One of the urgent problems for motorists is dirty numbers, a fine for which, although not explicitly provided, but in some cases takes place. In spring, winter, autumn, when there is a lot of dirt, snow or slush on the street, drivers may not notice that the sign of their car is dirty. This may result in a fine. Therefore, it is necessary to check the condition of the plates before the trip. Let's see what kind of penalty for dirty numbers is possible and in which particular cases.
What does the law say?
Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses indicates that traveling by car on unreadable numbers is a violation. Therefore, a dirty sign can be regarded as unreadable, and then the driver will have to pay a fine. Of course, the amount will be small, but this will clearly spoil the mood, so you need to monitor the car.
Room Contamination Detection
In accordance with the rules, the license plate of the car must be readable in the dark or daylight hours. This is a must for everyone. If the inspector of the traffic police has a suspicion that the sign is unreadable, then this can be checked.
In daylight, each digit and letter on the number should be clearly visible from a distance of 20 meters. If at least one character is unreadable for any reason, then a fine for dirty numbers is assumed in this case.
In the dark, only the back sign should be readable, the front one is not taken into account. Verification is done in the same way. Some inspectors, using the driver’s ignorance, check the front sign at night, although its condition does not play a role at night. This should be remembered by drivers.
What is the penalty for dirty rooms?
Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses indicates that a fine of 500 rubles is imposed for such a violation. However, in practice, traffic police inspectors rarely fine drivers for such a violation. Most often, they issue an oral or even written warning, after which they ask to clear the sign of dirt and continue to move.
However, in cases where the car is so dirty that even its color cannot be discerned through a layer of dirt, the traffic police inspector is simply obligated to write a fine and demand that the violation be fixed on the spot. The law states that riding with unreadable numbers is prohibited.
However, it is necessary to emphasize that the penalty for dirty numbers is not supposed at all, and dirt does not always make the sign unreadable. If only a white background is dirty, and all the characters are well recognized from a distance of 20 meters, then there is no need to clean it at the request of the inspector. Most likely, he will not even pick on this.
It is also worth noting that there are unscrupulous traffic police inspectors who can take advantage of driver’s ignorance and equate driving with a dirty license plate to driving without a license plate at all. But it should be remembered that these are two completely different violations. The fine for driving without a number is 5,000 rubles. Moreover, deprivation of rights up to three months is even possible.
What to do in case of a fine?
If it so happened that the inspector stopped the car due to unreadable signs and intends to write a traffic police fine for dirty rooms, then immediately take a damp cloth and remove the dirt. After that, ask the inspector to provide evidence of the violation, and if there is none, then a fine can be avoided. It will look very arrogant and ridiculous, but you don’t have to pay 500 rubles.
If the inspector still draws up the protocol, then you will have to photograph your signs.Moreover, it is desirable to fix the DPS car in the photo, and ideally the inspector himself. These photographs will need to be attached to the protocol with a note stating that there is no violation and an appendix to the protocol of photographs. If you do not make such a subscription, then the photos may be accidentally lost.
The inspector can be reminded that, in accordance with the law, if the violation is minor, the authorized body or employee has the right to relieve the person from liability for violation of traffic rules. Dirty numbers are just a minor violation, and many inspectors simply forgive him for violators, demanding that they be eliminated on the spot.
Will bad weather help avoid fines?
If the weather was bad on the street on the day the protocol was drawn up (it was raining or snowing), then you can refer to it as the cause of the violation. By law, the weather is an excuse. To do this, you can go to the website of the Phobos weather center, print a weather picture and attach it to the protocol. The protocol must also indicate the reason for the dirty numbers, write about the attached listing.
If the case comes to court, then a listing from the site will not work - it does not have legal force. To do this, you need to make a request to the weather center on a specific day, and the answer will have to be provided to the court. Given the penalty for dirty car numbers, few people want to bother with such a legal routine, so most drivers simply pay a fine. Some argue the lack of guilt from the principle.
Finally
Of course, dirty and unreadable license plates are a minor violation that can be avoided by checking the condition of the rooms every morning before the trip. This procedure will take a maximum of 20 seconds, but perhaps someday it will save 500 rubles.
Now you know how much the fine for dirty rooms will have to pay in case of violation, and also understand the way to check and determine the pollution. Watch your car and clean the license plate, as it is in your best interests.