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Published: 03/19/2020
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Tuning is one of the most discussed topics from the point of view of automobile legislation, given that a large number of car owners resort to it. In this article we will talk about the possibility of installing a bumper bar (power bumper) on cars, discuss legal regulation, exceptions, as well as the possibility of its legal installation.
- What does the law say about installing a guardrail?
- Design changes or additional equipment?
- Is it possible to register a kengurin with the traffic police?
- When can you install a kangaroo cage? Old cars
- Imported cars
- Other sanctions
What does the law say about installing a guardrail?
The current legislation prohibits the installation of kenguryat guards on vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation. However, as with any other rule, there are exceptions.
The main document establishing the requirements for the use of additional devices on vehicles is the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union, which came into force on January 1, 2015, and considers the issues of safe operation of wheeled vehicles (TR CU 018/2011).
This document states that if the technical documentation provides for the installation of a guardrail (power bumper), or the element is installed by the manufacturer, it is not required to dismantle it.
In this case, several requirements must be met: the longitudinal cross-country angle is at least 20 degrees, a distance of at least 18 cm is maintained between the lower point of the body and the road surface, the overhang angle is 25 degrees or more, and the departure angle is at least 20 degrees.
One of the clauses of these Technical Regulations establishes that if a vehicle belongs to categories M1, N1 (their main features, respectively: no more than 8 seats for passengers, weight less than 3.5 tons), then equipping them with structures protruding beyond the perpendicular extreme bumper line point is prohibited.
It is a common belief that SUVs (G category cars) are also an exception, but in fact this is not a separate category, but just a subcategory for each of the two above.
There are two exceptions that may be a consolation for car enthusiasts:
- If the kenguryatnik is planned to be installed as a decorative element. To do this, its weight should be no more than 500 grams, and the material for production should be anything other than steel or a material with similar strength indicators. Thus, on any car you can safely install a structure that can protect the registration plate and lighting devices.
- If you plan to install a certified factory design. This clause includes those car owners whose vehicles are equipped with a guard, but for some reason (for example, equipment) it was not installed earlier.
More on the topic: Regular medical examinations for drivers
Prohibited and permitted types of body kit
The legislation regarding power body kits on cars has been changed several times recently, so many car owners are currently not aware whether a car body kit is prohibited in 2021.
According to the currently valid technical regulations, a guardrail can be installed, but only on certain categories of cars and subject to certain conditions. One of the main conditions allowing the installation of a kenguryatnik is its compliance with technical regulations and the presence of a certificate. The design must have a document confirming its quality indicators and compliance of technical characteristics with legal requirements. These characteristics are characteristic of industrially produced kenguryatniks designed for specific car models.
Most handicraft designs do not meet the technical specifications established at the legislative level. Therefore, their installation on vehicles is prohibited.
In 2021, as before, the following types of structures are prohibited in the Russian Federation:
- Protruding beyond the boundaries of the bumper.
- Fixed in front of the bumper.
- Self-made models, not intended for installation on a specific type of car.
Until recently, “horseshoe guards” were quite popular, which protected not only the front bumper, but also completely covered the radiator grille. Some models even included headlights. In 2021, guardrails of this type are banned on all car models, as they create an additional danger for pedestrians in an accident.
The ban does not apply to light metal structures weighing no more than 500 grams, which serve as additional protection for headlights.
Design changes or additional equipment?
A kenguryatnik is a frame made of metal pipes by welding. It acts as additional protection by preventing damage to the front of the car .
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the question of which category this element should be classified into: structural elements or additional equipment? According to the text of the Technical Regulations, making changes to the design of a vehicle means the procedure for eliminating those provided for by the design or installing components and pieces of equipment not provided for by the design of the vehicle in question. In this context, changes are considered that were made after the vehicle left the manufacturer and have or may have an impact on the safety of use of the vehicle.
Thus, in cars whose technical documentation does not provide for the presence of a bulge or yoke, it acts as additional equipment (additional body kit). For modifications of this type, it is necessary to go through the procedure for making changes to the documents for the car. You can legitimize the installation of this element by contacting the traffic police.
On which cars can a power bumper be installed?
Now you need to figure out whether all cars are allowed to install a kenguryatnik? No, there are restrictions. So, if the car belongs to category M 1 or N 1 (i.e. less than 3.5 tons), then installing a bumper is prohibited. However, there is an exception here. If mounting the bumper is provided for by the design, but it was not installed at the factory, then the law allows for independent installation. But if the car belongs to category G (real SUVs with a transfer case), then installing a bumper is allowed.
Car enthusiasts who prefer domestic vehicles are often interested in the question: is it possible to drive with a guard on a Niva? Yes, but with a number of reservations. Firstly, you can only drive a car with such a body kit on country roads. Secondly, a number of requirements are imposed on the quality of the kenguryatnik itself. So, in the center the bumper should be made of metal, and its sides should be made of plastic.
The so-called kanguryatnik is an element of car design, which is a special body kit installed on SUVs. But today, car enthusiasts install this element on crossovers, and often even on passenger vehicles.
Initially, the kenguryatnik was intended as a means of protecting the car from damage in a collision with large animals or other objects, but today it is more often used as a decorative part of the body. Let's figure out what kind of fine a car owner faces in 2021 if he has installed this element on his passenger car.
The power bumper is an important element of the body of any SUV, since when traveling over rough terrain there are often small trees, large animals and other obstacles that can damage the radiator grille or headlights. And this will mean that there will be a need for expensive repairs. The power bumper can not only protect the front part of the body, but also guarantees simple installation of the winch, which is also very convenient for SUVs.
This body element was invented in Australia, where large marsupials often run out onto the road surface and cause car collisions.
To protect the body shell, specialists came up with such a device as a kenguryatnik. Subsequently, the power bumper began to be installed on all continents, but in the form of a design solution, even on trucks and cars on which it is essentially not needed.
Is it possible to register a kengurin with the traffic police?
In accordance with current legislation, penalties for using kengurin can be avoided in two cases:
- The element is factory installed,
- The installation was agreed upon with the traffic police and properly documented.
To obtain a permit, the vehicle owner will need:
- Contact an appropriately authorized organization to conduct an examination. Specialists will evaluate the possibility of installing a guardrail, and if the decision is positive, the car owner will receive a protocol confirming this fact.
- Submit an application to the traffic police, attaching documents received from the expert organization. Traffic police specialists study the submitted conclusion; if the decision is positive, it is endorsed and returned to the car owner.
- The next step is to contact a service center or install the body kit yourself. if work is planned without contacting a licensed service center, in the application submitted to the traffic police it is necessary to declare all the work that is planned to be carried out during the installation process.
- After the car is equipped with a kangaroo guard, the owner again undergoes an examination, the purpose of which is to confirm compliance with the requirements of legislation and regulatory documents. In case of a positive conclusion, a diagnostic card is issued confirming the suitability of the vehicle for operation.
- Contacting the traffic police to make notes on the installation of additional equipment in the documents.
More on the topic: Price, composition and expiration date of a new car first aid kit
In practice, obtaining permits is almost impossible. Experts at the first stage conclude that the planned change has a direct impact on road safety, which is a direct basis for refusing to install a guardrail. Thus, it is impossible to register a kenguryatnik with the traffic police if the design of the vehicle does not provide for it.
When can you install a kangaroo cage?
Old cars
SUVs (no matter foreign cars or domestic Nivas) produced more than 30 years ago are not subject to the provisions of the Technical Regulations. Therefore, the installed kenguryatnik will not be a reason for imposing a fine. However, even this will not allow its installation to be registered properly.
Imported cars
Imported cars can also be operated with an installed guard on the roads of the Russian Federation. They can be divided into two groups:
- Registered in other countries where the use of kengurin is legal. However, in this case there is a significant limitation: the car can only be imported for a period of up to 6 months.
- Models of SUVs with body kits installed by the manufacturer, imported into the country. There is also a pitfall here: most of them are quite old models, because the Technical Regulations prohibit the import of such cars into the Russian Federation from the moment they come into force.
Fine for illegal installation
Owners of vehicles who operate them with an installed guard, but do not have the appropriate permitting marks in their documents, may be held accountable in accordance with Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences. There is no special sanction for this violation.
The legislation provides for the following types of punishments applied by traffic police officers:
- Warning. Used upon initial detection of an offense. Most often, drivers who really do not know about the illegality of installing an additional body kit and intend to eliminate the violation: remove the guard, or contact the traffic police to obtain permission, get by with a warning. A warning can be dispensed with only once; a repeated stop by the inspector after a lapse of time, in case of evasion of eliminating the violation, will result in the imposition of a fine.
- The amount of the fine established by law for a first-time violation is 500 rubles.
- Ignoring the demands of traffic police representatives for the second time will cost the owner of a “reinforced” car already 5,000 rubles.
More on the topic: Can the traffic police deprive you of your license using a camera?
Thus, a monetary penalty for lack of permission to install a power bumper can be a significant blow to the car owner’s budget. In the case of repeated prosecutions in the form of a fine, which have no result, other penalties may be brought against the owner.
Other sanctions
In addition to fines of up to 5,000 rubles, which were mentioned above, traffic police officers can deprive the owner of a vehicle equipped with a homemade yoke of the right to drive for up to three months. This penalty is applied in the case of repeated imposition of fines that have not brought results.
Inspectors may also cancel the registration of a vehicle, but in order to re-register, the violations will still have to be eliminated.
Another problem may be the expiration of the diagnostic sheet required for issuing an MTPL policy. Additional design elements not provided for by the design of the car or without permits are a clear obstacle to issuing a conclusion on the suitability of the vehicle for use.
Kenguryatnik on Niva: allowed or not
The Kenguryatnik on Niva is a currently popular tuning element for this model. Car owners install similar structures on the Niva to give it a more solid and even menacing look. Additionally, the guard makes it safer to drive the Niva off-road.
But most owners of this model are not completely sure whether it is possible to drive a Niva with a kanguryatnik. In addition, inspectors increasingly began to fine owners of cars with a power body kit.
In 2010, legislators tightened the requirement for the use of a guard on this car model. Since the adoption of the new technical regulations, you can drive a Niva with a guard, but only on country roads. When driving on city highways, the structure will have to be removed, or you will have to regularly receive fines from traffic police officers.
At the same time, certain types of kenguryatniks are allowed for installation on the Niva - certified for injury safety and compliance with external lighting devices. A special feature of such designs is that the central part is made of metal covered with plastic, the side parts are completely made of plastic. The Niva is allowed to be used only with this type of body kit. But when passing the technical inspection, the guard must be removed.
The reinforced bumper is approved for installation on Niva-Chevrolet. In this case, the structure must be covered with plastic and have a certificate of conformity. The certificate is valid for 2 years. When re-registering a car to another person, you will have to get it again.
