Presence of an emergency sign in a car: legislative framework
When to place a warning triangle on the road. According to the law, there are three such situations:
- an accident occurred;
- the driver stopped where he shouldn't. For example, I stood under a “No Stopping” sign because I had a flat tire;
- the driver stopped in a place with poor visibility, for example, in fog.
How to put up a sign in case of an accident. There is a minimum distance that must be maintained between the vehicle and the sign:
- 15 meters - in the city,
- 30 meters - outside the city.
According to the rules, the driver himself must choose the optimal distance from the visibility conditions, but not less than these values. This means that at night in fog on a country road it is better to place a sign 100-150 meters away. Speeds on country roads are higher than in the city - other drivers must have time to brake.
This sign can be purchased as a set - it contains a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. Or purchase separately
Rules for installing a sign on the roadway
The rules for the location of the sign are enshrined in clause 7.2 of the traffic rules. The main criterion for installing a sign is the distance that allows other drivers heading towards a stopped car to know in time that they are approaching an obstacle and reduce speed to avoid a collision.
The minimum distance from the car to the sign depends on the location of the driver. Within the city, the sign must be placed at least 15 meters from the car; Outside populated areas, drivers move at higher speeds and are usually less attentive, which is why the minimum distance to the sign has been increased to 30 meters. At their discretion, drivers can place the sign at a greater distance, but not vice versa.
In what cases is a fine issued?
No warning sign in the car. If there is no warning triangle in the car, the driver will be issued a monetary sanction - a fine. This may be discovered by an inspector when inspecting the trunk.
This is not the fine that is issued for the absence of a sign during an accident. Here the point is in the list of requirements for the car, if not met, the car cannot go on the track. There is an item on this list that talks about a missing warning triangle. This means that you cannot go on the road without this obligatory item.
Incorrect placement of the emergency marker. If the sign is placed unacceptably close to the car, passing drivers may not have time to react and will crash into a standing car if there is insufficient clarity.
Non-compliance of the emergency sign with the requirements established by law. There will be no fine for non-compliance of the sign with the guest. Traffic regulations refer to GOST 1997, but it is outdated. And violating this prohibition is difficult to imagine: the cost of the sign is about 150 rubles, no one will make it themselves.
An undisclosed warning sign in the event of an accident. If the drivers who caused the accident did not put up an emergency stop sign, the traffic police officer will issue a report on each person, and then a fine.
Penalty for warning triangle
From 2021, the warning triangle is included in the list of breakdowns for which vehicles should not be used. It follows from this that a warning sign is required in the car of any vehicle owner.
A first aid kit, a warning triangle and a fire extinguisher must be in any type of vehicle (from a truck to a passenger car). This also applies to all buses and tractors with the exception of tracked ones. In addition, according to the traffic rules, the driver must put up a warning triangle in the event of a traffic accident. If this measure is ignored, the motorist will be held liable.
The driver must display a warning triangle if stopping in a prohibited area. An additional reason for installing a sign is to limit visibility for other car owners. Thus, a motorist can be punished both for the actual absence of a sign and for neglecting to use it.
Fine for not having a warning triangle
Administrative penalty. If the sign is not found during a routine check on the road, there will be a fine of 500 rubles.
Issuing a warning. The inspector has the right to warn rather than issue a fine. The inspector issues a warning instead of a fine if the following factors were not present:
- repeated violation;
- harm or threat of harm to the life and health of people, as well as property;
- harm to the environment;
- threat to state security;
- threat of natural or man-made accidents.
What are the consequences of missing an emergency sign?
Paragraph 155 of the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs states that there are only a few grounds for conducting an inspection of a car.
If the traffic police inspector does not accept the driver’s explanations, then he cannot prohibit further use of the car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVtqB_B5lIU
But in Part 1 of Art. 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses states that for such a violation a fine of 500 rubles must be paid.
To avoid paying a fine, you can use different methods:
- check the documents of the traffic police inspector;
- demand an explanation of the reason for the stop, as well as the reason why the search is required;
For the absence of an emergency stop sign on a vehicle while driving on the roads, the fine will be 500 rubles or a warning.
Article 12.5.
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 shall entail a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.
Traffic cops are happy to fine carefree motorists, and they do the right thing. After all, such neglect can result in truly serious and even disastrous consequences. You can imagine what would happen if a huge truck collided at speed with a car whose owner did not warn about stopping in a timely manner.
As for the distance. By placing an emergency triangle too close to a forcedly stopped car, other road users simply will not have time to react. For the most part, this applies to suburban highways.
Here's what the traffic police say about this. In the event of a forced stop or an accident on a highway, 30 meters cannot be considered a safe distance. A car moving at a speed of 100 km/h requires approximately 30-45 meters to perform emergency braking to a complete stop. And who drives modern cars at such speeds? This happens very rarely. Usually the speed is much higher.
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Considering this state of affairs, in the event of a forced stop on the highway or an accident, experienced motorists recommend setting the red triangle another 50 meters away. It would be better if there were two of them. Some drivers do this: the first sign is placed further away, the second - as indicated in the Rules - 30 m. This is a very polite invention, and it would be good if everyone followed it legally.
If there is a turn, a rise, a descent or any obstacles blocking visibility in front of the accident site, an emergency sign should be placed directly in front of them.
How and where to pay a fine for an emergency sign
There are several methods for paying a fine; let’s look at the most convenient ones.
Website "Traffic Police Fines". To track a fine, you need two documents - a vehicle registration certificate and a license. Write down their numbers on the appropriate lines.
The email field must be filled in so that notifications of new fines arrive on time
The check showed a fine - click “Pay”.
Fill in the fields with your card details - they are not stored on the site.
Receipts after payment are stored in the appropriate part of the site.
State Services website. Before paying, you must register on the website and verify your identity at one of the MFC branches.
Official website of the traffic police. You need to fill in the fields with the license plate number of the car and STS number. If fines are found, click “Pay fine”. Then you need to decide on the payment system - the service will tell you that it is not responsible for the result of the operation.
Search procedure
Initially, the car is stopped by a traffic police inspector, after which the following steps are performed:
- the inspector must introduce himself, so he names his position and rank;
- he must say for what reason he stopped the car, and he must refer to the traffic rules;
Inspection of a vehicle can only be carried out by authorized police officers (police, traffic police), officials of executive authorities, border guards, customs officers, etc., as defined in Article 27.2-27.3 of the Administrative Code. The inspection procedure itself consists of several stages, which are described in Art. 27.9 of the Code. The authorized employee must comply with the following conditions:
- Involvement of witnesses (witnesses) during the inspection - at least two people;
- Video recording if witnesses cannot be found;
- Drawing up a protocol;
- Delivery of a copy of the protocol to the car owner.
In the protocol, the inspector must indicate the date and time of the examination, his data, including his position, all known information about the owner of the car or the driver in whose presence the procedure is being carried out, and also describe in detail all the things and documents that were discovered (up to to the brand and caliber of the weapon, number of bullets, etc.).
Remember
- The fine for not displaying a warning triangle is 1,000 rubles.
- If, when checking the trunk, the inspector does not find a warning triangle there, he will issue a fine of 500 rubles. If this is the first time this has happened to the driver, the inspector may limit himself to a warning.
- Only an inspector can record a violation of a warning triangle. Cameras don't see this yet.
- The most convenient way to check and pay a fine is on the Traffic Police Fines website.
All articles by the author: Evgeniy Lesnov
New and old - the difference between samples from different years
The new warning triangle from 2013 has some differences from the old one. This difference is that the new one has a strip of fluorescent material. If previously the presence of this strip was not required, now it is mandatory. Some drivers, not wanting to replace the old sign with a new one, simply add a strip of fluorescent material . To do this, you just need to securely fix it. Thus, the old sample will meet all the requirements.
When choosing a new emergency beacon, you need to pay attention to the following details:
- The design must be reliable and durable.
- A protective layer must be applied to the edges. It is made of plastic or rubber. This will keep it in good condition longer.
- The edges must be smooth, without sharp protrusions that can cause injury.
- It is also necessary to pay attention to the retractable leg, which must be stable.
- The kit must include instructions and a case.
