Illumination of the underbody of the car: fine or deprivation of rights for violation in 2021

Car underbody lighting fine 2021

Below is a table of fines for the most common traffic violations that drivers may face.
Contents Below is a table of fines for the most common traffic violations that drivers may face. You can use the search form to quickly find the information you need by key.

Co AP - stands for “Code of Administrative Offences”. The amount of exceeding the speed limit is not important in this case, and for such a violation an administrative penalty of 500 rubles is imposed.

If you want to find out how to solve your particular problem, please use the online consultant form on the right or call the numbers provided on the website.

Kropyvnytskyi, Leninsky district Today Zhitomir, Bohuniya Yesterday Dnepr, Zhovtnevyi 14 Feb.

The choice of colors is limited, and to change the color of the car's underbody lighting, you will have to buy a new set of lamps. Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is unique.

However, without installing diffusers, most of the light will be lost.

Car tuning has long become a separate art form, which has its own classic ways to transform the design of a car. Neon lighting on cars is very popular all over the world.
We see this method most often in movies, since well-made lighting can make a good impression on many.
Neon autolights are gas-discharge lamps in a shock-resistant housing.
A special, almost unearthly, charm will immediately distinguish the car from the general flow of the highway.

Illuminating the underbody of a car is a way to turn even the simplest car into a brutal car that immediately attracts the admiring glances of others. Auto accessories 17 Auto accessories Regular ads 17 ads found. Search results have been added to Favorites The listing has been added to Favorites Sign in to save Watched to your account Sign in or Create an account.

Amount of fine

The fine is imposed in accordance with the current Article 12.4 of the Administrative Code. In this case, all lighting devices are subject to confiscation, that is, the traffic cop will have the right to remove the lighting right before your eyes. In addition, the traffic cop will have the right to confiscate your license and deprive you of using it for up to 6-12 months.

For ordinary citizens - 3,000 rubles.
For officials - 15,000-2,000 rubles.
For legal entities - up to 500 thousand.

READ MORE: Driving through a railway crossing is a fine Advisor

Installation procedure

It is quite possible to handle the installation of lighting on the underbody of a car with your own hands.

The main thing here is to follow the instructions and observe basic safety precautions.

Before you make your own lighting for the underbody of your car, you need to take into account the following recommendations:

for work it is better to use an inspection hole or a lift;
high-quality and bright lighting is required;
gloves and goggles are used for protection during work;
It would be a good idea to pre-rinse the bottom and dry it;
improve skills in working with electronics and electrical equipment if there are problems with this.

Now you can get to work.

The step-by-step process of installing the backlight can be divided into the following steps:

First, you need to assemble the circuit without installation, making sure it works. If, upon completion of installation, it turns out that the backlight is not functioning, you will have to remove it and look for the cause of the problem. Therefore, a preliminary check will save you from a number of problems in the future. One of two connection options is selected - serial or parallel. When connected in series, the entire bottom is illuminated. You will need to connect 2 wires to the power source. That's all. In the case of a parallel connection, you can put together several sections that illuminate the bottom of the machine

They are connected in parallel, and a common additional wire is supplied to the power source. It is extremely important that when using single-sided power supply, the length of the LED strip is no more than 5 meters. If pieces of tape are used, it must be cut strictly along the line specified by the manufacturer. The required number of elements is cut

The length is selected taking into account preliminary calculations, plus you need to leave a margin of 20 cm. You also need to prepare wires that will connect different sections. In the places where they are connected, the tape must be tinned. By observing the polarity, the union is performed. The prepared layout is connected to a power source. The soldering area is insulated using heat-shrinkable tubing. In this case, experienced specialists do not recommend using ready-made connectors. Otherwise, there is a risk that with constant vibrations of the machine, the system will at some point stop working. To secure the tape to the profile, you can use nylon ties. But tape and adhesive tapes will not work. Over time they will probably disappear. A distance of about 10 cm is maintained between the ties. The profile for fastening is cut into pieces, leaving a margin of about 3–5 cm in length. This length is needed to ensure a tight connection at the soldering points. Otherwise the circuit may become loose. You need to make sure that the tape does not sag anywhere and is not stretched too much. Otherwise, a break is inevitable. You should select in advance a place to place the control unit and RGB controller (LED controller). This will be a seat in the cabin. Subject to the principles of comfort and safety, the backlight is connected to a power source. It is important not to forget about the fuse. It is mounted in the gap of the positive wire. Moreover, the location is chosen so that, if necessary, it is easy to get to it, check and replace it. The stabilization scheme is optional, but desirable. This will allow the backlight not to burn out due to possible overloads of the RGB LED strip.

Upon completion of work, final testing is required. If all is well, you can hit the road and demonstrate the result of your own labor.

Neon type lighting

In creating an exclusive design, neon lighting can become one of the main tools. It is this element that will help change any objects, even the most familiar ones, beyond recognition. You can add an unusual accent to the appearance of the vehicle.

Thanks to modern technology, neon lighting is used to give cars a truly unique look. And in the cabin this function will not be superfluous; it will create a special atmosphere of comfort and coziness.

At the same time, each car owner himself determines the standards that he wants to follow. When thinking about the feasibility of such changes, it is worth remembering that neon lighting is better suited to sports models. Then the image of a dynamic car will be enhanced, and no problems will arise.

LED underbody lighting

In recent years, thanks to the intensive development of electronics and lighting technology, new light sources, the so-called super-bright LEDs, have appeared.

Their design provides exceptionally bright and directional light output.

This makes it possible to do without a reflector, which greatly simplifies the creation of lighting.

Several hundred LEDs are assembled into a special line, which in turn is enclosed in a transparent protective tube.

The entire structure is quite flexible and can be placed on the bottom of the car without much effort.

To turn on LEDs, you do not need special equipment, as for neon lamps.

New LEDs feature very low power consumption, which in turn affects fuel consumption.

Although at first glance the LED illumination looks quite fragile, even a large stone that hits and pierces the protective tube will not cause the ruler to fail.

In this case, the destruction of one or more LEDs will have virtually no effect on the operation of the entire backlight.

LEDs have a long service life, which amounts to several tens of thousands of hours of continuous operation.

The color range of LEDs is very diverse.

Theoretically, you can get approximately 16 million different shades.

Using multi-color LEDs as a light source, you can easily implement a wide variety of lighting effects: change the color of the backlight, create flickering light or a “traveling wave”.

A very good effect is achieved by turning on the red backlight along with turning on the brake lights.

They tolerate changes in ambient temperature over a very wide range and are not sensitive to shaking and vibration.

They are not affected by moisture and are not subject to corrosion.

The only drawback of LED illumination of the underbody of a car is the rather high cost of the equipment.

The price of a set of LED strips and connecting wires reaches approximately $1,500.

Almost every car enthusiast is able to install and connect underbody lighting with his own hands.

But, nevertheless, it is most advisable to create high-quality underbody lighting, select the appropriate color of the glow, implement control of the lighting and all kinds of lighting effects from the car in a specialized tuning studio or at a service station.

Legislation on lighting

To understand whether it is possible to install backlighting, you need to refer to the legislation. This form of tuning refers to types of car re-equipment and is performed using neon, LED lamps, or tubes filled with a special gas.

GOST 8769-75, which must be relied upon in this case, does not contain clauses according to which such devices under the bottom of the car can be considered external lighting devices.

If a violation is detected, the traffic police officer may issue a fine, which will be associated not so much with the use of additional lighting, but with making changes to the design of the car without registering them.

An additional basis for imposing a fine is the lack of indication of the possibility of using backlighting in other regulations. The norms of the Code of Administrative Offenses are applied to violators.

However, in most cases, traffic police inspectors do not pay attention to such design changes, especially if the backlight is turned off while driving. But traffic cops still have the right to impose a fine; this should be remembered.

Fine for illuminating the underbody of a car

> > A unique type of car tuning is the installation of lighting on the bottom of the vehicle. This type of tuning is less popular than tinting windows or installing xenon headlights, but is still found among many car owners.

The goal is to improve the appearance of the car. Provided that it is installed correctly and all rules are followed, illuminating the underbody of a car is a completely legal procedure that can be carried out by any car owner. However, in case of violation of legal requirements, the traffic police inspector will have every right to punish the driver.

More detailed methods of punishment are discussed later in the article.

As for punishment for violations, the legality of its application is highly questionable and depends on many factors. For example, in some regions of Russia such punishment is used quite often, in others it practically never occurs.

This is due to the ambiguity in the interpretation of lighting fixtures installed under the car. It is immediately worth noting that the Traffic Rules or other regulatory documents do not contain a direct prohibition on installing lighting specifically on the bottom of the car.

For example, the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union on the safety of wheeled vehicles speak only of external lighting devices, to which it is difficult to classify underbody lighting elements. Therefore, the initiative to apply punishment largely depends on the specific traffic police officer who encounters this violation. If he considers that this type of tuning may be dangerous for other road users and violates the established rules, then he may well be able to punish the driver.

In this case, punishment can be applied on the following two grounds: 1.

Making unacceptable changes to the design of the vehicle. In this case, unacceptable changes are understood as all changes that were made by the owner of the car without the appropriate permission from the traffic police.

It is quite difficult to obtain such permission, since the backlight is not a certified element of the machine design.

Auto lawyer online

03/10/2018 In pursuit of spectacular tuning, many car enthusiasts forget that excessive improvement of the appearance of the vehicle is contrary to the Code of Administrative Offenses.

You can get a fine for illuminating the underbody of a car on completely legal grounds if, when installing lighting elements, you do not take into account the prohibitions regarding their installation.

However, if everything is done correctly, then the traffic police inspector will have no grounds to impose an administrative penalty.

In addition, you do not have to dismantle the LED strip. Unauthorized improvement of the appearance of a car is a rather controversial action from a legal point of view.

Especially when it comes to external lighting fixtures.

Sometimes you can avoid punishment here or even get away with a verbal warning from a traffic police officer. In another situation, the driver risks receiving a fine or losing his license. Is it possible to drive with underbody lighting? Formally, LED strip refers to decorative lighting elements. There is no direct prohibition here. If the car had an unlit rear license plate, this could be interpreted as a violation according to clause 3.3 of the List of Faults GOST R 51709-2001.

However, the underbody lighting is not officially designated anywhere.

And since there is no prohibition, it would be logical to assume that such installation of lighting devices does not contradict the law.

At the same time, the traffic police inspector may call the illumination of the underbody of the car dangerous for other road users or interfering with the normal operation of the vehicle. And here the driver will face at least a warning or a fine.

And in the worst case, you can even lose your license for a year.

So, ? If the car owner does not want to have problems with the traffic police, then when installing the backlight you need to follow the following rules: the light from under the bottom of the car should not be directed exclusively downward, but not to the side, back or forward of the car; You cannot install lighting devices (any color except white) in the false radiator grille; Only red lighting can be installed in the rear bumper.

DIY underbody lighting

Many of you have seen cars on the roads with the underbody lighting turned on - it looks impressive and beautiful! But, not many are ready to independently select and install underbody lighting, since they do not have the technology. This post will tell you the main steps towards implementing underbody lighting with your own hands. So, let's come!

The LED illumination of the bottom is an LED strip sealed on the outside with a transparent layer of polymer. LED strips differ in the frequency of installation of LEDs per meter. The brightness of the entire tape, in our case the backlight, depends on this. For us, these two types of tape make it possible to create two types of products: underbody lighting and super-bright underbody lighting. In a regular strip, not super-bright, the frequency of the LEDs is every 1 cm or 1.5 cm, in a super-bright one - every 0.5 cm.

Tape example: on the left is a waterproof tape, on the right is a tape that is not protected from moisture

Step 1. Select the tape footage

When purchasing an LED strip, you need to measure the length of the left and right thresholds and the width of the front and rear bumpers. If you are going to highlight the wheel rims, then each disk requires 0.5 meters of flight material (from the top of the caliper to the bottom, along the boot). The standard length of the LED strip for the threshold is 1.8 meters, for bumpers - 1.2 meters.

Step 2. Wiring, wiring fastening, soldering contacts and sealing

The wiring must be approached responsibly - the wire insulation must be of high quality, since frost and vibration can cause microcracks in the insulation, which in winter will lead to reagents getting into the copper conductors and poor contact or breakage. Wire cross-section - 0.6 mm. All wiring must be tucked into the corrugation and securely attached to the body.

Soldering is carried out using solder with rosin, sealing using a piece of heat-shrinkable tubing, transparent (!) and hot-melt adhesive. We give an example based on multi-color illumination of the bottom, but the essence does not change.

You can abandon hot-melt adhesive and use a neutral sealant or auto sealant.

A transparent heat-shrink tube is necessary for visual inspection of sealing after the tube itself has shrunk.

Step 3. Attaching the LED strip.

Fastening the LED strip to the bumpers through jumpers made of perforated mounting tape in increments of 10 cm. Fastening the strip to the thresholds is carried out along the entire length of the strip through ties to the perforated tape in increments of 7-10 cm, secure the mounting tape itself using screws with notches under the side members and treat with anti-gravel. The LED strip under the thresholds should be secured in such a way that the strip is not visible from the side (distance of at least 15 cm from the threshold towards the center of the bottom of the car).

4. Wheel illumination

Many cars have all 4 disc brakes. And almost all such cars have boots on the front brake discs and rear brake discs. It is to them that we attach ourselves. We drill holes in 5 cm increments around the entire circumference of the boot and fasten the backlight with ties. It is convenient to fasten the wires to the wire with abs ties. When connecting the backlight power wire to the body, make a curl in the wire; it will compress and expand during suspension operation and will not allow the wiring to break. Remember that all wiring must be corrugated!

5. Output of the central wire and connection to the machine’s electrics.

When installing the underbody lighting, we start from the rear left wheel (sill) and go clockwise: rear left wheel, left sill, front left wheel - central wire outlet with a margin of 2 meters, front bumper, right front wheel, right sill, right rear wheel, rear bumper. This scheme allows you to connect all the backlight components together without much difficulty. All tapes are designed for 12 volts and are therefore connected in parallel. Solder the connections and carefully insulate them. Place it in the corrugation and attach it to the body.

After completing the installation and connections, you need to check the backlight and apply power to the central wire. If everything is on fire, then we wrap it in corrugation and stretch it along the brake pipe line or in another convenient place to the battery. After connecting the wire to the battery, select the + wire and, through a 10-amp fuse, hang it on the + terminal of the battery. We lead the negative wire into the cabin through a standard seal. We install the switch in any convenient place. We connect the negative power wire for the backlight and the body ground to the switch. The mass is easy to find - any M 8 nut screwed to a stud (to gain access you need to remove the bottom panel on the driver's side).

We check the underbody lighting and wheel rim lighting...

Everything is working! Well done!

Installing LED car lighting

To tune the interior or trunk of a car, in addition to the LED strip, you will need plastic clamps. You can, of course, find a tape with adhesive on one side or attach it with double-sided tape, but this method of fastening is not the most reliable.

LED car interior lighting

Fastening with plastic ties is a bit of a mess, but more reliable. Connect the wires from the attached LED tubes to the power source. When connecting several LED strips, the main thing is not to confuse the polarity. To prevent this from happening, use wires of different colors for “+” and “-”.

The power source can be a car battery. Then the wires are routed under the hood. They are connected through a fuse, which is located next to the battery. A switch is usually built into the circuit. Place it where it is most convenient for you.

LED car underbody lighting

A good option for connecting LED lighting for a car’s interior may be to connect it to standard lighting. Then it will turn on/off along with the light in the cabin. LED lighting of car doors is done in a similar way.

Installing LED underbody lighting is practically no different from installing neon. You also need to attach corners or a profile to the bottom, lay an LED cord in it, and lead the wires from it to the power source. Just before the power source, a control unit is often installed that controls the intensity of the glow.

Vehicle underbody lighting control unit

How to install neon on your car

In the modern world, people strive to indicate their individuality in everything - clothes, jewelry, food, accessories, hobbies. Of course, a car is no longer just a means of transportation, but a reflection of the owner’s personality. It's not surprising that people customize their favorite car. Today there are many tuning options - for every taste and budget.

Neon lighting on a car is one of the very effective, inexpensive and fairly easy to install types of car upgrades. In this article we will look at all the features of installing neon on a car.

So, the neon lighting of the car can be installed both outside (under the bottom, wheel arches, in the engine compartment), and in the trunk, and in the interior. Now, whatever picture your imagination draws, then create it.

Proper illumination of the underbody of the car and a fine for violation

To know whether underbody lighting is prohibited by law, you should refer to the requirements of the main regulatory documents for the operation of vehicles. The main regulatory document defining a complete list of external optical devices, GOST 8769-75, establishes their composition as follows:

illuminated road train sign;
overall reflective elements;
license plate lights;
side, front and rear turn signals, side and parking lights;
main low/high beam headlights;
additional spotlights and finders;
anti-fog headlights.

This list does not include vehicle underbody lighting lamps; therefore, they are not recognized as external optical devices and the specified standard requirements do not apply to them. Another regulatory document is the Traffic Regulations, where paragraph 3.6 of the List of faults for which the operation of vehicles is prohibited states:

It is not allowed to install any lights on the front of the car except orange, yellow and white, as well as all reflective devices except white;
At the rear of the vehicle, it is not permitted to install reverse alarms and license plate lights of any color other than white, other lights except orange, yellow or red, and all retroreflective devices except red.

Thus, the Rules also do not talk about devices that illuminate the underside of the car. However, from them we can draw a conclusion about which lighting colors should not spread forward and backward from the bottom of the car.

As for the penalties for violating the rules of operation and equipment of a car, Article 12.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses determines for individuals a fine in the amount of 3 thousand rubles with the confiscation of lighting fixtures for the use of red lights or other colors in the front of the car that do not comply with the established conditions for the vehicle’s admission to operation. Officials who allowed such a car to be used are punished with a fine of 15-20 thousand rubles, and legal entities operating a car with such a violation are punished with a fine of 400-500 thousand rubles.

Paragraph 2 of this article defines liability for installing special light alarm devices on a car without the permission of the traffic police (this does not mean a security alarm) in the form of a fine with confiscation of the device:

in the amount of 5 thousand rubles for citizens;
in the amount of 20 thousand rubles for officials;
in the amount of 500 thousand rubles for legal entities.

the light under the car should not extend beyond its limits;
light reflected from the road forward should be white or yellow, and light reflected back should only be red;
The operating mode and colors (red-blue) of the underbody lighting should not imitate the signals of special service vehicles.

The same requirements apply to similar modifications to wheels, radiator grilles and bumpers, which are often used by fans of original lighting effects.

And everything would be great for those who like to modernize the appearance of the car, if not for the last paragraph 7.18 in the above List of faults, in the presence of which the Rules prohibit the operation of the car. And this paragraph states that it is not permitted to operate a car when the design of the car has been modified without the appropriate permission from the traffic police. Violation of this paragraph of the Rules entails administrative liability under Art. 12.5 Part 1 of the Administrative Code in the form of a small fine of 500 rubles or a warning. Although the punishment is small, it requires elimination of the violation.

It is clear that the designers do not provide for such illumination of the bottom of the car; it requires additional energy consumption from the on-board electrical network, which means it affects the declared characteristics of the car and requires certain calculations. There are no guarantees that regulatory authorities will simply give the go-ahead for the installation of lighting. However, having received official permission, you can boldly and proudly shine your bottom day and night, without fear of any posts.

The traffic police officers themselves are not unanimous in their attitude towards this type of tuning, which is confirmed in practice. Some fine drivers for modifications, others let them go in peace. At the same time, challenging the 500 ruble fine assessed on the basis of Art. 12.5.part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, has practically no prospects. Thus, whether or not to install underbody lighting on your car, the car enthusiast has to decide at his own peril and risk, hoping for the Russian “maybe”.

New fines for drivers: what they will be punished for in 2021

Let's look at how to make wheel illumination using an example with an LED strip. In addition to this, you will need an aluminum flat profile, an arched perforated profile, nylon ties, wires and tools. Do-it-yourself illumination of car wheels is done in the following way. Based on the profiles, a structure is assembled that resembles a simple wheel, where the spokes are 3 aluminum strips, and the rim is a construction profile for the arches. The frame is placed behind the brake disc to hide the source of radiation, leaving only light for viewing.

The power wires are soldered to the section with the LEDs, and the contact point is filled with hot-melt adhesive. An LED strip is glued to the outer part of the perforated rim, and then the fastening is reinforced with ties. The wire is hidden in a plastic corrugation and secured to the levers located on the bottom using zip ties.

Such lighting can be done in several ways, for example, with LED lamps or neon. The work is not difficult to do; you can do the tuning yourself.

But many owners are interested in the question of a fine in 2021 for such lighting. Does it exist? We answered these questions in this article.

Indeed, there is a fine for car owners. But, it can only be imposed if the tuning was done incorrectly.

Carefully read the law and current regulations so that traffic police officers do not have any claims or grounds for imposing a fine.

Consider the requirements for existing underbody lighting:

The light cannot go outside the car.
The light directed forward and reflected from the road should only be white, yellow, orange, the light reflected back should be red.
The lighting should not be similar to the signals of official vehicles.
Follow the rules for choosing the backlight color for your car.

Remember that the light should only be directed downward, not very bright. If you take into account the necessary requirements, you can safely tune your car and not be afraid of fines.

Andrey I want to install neon lighting on the bottom of my car. The traffic rules seem to have no restrictions on this case. I asked several friends and they all said it was not a violation. Although I know that traffic cops stop you for lighting. Tell me, will it be possible to install red lamps?

Answer This is prohibited by law; for violating the rules, you may be fined 3,000 rubles.

Russia, Moscow, Volgogradsky prospect, building 32 building 8

LED illumination of the underbody of the car.

The LED lighting system itself, in general, will consist of 4 elements, one under each side of the car and one shorter one under its front and rear. Each lighting element is a transparent hose, which can be purchased at any construction or garden market, with LEDs located in its depths. On average, we will need about one LED for every 4-5 cm of hose length. But here, of course, it’s a matter of taste and the brightness of the LEDs themselves.

By the way, as an option, you can stretch a ready-made LED strip into a plastic transparent hose; this, of course, will reduce installation time, but will increase the total cost of the device. For this reason, we will consider a cheaper method.

Installation of LED car lighting.

So, having a hose and a couple of handfuls of LEDs, we begin installation. There are two options.

First: to two wires, on areas previously cleared of insulation, parallel to each other, remember the school physics course, solder our LEDs. Having completed this procedure, we understand that when installing LEDs in parallel, the supply voltage should be no more than 3.4 V, and the standard voltage in a car is much higher - 14 V. To solve this problem, you can install a step-down resistance in series in the resulting circuit, but keep in mind that that this resistance will become very hot during operation, so it is worth choosing resistances that can withstand about 10 W. The advantages of this connection scheme include the fact that if one of the diodes fails, all the others will continue to burn. The disadvantages include the already indicated fact of heating the resistance, which means this is extra power consumption.

The second connection scheme will be more labor-intensive, but will eliminate significant heating of the additional resistance. To implement it, we will no longer solder the LEDs in parallel, but in series, into groups of 4 pieces. In this case, the supply voltage of such a group will be slightly less than 14 V. These groups of LEDs will need to be pulled into the hose one after another, while connecting each group to each other in parallel. As a result, we will get a circuit of groups with a voltage of about 14 V. Such a circuit can already be connected to the car’s network, however, in order for the LEDs to last longer, it is still necessary to include additional resistance in series in the circuit. Well, the best option would be to install such resistance in each group. For such purposes, a small low-power resistance will be sufficient.

After solving the issue of installing the LEDs and pulling them inside the plastic tube, fill its ends, bringing out only the power wire, which can be connected parallel to the circuit of the car's side lights or even have its own separate switch, it's up to you to decide here.

The tube itself can be glued to the bottom of the car using epoxy glue, which is preferable, or secured with clamps on self-tapping screws to the bottom.

And in conclusion, a little advice, when choosing a hose, try to choose one with a small cross-section so that the diodes and the wiring itself fit tightly enough in it.

Good luck with your tuning!

Video

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DIY heated mirrors.

How to challenge a punishment

Most traffic cops do not fine citizens who use lights on the bottom of their cars.
Especially if they are installed in accordance with the rules described above. It is difficult to challenge a fine of 500 rubles (making changes to the design of a car without registration). The use of additional equipment in this case is an offense prescribed by law.

If the traffic cop wants to use a more severe punishment (deprivation of rights, increased fine), it is necessary to insist that the installed lighting fully complies with the GOST rules.

Wrongful fines can be challenged in court, but this only applies to cases where there has been an incorrect classification of the offense.

Fine or deprivation of license for illuminating the underbody of a car?

Illumination of the underbody of a car: fine in 2021, prohibited or allowed?

Some drivers like to visually improve their car, including changing various lighting fixtures. Let's look at what is a fine undercar illumination in 2021. This method of modifying a vehicle is not as common as darkening its windows or installing non-standard headlights. Every year their number only increases.

Such “improvement” of the car has no practical benefit. The only goal is to achieve a certain appearance. In practice, if the owner follows all legal requirements, inspectors do not pay attention to this. However, the law contains some requirements for this type of lighting and violation of these rules is an administrative violation.

Regulatory regulation

According to GOST requirements, illumination of the underbody of a car in any form is a lighting device. For this reason, it must comply with the standards established by law.

The traffic rules state that the front headlights can only be white, and the rear headlights can only be red. No other colors are permitted.

In addition, the direction of the light must be adjustable and cannot exceed certain standards.

The light from headlights should not blind oncoming drivers. Similar requirements apply to the lower lighting of the car. Under no circumstances should lamps of the wrong color be placed on the radiator or bumper as this will be considered an absolute offence.

Thus, the light must be directed vertically downward and cannot extend beyond the car body. Its color must correspond to general standards - white in front and red in back.

Sanction for violating the rules for installing lighting devices

The most common question is: what is the risk of a fine or deprivation of rights? In reality, everything depends on how the act is classified.

Today, generally accepted practice for the correct application of this article has not yet been developed, so each inspector interprets it in his own way.

The traffic rules themselves, as well as administrative legislation, do not contain a direct requirement to prohibit the use of such devices.

In 9 out of 10 cases, the following grounds and norms are applied to punish the driver:

changing the design of the car within unacceptable limits. Such contributions should be understood as all actions performed without prior approval from the traffic police. In reality, it is almost impossible to obtain approval for the installation of lighting, due to the fact that it is not an element of the car’s design and there is no special permitting documentation for it. According to statistics, most drivers are fined on this basis. The sanction includes a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.
if the inspector considers that this corresponds to the installation of devices for a special signal or the backlight is installed with violations (wrong colors or going beyond the body of the car), then the sanction will be much more stringent: from a fine of 3 thousand rubles to a restriction of the right to drive a vehicle for 1 year .

As mentioned earlier, punishment is most often imposed on the first ground. The fine 2021 Russia will be only 500 rubles. Not all drivers will go to administrative or even judicial proceedings because of this (provided that there is no guarantee that the decision will be canceled). For this reason, when installing similar lighting, you should be prepared to impose fines.

How to install lighting correctly

In order not to be held liable or to minimize the chance of a second cause occurring, you should know certain rules.

ATTENTION !!! Lighting the bottom is possible in the following ways: installing lamps or entire strips. The use of tapes is the most common because it is both cheaper and easier to install.

Such work is not particularly complicated and is easy to do yourself.

The main requirements for lamps are: their correct location and emitted color.

Our lawyers know the answer to your question

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There is no direct indication of standards, but it is worth adhering to the rules of the road. So:

the glow from below must be exclusively vertical and located under the car body. Going beyond its limits is unacceptable. In addition, the glow power should not exceed reasonable limits so as not to distract other road users.
the lower light must have a certain color. The part that falls on the road in front should be exclusively white, and that behind should be red;
You should avoid resemblance to flashing lights of special services (police, medical, gas and other services). If the inspector sees a match, a large fine may be imposed or even deprivation of rights. For example, it is not recommended to install flashing blue and red.

In most cases, the inspector will not stop and punish for reasonable and correct installation of lighting. However, if there are obvious violations of one of the above points, the liability will be extremely serious - deprivation of a driver’s license for 1 year.

IMPORTANT !!! Thus, today there is still no unified regulatory framework for regulating the installation of lower car lights. All actions are performed by the driver at his own peril and risk, since each inspector can interpret the situation independently. In any case, the consideration of the case of restriction of the driver’s right to drive a vehicle will take place in court. This means that the judge must study all the features and nuances of the incident and assess the degree of danger of the installed equipment.

It can be difficult (sometimes impossible) to prove your position on your own, so to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome, you should consult a qualified specialist.

Grounds for punishment for illuminating the underbody of a car

Despite the fact that the illumination of the underbody of a car can be regarded by a traffic police officer as a special signal, such qualification is practically not used.

The most common are the following:

making unlawful changes to the parameters of the car (Part 1, Article 12.5.);
violation of legal requirements when installing lighting devices of improper color or operating mode (Part 3 of the same article).

Making unacceptable changes to the vehicle design

Everything discussed above is only possible options for developing the situation in practice, but not legislative justification.

If we carry out a detailed analysis of the regulations, then on this basis those who have installed underbody lighting on their car should not be fined.

We will provide justifications confirming this fact from the regulatory provisions of the Code of Administrative Offences.

For illegal changes to the design of the machine, punishment follows part 1 of Art. 12.5. The article states that the list of illegal changes is defined in the List of Malfunctions and Conditions (Appendix to the Traffic Regulations).

It is also said here that the specified punishment (warning or fine) is applied in cases where the violation does not fall under one of the other parts of this article (part 2 - part 7).

Now let's look at part 3. It says here that driving a vehicle with headlights emitting red light installed on the front, as well as driving a vehicle with light units in any part of the vehicle, the operating mode and color of the lights of which does not comply with the List, will result in more severe penalties. Punishment: imprisonment for up to 1 year.

In other words, all violations that are regulated by Part 3 of Art. 12.5., relate specifically to violations of the rules for the installation and/or use of lighting devices.

Part 3.1. The list states that the use of a vehicle is not allowed if the number, type, color, location and operating mode of the light units are different from those provided by the manufacturer.

The key word here is location. Since most cars are not designed to have underbody lighting, we conclude that this is a violation of the rules for the location of lighting devices.

It seems that it is precisely under Part 3 of Art. 12.5., following the above conclusions, citizens who installed light bulbs on the bottom should be fined. However, in practice things may look different.

For what kind of light tuning in a car will the traffic police never fine you?

The most important thing, which is often ignored by irresponsible drivers, is that it is forbidden to “modify” or change the headlights - they must clearly comply with the vehicle design requirements established by the manufacturer. For installing non-standard LED and xenon headlights in 2021, violators will face a fine of 500 rubles, although last year there was no such clause in the document.

In addition, next year they plan to ban the covering of headlights with optical elements, including film.

The car must have brake lights, side lights and side lights working.

The most important thing is that all windows and sun visors must be in place. You should not drive a car if, for example, the rear window is broken and this does not interfere with your movement on the road.

You should not “deeply” tint the windows. Light transmittance should be 70%. In addition, the front window on the driver's side should not have cracks in the wiper area. The windshield wiper and washer must also be present.

If you don’t want trouble in the form of a fine, then all the wheels that are installed on the car must exactly comply with the vehicle’s operational documentation (size, speed category, load-bearing capacity). In 2021, there will be a direct ban on driving a car with unsuitable wheels.

The use of out-of-season tires is also prohibited. That is, in the summer it is strictly forbidden to move on wheels with spikes, and in the winter - without them. But, due to different climatic features in the regions of the country, these points will be adjusted by period.

The driver will receive a fine if:

• not all wheels have winter tires;

• the tread height is equal to the height of the wear indicator;

• tires of different sizes, tread patterns, designs, reconditioned and new are installed on one axle;

• instead of spool valves, other devices are installed;

• tires have damage (cuts, punctures), delamination in the frame, peeling;

• at least one fastening bolt is missing, there are visible violations of the fastening holes.

In general, according to Anton Shaparin, vice-president of the National Automobile Union, it is very important now to combat the welding of discs. This service is popular at tire shops, but in reality it is dangerous: it increases the risk that the disc will burst while driving. Therefore, traffic police officers now have the right to examine the integrity of discs when they brake a vehicle on the road.

If you are attaching a trailer to a car or towing another vehicle, then the most important thing is that the parts of the coupling devices and fastenings, as well as chains or cables, are in place and in good condition, without deformation or cracks. All connecting elements must be tightened and secured, in good condition, without damage. Parts of coupling devices must meet the dimensional characteristics.

If the car engine is faulty, and this is noticeable to the naked eye, without special devices, then this also threatens with a rather large fine. For example, the smokiness of the exhaust gases is increased, there are liquid leaks or gas leaks, fastening parts of the power system elements are missing or weakened, instrument readings do not correspond to the standard, or the noise level of the exhaust gases exceeds the required values.

Main regulatory framework: 12.5 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation part 1,2,3, 12.20 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, TR CU 018/2011 clause 77, Traffic Regulations, clause 19.6, 3.7 and 3.8 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Introductory information: the installation of an LED beam fits the general wording of 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, Part 1 - design changes.

1. Driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which, in accordance with the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, operation of the vehicle is prohibited, with the exception of malfunctions and conditions specified in parts 2 - 7 of this article - entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

This item also includes: kangaroo, trunk, changes to the bumper in the form of a spoiler, changes to springs in the suspension, leaf springs, car lifting.

For all these changes, a fine of 500 rubles is imposed. But to receive this fine, it is necessary to prove to the traffic police inspector that the changes fit under 12.5 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

It is more interesting for the inspector to bring you under 12.5 part 3 of the Administrative Code:

3. Driving a vehicle on the front of which there are installed lighting devices with red lights or red reflective devices, as well as lighting devices, the color of the lights and the mode of operation of which do not comply with the requirements of the Basic Regulations for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials ensuring road safety - entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of six months to one year with confiscation of the specified devices and accessories.

The beams fall under the design of a light reflective device that does not meet the requirements of the Basic Provisions for the Admission of Vehicles to Operation... There is little information about light there:

Traffic rules of the Russian Federation, Appendix. List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited 3. External lighting devices. 3.1. The number, type, color, location and operating mode of external lighting devices do not meet the requirements of the vehicle design. 3.6. The vehicle is equipped with: at the front - lighting devices with lights of any color except white, yellow or orange, and retroreflective devices of any color except white; at the rear - reverse lights and state registration plate lights with lights of any color other than white, and other lighting devices with lights of any color other than red, yellow or orange, as well as retroreflective devices of any color other than red.

As you can see, it all comes down to fixing the installation of the beam as a change in the design of the vehicle. Hence the inspector’s desire to bring you under precisely 12.5 part 3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation with deprivation of driving rights for 6-12 months with confiscation of the illegally installed beam. In practice, a seizure requires a seizure protocol and 2 witnesses and a video camera, for this reason seizures rarely occur.

There are 2 options:

Initially, according to the series and the state, it was supposed to be, but was not installed - everything is easy here - we take it and install it, however, I have not seen such cars on the beams.
Pass a safety assessment as part of this vehicle and receive a conclusion in accordance with the Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 N 877 (as amended on June 21, 2019) “On the adoption of the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” (together with the “TR CU 018/2011. Technical Regulations of the Customs Union. On the safety of wheeled vehicles") of Chapter 5 of Section 4 “Checking compliance with the requirements for vehicles in operation in the event of changes to their design”: 77. Vehicles are not subject to inspection in the following cases: 1) when installing components on a vehicle: intended for this vehicle and having passed the conformity assessment as part of this vehicle, which is confirmed by the documentation of the component manufacturer; provided by the vehicle manufacturer in the operational documentation; 2) when serial changes are made to the design on the basis of design documentation developed and approved in the prescribed manner, if on its basis an assessment of the conformity of the changes made was carried out.

In the first case (point 1), you need to obtain paper from the manufacturer stating that this LED can be used on this make and model of car. To do this, when purchasing light, ask for a PCT certificate of conformity; in most cases, this is a voluntary certificate from the manufacturer.

In the second case, you will have to get confused and agree on changes to the design documentation.

Some motorists hang a cover on the beam. Is it necessary? Yes, firstly, it protects the beam from debris flying while driving, secondly, it is a guarantee that the beam will not be used in the direction of oncoming traffic, and thirdly, protection from the inspector as a weighty argument that you are not using it. If you have certification, you will receive a maximum fine of 500 rubles, or you will be released.

As for engaging through a lower gear, there is no information anywhere about the need for this connection. The main thing is not to use it in the direction of oncoming traffic. According to the Russian Federation Traffic Regulations clause 19.6:

The spotlight and searchlight may only be used outside populated areas in the absence of oncoming vehicles. In populated areas, only drivers of vehicles equipped in the prescribed manner with blue flashing lights and special sound signals can use such headlights when performing an urgent official task.

Otherwise, you will be fined under Article 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation:

Violation of the rules for using external lighting devices, sound signals, hazard warning lights or warning triangles - entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

What color of headlights is prohibited?

When using an LED beam on a road with traffic moving in the opposite direction or in the same direction, the use of the beam is prohibited, regardless of the size, power and color of the glow.

In the case of headlights, according to the Russian Traffic Regulations “Appendix. List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited:

3.6. The vehicle is equipped with: front lighting devices with lights of any color other than white, yellow or orange, and retroreflective devices of any color other than white.

Conclusion: the color passes through white and yellow. When using white, I came across information about a fine of 500 rubles. according to 12.5 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. When a traffic police officer records in a protocol, it is necessary to check the indication of the color of the glow, otherwise the consequences may be unpredictable.

The main regulatory framework has not changed: 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, part 1,2,3, 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, TR CU 018/2011 clause 77, Traffic Regulations, clauses 19.6, 3.7 and 3.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

The installation of LED headlights fits the general wording of 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, Part 1 - design changes. Accordingly, all the same actions are required as for beams.

LED headlights are installed in the bumper under the standard foglights, on the front bumper or on the roof. The option with a roof is exactly the same as with beams.

Installing additional LED headlights in the standard places of the PTF or by inserting them into the bumper is not a noticeable design change, and therefore they will almost never slow down. It is necessary to secure the headlights well, adjust them and use them for your own pleasure, because... The design of most vehicles provides space for PTF. The only nuances are power, glow color and direction. Respect other drivers and don't blind them.

At the headlights, according to the Russian Traffic Regulations “Appendix. List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited:

3.6. The vehicle is equipped with: front lighting devices with lights of any color other than white, yellow or orange, and retroreflective devices of any color other than white.

If the headlights are mounted on the bumper, all the same steps are required as for the beams. It’s difficult to notice them if you don’t purposefully stop everyone. At night, unadjusted additional headlights strongly dazzle oncoming traffic. Perhaps everyone has already encountered when a cloud of light is coming towards you, and only when approaching at a close distance does it become clear that only 2 additional unadjusted white headlights are installed.