As soon as the winter season begins, drivers try to “change” their car into spikes. The ban on the operation of the machine without a special sign has existed in Russia for a long time. What about today? Let’s try to understand the situation and understand whether you will have to pay a fine for the absence of the “Spikes” sign.
Changes in traffic rules
The Head of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on amendments to the current Rules of the road. If earlier the driver was prohibited from operating the vehicle without the “Spikes” sign, now it is absolutely not necessary to install it on vehicles.
The reason for this decision is that this sign on modern cars does not allow other traffic participants to make unambiguous conclusions about the likely nature of its movement. Seeing the "Ш", the driver will not be able to calculate either the direction of movement or the speed of the machine, and therefore he will not be able to prevent (or avoid) a collision.
Official ruling
On November 24, 2018, Decree No. 1414 appeared on the official website of the metropolitan government. The sign "Spikes" appeared in it. The rules of the road, adjusted by this decree, no longer contain the obligation of drivers to stick “W” on the rear window of their vehicle (when installing studded tires).
How did ordinary car enthusiasts take such innovations? Most of them breathed a sigh of relief, because before they would have been threatened with a ban on exploitation. The sign “Spikes” had to be found in the store, glued in the winter, removed for the summer season. Such manipulations involved constant spending of money, which hit the pocket of ordinary Russian drivers.
What happened before 2018
In the fall of 2017, a resolution was issued according to which the “Spikes” sign was mandatory on the rear window of any car “shod” in winter studded tires. What did you have to pay attention to? The absence of the “Spikes” sign or its inconsistency with GOSTs was accompanied by a fine on the driver in the amount of 500 rubles. Of course, such measures were negatively perceived by car owners.
Fall 2018
There were rumors that the placement of the “Spikes” sticker was recommendatory in nature. The prohibition of operation and the penalty in its absence should be lifted. In reality, this turned out to be absolutely wrong, and therefore, letters of happiness were sent to many car owners, they had to pay fines.
Who was affected by the decision? Only persons with disabilities were allowed not to put the sign “Spikes”. The ban has not been removed for the remaining categories of drivers.
Nowadays, the dynamic parameters of a car’s movement are largely characterized by its congestion, design features, and the presence of modern electronic systems that contribute to stabilization (braking).
Significance of amendments
Earlier, representatives of the traffic police thoroughly checked the installation (or absence) of the Thorn sign. The prohibition of the operation of the vehicle in case of violations was a serious punishment for drivers. Therefore, some of the violators tried to resolve the issue on the spot, giving money to the representatives of the road police.
The amendments to the decree concerning the "Spikes" sign removed the prohibition of operation. Significant adjustment has also occurred in the order of actions of drivers at the scene of a traffic accident.Now it is possible to draw up documents about accidents without the direct participation of traffic police officers, regardless of the presence of any disagreement among the accident participants.
Now, in the list of documents that the driver must have with him (present and at the request of traffic police officers), the mandatory motor third-party liability insurance (CASCO) policy is mandatory.
Disabled Changes
Some changes were made and the identification mark "Disabled". Previously, it could only be installed on those vehicles that were driven by disabled people of the 1st and 2nd groups. Now this sign can be used by disabled people of the 3rd group, as well as drivers who transport disabled children.
Such vehicles are not subject to certain signs:
- "No parking".
- “Parking is prohibited on even days of the month.”
- “Parking is prohibited on odd days of the month.”
Some clarifications have been introduced into the concept of “pedestrian”. Now they are equated with those people who move in wheelchairs with an engine. As an additional obligation of the driver in the event of a traffic accident, the observance of the necessary precautions when placing him on the roadway is fixed.
The new resolution entered into force on December 8, 2018, it fundamentally touched the sign “Spikes”. Prohibition of car operation, a fine - all this is a thing of the past.
December 2018
From that day on, all Russian drivers pledged to switch to winter tires. According to the regulatory act governing the timing of changing a summer car cover to a winter one, a car that did not meet the requirements was banned from operating. Without the “Spikes” sign, you could not only pay a fine, but also lose your rights (and even the vehicle itself).
Many motorists still do not know that from January 2015 the Technical Regulation of the Customs Union came into force regarding the safety of wheeled vehicles. In this document (Appendix No. 8), the requirements for seasonality of automobile wheels are specified by law.
According to the regulations, the installation of winter wheels was supposed to be in the car from December to February. Therefore, according to the old law, rubber should be replaced no later than December 1.
Penalty for driving on summer tires
Currently, there is no such provision in the Code of Administrative Offenses that the traffic police could fine the driver if he did not change tires in December. It is difficult to say whether the situation will change and whether the old order will return. At the same time, it is important to know that in case of improper condition of the driver’s tires, very serious troubles await. In the event that the depth of the tread of the rubber does not meet the limit established by the rules, the owner of the vehicle may be fined (at least 500 rubles).
In practice, such severe penalties await drivers only if police officers stop the car on an icy or snowy road.
And today, not all car owners know that fines for the absence of the “Sh” mark have been abolished in the Russian Federation. Many out of habit acquire such a sign, stick it on the rear window of their vehicle.
Car Owner Reviews
How did owners of cars and trucks react to changes in traffic rules regarding the abolition of the obligation to install the Thorns sign? Of course, this decision was approved with approval by domestic motorists. However, many of them note that despite the lack of the obligation to “change shoes” from December 1 to studded tires, they, as before, try to prepare their “iron horse” for the season. Among the reasons for which they do this, first of all, concern for personal safety, as well as for the safety of their relatives and friends, is noted.
In many regions of the country, replacement of rubber is dictated by common sense, rather than mandatory regulations.
Is it possible to ride summer and winter tires right away
Since 2018 from Ch. 12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation removed instructions regarding fines associated with the absence of studded tires on a car in winter. At the same time, no one has abolished the punishment for the use of rubber in winter, in which wear is clearly higher than the permissible norm (with a tread depth of less than 4 mm). Note that summer tires, operated for a long time, most often do not meet the standards.
Thus, in winter, the operation of summer tires is inappropriate, you will have to pay a fine. Similar rules apply to winter tires. It turns out that the non-compliance of the rubber with the parameters specified in the rules is a good reason for the fine of the offender. Note that in the current legislation there is no specific indication at what temperature the driver should replace the tires. Is it possible to ride winter and summer tires at the same time? The rules of the road prohibit the installation on the vehicle of both studded and studless tires.
The operation of the machine is also prohibited when tires of different sizes with excellent tread patterns are placed on the same axle. Installation of retreaded tires is not allowed under Russian traffic rules.
What is important to know
It must be understood that the optimal tread depth for winter tires is 8 mm. Lowering it to 6 mm leads to an increase in stopping distance by 20 percent, and when lowering to 4 mm - by 1.5 times.
Drivers who are responsible for the safety of life and health of their passengers in a timely manner "change their shoes" in high-quality winter tires. You can distinguish the winter version of the rubber even with a visual inspection. She has a coarser and deeper tread, a different pattern, there are special spikes for high-quality contact with the winter road surface (during ice, snow).
In fact, there are significant differences in the composition of rubber. Summer tires are made on the basis of a polymer capable of withstanding plus temperatures. When they are lowered, the elasticity of the tires is lost, so the car can be brought on a winter road.
To summarize
The draft resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation, which abolished the obligation of car owners to inform other road users that studded tires were installed on the machine (“Ш” sign), was published on the portal of legal and regulatory documents in May last year.
After a public hearing, this document was approved. At first, when the drivers saw the information about the cancellation of “Sh,” they decided that this was someone’s unsuccessful joke, so they reacted with distrust to publications on this subject.
In fact, everything is really so. On June 1, 2018, the traffic police department of the Russian Federation decided to abandon the mandatory use of the “Sh” sign, which caused a lot of trouble to vehicle owners. Previously, the sign, which was made in the form of an equilateral triangle with a red bright border and the letter “Sh” on a snow-white background, was mandatory attached by drivers to the rear window of their car.
This signaling tool was intended to warn other road users that the car that is moving ahead is equipped with rubber that reduces the braking distance, therefore it is important to maintain a certain safe distance between the vehicles.
The traffic police chief Mikhail Yuryevich Chernikov made the decision to abolish the mark at a meeting in April 2018. After checks by experts, it was found that in reality the “Spikes” sign has lost its relevance. It turned out that the braking distance and dynamic characteristics of cars depend on various electronic systems that contribute to stopping, congestion, and also the type and design of the coating.
Thus, the use of this sign does not affect the accuracy of calculating the stopping distance, especially in winter.Experts noted that the presence of the letter "Ш" on the rear window of the car negatively affects the quality of the review, therefore, it can cause a traffic accident. Today, not a single traffic police inspector has the right to make complaints and even more so fine drivers who do not put the “Spikes” sign; the rules do not give them such an opportunity.