Having a reflective vest in the car
The legislative framework. If a traffic police inspector stops a car and does not find a reflective vest, he has no right to issue a fine. This is not a violation.
But according to traffic rules, a vest must be worn when four conditions match:
- the driver was forced to stop, for example, to change a tire, or was involved in an accident;
- went out onto the road or side of the road;
- it happened outside the city;
- It’s dark outside or visibility is limited in some way: a mountain, a sharp turn in the road, or dense thickets.
Instead of a vest, you can use a jacket or cape, the main thing is that they have reflective stripes according to the state regulations.
New requirements. These requirements have been in effect since March 2021 by decree of the Russian government.
There have been no changes since then.
What is the penalty for not wearing reflective clothing?
The philistine mentality has long been accustomed to the fact that if it is possible to get off with a simple warning, then the law does not have to be followed. This is exactly what happens most often when it comes to the need to carry reflective vests. Violators of the law can get off with a regular verbal warning from a traffic police inspector or a fine of 500 rubles. The choice is made by the traffic police officer. Here it is time to recall the relative understanding of the concept of limited visibility and darkness.
When stopping a car, the inspector must voice the reason for it. Therefore, as a rule, cars are stopped that have clearly violated traffic rules or are suspected of being stolen. Usually, a violation of traffic rules costs a much larger amount than the absence of a reflective vest, and they do not pay much attention to this point. Therefore, the excitement among Russian drivers, who were afraid of real penalties for the lack of reflective clothing in the car, is gradually beginning to subside, and they calm down and are in no hurry to purchase it. But in some Russian regions they continue to inherit the old Soviet practice and conduct targeted raids, the task of which is to collect a generous “harvest” of fines from drivers.
The traffic police inspector may issue a fine of 500 rubles or limit himself to a verbal warning.
Truck drivers who drive across the territory of the Russian Federation do not always have reflective vests or jackets in their cars. But those who often travel to European countries simply cannot imagine their car without the appropriate equipment. After all, for example, on a Portuguese road you can safely walk without a reflective vest at night next to a car standing on the side of the road for a fine of 300 euros. But this is only on country roads. When the traffic police detects such a violation on a highway, the fine will be doubled. Paradoxically, you will have to pay the least for such an offense in Germany - the traffic police can conduct a conversation or fine you 15 euros. But the point here is not about penalties. It is typical that almost all drivers in Germany carry reflective clothing in their cars. Moreover, they have been doing this for a long time and consciously, without any fear of meager fines. And only in the vast expanses of the CIS (and even then not in all countries) they begin to introduce norms on reflective clothing at the legislative level. Experts believe that such an innovation in Russian Traffic Rules is fifteen years late.
What is the probability of getting a fine?
Experienced drivers state that it is quite difficult for police officers to record an offense involving the absence of a reflective vest. If a person is hit by a car outside the city limits, they will no longer be able to bring him to administrative responsibility. Only if police officers driving past a car and a driver standing next to it without reflective clothing in the dark or in conditions of limited visibility notice this, can they stop and draw up a report. Well, or limit yourself to a verbal warning. Especially for the sake of fines of 500 rubles, it is unlikely that anyone will look for such traffic violators.
Therefore, it is believed that the chances of being brought to administrative responsibility for not wearing a reflective vest are close to zero. But this does not mean that the law can be violated painlessly. Today, among Russian drivers, forecasts from auto experts are being actively discussed that a significant increase in fines to two thousand rubles is expected. After all, every year Russian legislation takes steps to bring it closer to European standards.
Why should you use a vest?
Protect yourself. A tired driver may not immediately notice a person in the dark if he is not wearing reflective elements. Therefore, the main reason to wear a vest on a country road in the evening or at night is to become more visible from afar to other drivers. This way they will have time to slow down or go around.
Eliminate fines without a vest. If you get out of the car without a vest in such a situation, you may be fined; if you had to stop because of an accident, the fine will be twice as large.
General provisions
According to 2021 legislation, motorists must wear a reflective vest when entering the highway. The established standard applies to night stops or travel in appropriate weather conditions and poor visibility away from populated areas.
This means that, according to the new traffic regulations, a driver who has made a forced stop in the countryside due to a car breakdown or a tire change must wear a special reflective vest when he goes out on the road.
A reflective vest is visible from a distance of 300 meters, so other drivers will notice the motorist and his life will not be in danger, which is important in the dark and bad weather when the road surface is problematic and remote from the nearest populated areas.
Many drivers agree that a vest as a safety standard is completely normal, but everyone must decide on the advisability of the purchase for themselves and it is illegal to demand the purchase of a meaningless thing for someone.
How to choose the right vest
Requirements for clothing with reflective elements. A vest, cape or jacket that meets the state standards requirements is suitable:
- the main part is yellow, orange or red;
- one or two reflective stripes are sewn around the torso, each at least five centimeters wide;
- if there are two stripes, the bottom one should be located no less than five centimeters from the bottom of the vest;
- two additional vertical stripes are acceptable, which go across the shoulders and converge with the horizontal stripe at the front and back;
If the vest does not match the guest, it is the same as if it does not exist.
How much does it cost and how to choose. The cost of a vest for May 2021 is from 130 to 950 rubles. The simplest option is suitable for the driver - the main thing is that it is the right size and reflects the light. You can check this with a flashlight or camera flash.
The vest can have one or two stripes, plus perhaps two additional ones across the shoulders
What is the penalty for non-compliance with traffic rules?
Fine for not wearing a vest in the car. The law does not provide for such a fine. The vest does not have to be carried in the car all the time, unlike a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and emergency sign.
Fine for being near a car at night without a vest. For such a violation, a fine is provided, its size depends on the situation: stopping and going out onto the road or side of the road in the dark without a vest is a traffic violation.
The fine will be 500 rubles. the participant in the accident did not put on a vest in the evening or at night - this is equivalent to failure to perform duties in an accident. Fine - 1 thousand rubles.
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation N 1524
The reason for changing the traffic rules was, on the one hand, the sad statistics of road accidents, on the other hand, the positive experience of many European countries, where reflective elements on the outer clothing of drivers and passengers of a vehicle are the same mandatory requisites for a country trip as a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.
On the official website of the Government of the Russian Federation (government.ru), along with the resolution on amendments to the traffic rules, a traffic police certificate with accident statistics for the first six months of 2017 was also published.
According to the traffic police, the number of collisions with drivers on the side of the road at night has increased - by almost 5% compared to data for 2021 (a total of 66 such accidents). But the number of collisions with pedestrians, who were previously (from June 1, 2015) required to walk along the roadsides in the dark in clothing with reflective elements, decreased by 10.2%.
The traffic police considered that the reduction in accidents with pedestrians is directly related to the implementation of new requirements, and decided to extend the law on reflective vests to motorists. As a result, Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation N 1524 was issued, by which the rules of the DD were supplemented with a new paragraph - 2.3.4.
How and where to pay a fine for a vest
On "Traffic Police Fines". On the main page, enter the license plate number of the car, STS number and license, as well as your email address for notifications. If there are fines, the service will show them. Click "Pay".
Check the driver's details and click "Proceed to Payment".
Enter your bank card details and click “Pay”.
On State Services. To register for the service, you will have to visit the nearest authorized center with your passport and SNILS. After this, you can indicate the STS and license numbers in your personal account, and then find. Any fines found can be paid.
On the website of the State Traffic Inspectorate. Find the “Check fines” banner on the main page, enter the license plate number and STS. Click Request Review. If there are fines, you can click “Pay fines”. After this, the service will offer to choose one of the third-party payment systems and warn that it is not responsible for repaying the fine.
Remember
- Carrying a vest in a car is not required by law. But the driver must wear it if he leaves the car outside the city in poor visibility.
- This is how the state solves the problem of driver safety - without reflective elements on clothing, he may not be noticed and hit.
- If you do not wear a vest in such a situation, you will be fined 500 rubles. If the driver gets out of the car due to an accident, the fine is higher - 1 thousand rubles.
- In other situations, a fine for not wearing a vest can be appealed.
- The easiest way is to pay the fine with a discount in the first 20 days on the “Staff Traffic Police Fines”.
All articles by the author: Ilya Novikov
Use of signal vests
The main information of the amendments concerns the use of special protection when leaving the car in the evening and at night. This rule is mandatory for those located outside the city limits. The same applies to drivers of motorcycles and mopeds.
Requirements for the appearance and type of tailoring of signal clothing are specified in GOST 12.4.281-2014. In addition to drivers, reflective vests are used by many officials and are included in the uniform for some services:
- Builders.
- Railway workers.
- Traffic police.
- Utility workers.
- Ambulance staff.
What color should a reflective vest be? It can be different, but always bright and clearly visible
