Avoiding obstacles in the oncoming lane. Detour rules in 2021

Good afternoon, dear reader.

Every driver of a vehicle at least once in his life has found himself in a situation where the opposite side of the roadway was blocked for one reason or another.

The reason for the blockage can be either an unexpected traffic accident or a bus or trolleybus that stops unsuccessfully at a public transport stop. In the described situation, the driver has to make a very difficult choice: whether to wait for the roadway to clear or immediately avoid the obstacle in the oncoming lane of the road.

At the same time, not everyone knows the differences between detour and overtaking, so quite often efficient car owners end up in the hands of traffic police officers, who, on completely legal grounds, deprive them of their driver’s licenses. Or, on not entirely legal grounds, they resolve the issue on the spot.

This article will talk about what avoiding an obstacle and how it differs from overtaking a vehicle:

• What is a detour?
• Where is it prohibited to detour?
• Detour fines.
• Avoiding obstacles in the oncoming lane.
• Avoiding an obstacle through a solid marking line.

What is a detour?

Unfortunately, the current traffic rules do not decipher the concept of detour, so you should refer to Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Based on Part 3 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code, as well as on the basis of paragraphs 9.2 and 15.3 of the traffic rules, we can conclude that a detour is a kind of maneuver associated with leaving the occupied lane if further movement along the original lane is impossible:

9.2. On dual carriageway roads with four or more lanes, it is prohibited to overtake or pass into the lane intended for oncoming traffic. On such roads, left turns or U-turns may be made at intersections and in other places where this is not prohibited by the Rules, signs and (or) markings.

15.3. It is forbidden to travel to move: ...

• drive around vehicles standing in front of the crossing into oncoming traffic;

Thus, if a vehicle makes a lane change due to the fact that the lane is blocked by something or someone, then its maneuver can be considered as a detour. In all other cases, i.e. if there is some activity in the lane in the form of a moving vehicle, the maneuver can be considered as overtaking or overtaking.

Please note that the penalty for illegal overtaking is more severe than the penalty for illegal passing.

Fine for leaving and driving in the oncoming lane

Sometimes it happens that a banal drive into oncoming traffic with the aim of overtaking the car in front ends in a serious car accident for the driver, including death.

Therefore, in the Russian Federation Traffic Regulations there is an entire article devoted to the rules for ahead of vehicles across a solid line.

Failure to comply with the stated requirements is fraught with administrative punishment for the motorist, ranging from financial penalties to seizure of rights.

Conditions for prohibiting entry into the oncoming lane

In total, the traffic rules provide for three main conditions under which a driver will face a fine for driving into the oncoming lane in 2021. Namely:

• Advancing a vehicle through a solid marking line on a highway with 2 or 4 lanes, in the absence of a “Overtaking is allowed” sign;
• Crossing a continuous line dividing a two-way flow under a prohibitory sign 3.20;
• Driving into the oncoming lane on special sections of the road (pedestrian crossing, emergency zone, steep descent/ascent, sharp turn or intersection).

Where is it prohibited to detour?

There are only 3 situations in which traffic rules prohibit taking a detour :

1. Detour into oncoming traffic on a 4 or more lane road.
2. Detour on a 3-lane road with entry to the far left lane.
3. Detour into oncoming traffic in front of a railway crossing. I note that detours in front of a railway crossing are prohibited not only on 4-lane roads, but also on roads with 3 or 2 lanes.

In all other situations, detour is permitted . These situations include:

1. Detour without entering oncoming traffic.
2. A detour into oncoming traffic on a 2-lane road or into the central lane on a 3-lane road, which is not carried out in front of a railway crossing.

Detour fines in 2021

As noted earlier, traffic rules prohibit a detour only in the case when, during the detour, the car finds itself in the lane of oncoming traffic. Therefore, the punishment for an incorrect detour fits into only one part of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offences:

3. Driving into a lane intended for oncoming traffic in violation of the Traffic Rules while avoiding an obstacle -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of one thousand to one thousand five hundred rubles .

Although the fine for improper overtaking is large, its size cannot be compared with the fine for improper overtaking (deprivation of rights for 4-6 months).

Let's consider situations in which questions most often arise regarding the implementation of a detour.

Amount of fine for driving on the side of the road

Failure to comply with traffic regulations regarding the location of a vehicle on the road is an administrative offense.

The penalty for driving on the side of the road is a fine of 1,500 rubles (Part 1 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

An increasing coefficient or other measure of liability for the commission of similar offenses in the future is not provided.

For overtaking on the oncoming side of the road, the violator faces a fine of 5 thousand rubles or deprivation of his driver's license for up to 6 months (Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). If other traffic rules were violated, additional qualification occurs under other articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Driving on the side of the Moscow Ring Road

The MKAD is a regular road, marked 5.3, it is not a motorway. On the Moscow Ring Road, the shoulder means a safety strip marked with a white solid marking line on the right side, one and a half meters from the bump stop. Driving along it, as in other places, is prohibited (Section 9.9 of the Traffic Regulations).

Special cameras recording this offense have been operating on the Moscow Ring Road since April 2015. The program built into the camera allows you to record not only violations of the rules for placing a car on the road, but also driving at excess speed. At the time of installation there were about 100 of them, and the total number of automatic fixation devices exceeded 200 units.

The entire process is as automated as possible: the camera sends the recorded information to a single center, where a decision is drawn up to prosecute for driving on the side of the road, after which the violator receives a notification of a fine.

Avoiding obstacles in the oncoming lane

The concept of obstacle is given in paragraph 1.2 of the traffic rules:

“Obstacle” is a stationary object in the traffic lane (faulty or damaged vehicle, defect in the roadway, foreign objects, etc.) that does not allow further movement along this lane. A traffic jam or a vehicle stopped in this lane in accordance with the requirements of the Rules is not an obstacle.

So, when a car drives into the oncoming lane, 3 types of punishment may occur for the driver :

No violation

No punishment. In order not to receive a penalty for passing in the oncoming lane, it is necessary to perform this maneuver only on a 2 or 3 lane road, without driving further than the second lane. In addition, it is necessary that there is some kind of obstacle in the passing lane.

An obstacle may be, for example, an open well on the roadway or a traffic accident. However, keep in mind that driving around a bus that has stopped to pick up passengers in the oncoming lane does not mean driving around an obstacle. This maneuver is a detour around a vehicle that is not an obstacle. The punishment for its implementation is discussed below.

Part 3 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code

Penalty for incorrect detour (1,000 - 1,500 rubles). Avoiding an obstacle in the oncoming lane is punishable by a fine if the maneuver is performed either on a four-lane road, or on a three-lane road with access to the left lane, or in front of a railway crossing.

It should also be taken into account that an attempt to avoid a traffic jam or traffic jam in the oncoming lane, just as in the case of a bus, will not constitute a detour around the obstacle.

Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code

The penalty for driving around is not an obstacle (deprivation of rights for 4 - 6 months or a fine of 5,000 rubles). A penalty in the form of deprivation of rights may be imposed if a vehicle that is not an obstacle (stopped in accordance with the requirements of the traffic rules) is detoured into the oncoming lane.

Law on driving into oncoming traffic

A maneuver by a traffic participant on the road into the oncoming lane implies a situation where he left his lane and found himself in a lane where traffic was moving towards him. Then emergency situations often arise, resulting in collisions that are dangerous to the lives of passengers.

In some cases, driving into oncoming traffic is acceptable, but the majority of such incidents entail violations of traffic rules and the application of penalties prescribed in Art. 12.15 and 12.16 Code of Administrative Offences . It is this normative document that establishes the types of violations and the amount of the applicable punishment.

In what cases can you drive into oncoming traffic?

There are situations when driving into the oncoming lane is not a traffic violation. Let's consider situations when such a maneuver is not prohibited.

Vehicles can enter the middle lane if appropriate markings have been applied. Additionally, there should be no signs along the road prohibiting such exit. The maneuver can be used in most cases for overtaking.

Traffic regulations allow the use of the left side of traffic on roads with a narrow surface only in the absence of markings and road signs prohibiting entry into the oncoming lane.

The situation on the road should ensure accident-free operation. As a rule, oncoming traffic, even on narrow roads, should be used primarily for overtaking.

If the markings are not applied, then the left side of the road is recognized as the oncoming lane.

When is it prohibited to drive into the oncoming lane?

In most situations, the rules prohibit leaving your side of the road and entering oncoming traffic. All of them fall under the Code of Administrative Offenses and are punished financially or by losing the right to drive transport for a certain period. We suggest considering the prohibitive points.

1. It is prohibited to enter the oncoming lane with appropriate road markings.

The driver is obliged to pay attention to the markings posted on the road. It does not matter how many lanes the roadway has. It is prohibited to drive onto the oncoming side when there are traffic markings 1.1, 1.3 and 1.11 (solid line on your side) of the traffic rules.

1. Wide road with four lanes for transport.

Such a roadway is sufficient to exclude overtaking maneuvers in oncoming lanes. According to clause 9.2 of the traffic rules, even in the absence of markings and signs on such a route, a driver who leaves his lanes will be considered a violator.

Turning on a four-lane road is carried out only in permitted places or at intersections.

1. On a three-lane road, entering the leftmost lane is strictly prohibited.

1. When there is a sign prohibiting overtaking.

Leaving your lane to overtake in any number of lanes will be a violation. It is only permissible to turn around or turn left.

What is the fine for driving into the oncoming lane if you are caught on camera?

Currently, photo and video recording of violations on the roads is common. This allows you to automatically monitor all traffic situations, make decisions about violations and send letters with fines to negligent drivers.

Let us note that in the Code of Administrative Offences, for violating traffic rules by driving into oncoming traffic, either a fine or deprivation of rights is required. But if a camera is recorded on the road, the driver will only be punished financially.

The fine for overtaking in the oncoming lane in 2021 is set at 5 thousand rubles .

What is the penalty for driving into the oncoming lane for the first and repeated violation?

To clarify what penalty will be applied to the driver who left his lane and made a maneuver in the oncoming lane, let us refer to the Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 12.15. It discusses situations that constitute violations and penalties.

ViolationPunishmentExclusion

Repeated violation of traffic rules by driving into oncoming traffic entails punishment depending on how it was recorded:

• traffic police inspector - deprivation of rights for up to one year;
• street recording cameras - a fine of 5 thousand rubles.

Payment of the penalty

It would not be out of place to say that if you pay the fine within 20 days from the moment the violation is recorded and the resolution is drawn up, you can save significantly. During this period, the citizen is given the opportunity to pay the fine with a 50% discount.

The violator can choose the payment method independently, in any of them the rule of reducing the amount of punishment will be applied. For those who are registered on the State Services website and use its capabilities, when entering their personal account, the system will reflect the existing debt on traffic police fines. Here you can find out the payment methods and the date of the issued order.

It is important that after the grace period expires, you will have to pay the full amount according to the document issued by the inspector or received by mail.

Watch an educational video where 16 situations for driving into oncoming traffic are discussed.

Avoiding an obstacle through a solid marking line

Avoiding an obstacle through a solid line marking 1.1 in any case is a violation of traffic rules. In this case, 3 types of punishment are possible.

Part 1 of Article 12.16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses

A warning or an administrative fine in the amount of 500 rubles, in case of making a detour without entering the lane of oncoming traffic. In this case, it does not matter whether you are driving around an obstacle or a bus that has stopped according to the rules, which is not an obstacle. In any case, a fine will be imposed for failure to comply with road markings.

Part 3 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code

A fine of 1,000 - 1,500 rubles can be imposed when driving around an obstacle if you cross a solid marking line separating traffic flows in opposite directions.

For example, this fine may be imposed when avoiding an accident on a two-lane road, in the center of which there is a solid marking line.

Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code

The driver will receive a deprivation of license for 4-6 months (or a fine of 5,000 rubles) if he makes a detour around an obstacle (a bus at a stop), which involves crossing a solid marking line and driving into the oncoming lane.

I hope you were able to understand the different types of penalties for incorrectly performing a detour. Now you have the opportunity to take a detour only if this maneuver does not violate traffic rules. In addition, if you come across a fraudulent traffic police officer who tries to deprive you of your driver’s license for driving around a solid marking line, you will be able to give him a fitting rebuff.

Good luck on the roads!

Amounts of fines for various types of violations

Crossing a solid marking line dividing traffic into two one-way flows occurs due to different circumstances, depending on which the amount of the financial penalty will be established. In total, the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for 4 possible options:

• Avoiding obstacles. In this case, it means driving into the oncoming lane or tram tracks in order to avoid a traffic jam. Such a maneuver is assessed by traffic police officers as a fine from 1000 to 1500 rubles;
• Turning or leaving the road with a preliminary intersection of a continuous marking line. In accordance with Art. 12.16 of the Administrative Code, changing the direction of movement and turning left through a single or double line is punishable by a financial penalty in the amount of 1000 to 1500 thousand rubles;
• Advancing a vehicle using the reversible lane. This is the most common violation caught by the traffic police cameras, for which the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for punishment in the form of payment of 2000 - 5000 rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of 4 to 6 months;
• Repeated stopping of the vehicle if clause 9 of these rules is ignored. If caught on video recording of a traffic police inspector for the second time in a short period of time, the driver will be held liable in the form of seizure of his driver’s license for a period of up to 1 year.

We have found out in what cases fines and deprivation of driving licenses are imposed for driving into oncoming traffic from January 1, 2021 on the territory of the Russian Federation. Next, we will consider several circumstances in which the protocol can be avoided due to the controversial nature of the situation.