheduled after a month. Rights of a new model are issued for ten years.
Today, motorists are given the opportunity to choose to take exams on a car with a manual or automatic transmission. If you select a car with a “machine”, the corresponding mark is put in the driver’s license - AT.
Substitution of rights
Despite the fact that new driver’s licenses have been valid since 2011, you don’t need to run to the traffic police to change the rights to a new model if they have not expired. Replaced or restored are lost and expired forms and documents that have become unusable. It is also necessary to issue a new certificate if a person has changed his first or last name. In these cases, exams are not required to obtain new rights. It is worth mentioning that the mere fact that the document has expired does not entail any sanctions. However, if the driver is caught with such a license while driving, he faces a fine of between five and 15 thousand rubles. In addition, he will be suspended from driving, and the car will go to the traffic police fine parking.
Replacement is made in the traffic police unit at the place of registration. To replace the rights, you need to provide a passport, a medical certificate and an old driver's license. Also, it is not superfluous to grab a driver’s card about the end of training. Although it, as a rule, is not required, but you never know what. In addition, it makes sense to take a passport with you so that the transliteration of the name and surname does not differ in the documents.
When replacing a certificate, the state duty is 2 thousand rubles.
The cost of driving right
With the introduction of amendments to the legislation regulating the activities of driving schools, of course, the pricing policy has also changed. The average price increase was 30-40%. However, the final cost of a driver’s license, the cost of which also includes a state fee, has increased markedly. Of course, the cost of a driving school - training, city driving with an instructor - make up the lion's share of the budget. Moreover, with the introduction of automated racetracks, the price will increase even more.
Meanwhile, a lot of money goes to pay for public services. This year, amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation came into force. According to them, plastic rights from January 1 of this year increased in price from 800 rubles to 2 thousand. The state duty on registration of international rights has also increased - up to 1.6 thousand rubles.
Previously, the cost was 1 thousand rubles. In addition, the exam process itself has risen in price. Each subsequent retake is also taxed. For example, for the second attempt on theory, you will have to pay 1 thousand rubles, on the circuit - 1.5 thousand, in the city the retake will cost 2 thousand rubles. If we add up all the expenses (training at a driving school, ordering certificates, buying traffic rules, making photos, extra hours of driving, passing an exam in the traffic police), we get an amount of about 50 thousand rubles.
Experts have already roughly estimated that only on exams in the practical part will the new state duties allow the traffic police to earn 7.6 billion rubles.
Authentication
In the summer of 2014, the traffic police presented a new service. With it, it is easy to verify the driver’s license for authenticity. Moreover, the service is absolutely available for any user. This is especially true for those companies that hire drivers. For example, truckers who need drivers of passenger buses enter the data of the candidate for the position in the appropriate form on the page, and the service gives all the information of interest: when and by whom the rights were obtained, the validity of the document, open categories, whether there were punctures.
Or, for example, there was a small accident, and the drivers, in view of the small damage, decided to leave, without involving employees of the state traffic inspectorate. The victim can enter the data of the culprit of the accident and find out the authenticity of his rights. And if the driver’s license check is not passed, then there can be no question of any peaceful solution to the issue on the spot, the insurance will not pay anything.
It is worth noting that this is not the only interactive service on the website of the traffic police. On the official website of the traffic police on the Internet, the electronic reception desk of citizens' appeals quite successfully works. More than ten thousand requests per day are generated by a service for checking vehicles and their location. Well, the most popular electronic service of the traffic police is to check online information about the presence of unpaid fines for violation of traffic rules and their quantity.
