Fine for violating traffic rules at a railway crossing

• Traffic police fines related to railway crossings
• Driving through a prohibitory traffic light
• Overtaking and detour
• Stop at a crossing
• Crossing tracks without stopping
• Controversial situations
• How to pass a railway crossing correctly

A separate point that is highlighted in the traffic rules is compliance with the rules when crossing a railway crossing. This section of the route is more dangerous than a regular road. This is due to the speed experienced by trains and the serious consequences for vehicles and passengers that may be present when colliding with moving trains. Violation of the rules for passing such a section becomes the basis for bringing the perpetrators to justice and imposing fines.

Traffic police fines related to railway crossings

Preventive measures that apply to motorists may be as follows:

• a fine for driving through a railway crossing through a red light and other types of signals prohibiting further movement;
• punishment for avoiding obstacles or overtaking, if such a maneuver involves the need to enter the oncoming lane;
• a fine for stopping or parking both at the crossing itself and at a prohibited distance to it;
• punishment for ignoring a stop sign;
• penalties for violation of other rules for traveling such a section, which, in particular, include crossing a crossing in an unspecified place.

Driving through a prohibitory traffic light

One of the most common fines for crossing railway tracks that are imposed on motorists is the penalty provided for in Part 1 of Article 12.10 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. It is determined for an attempt to pass (suppressed by traffic police officers) or direct passage to a prohibiting signal.

Such signals can be considered:

• red traffic light;
• lowered barrier;
• a reflection of the ban on further movement, which may be indicated by the traffic controller (the person on duty at the crossing).

The latter situation may occur in the absence of technical means (traffic lights or barriers) or their temporary malfunction.

If you cross a railway crossing contrary to the rules, the driver will be held accountable and will have to pay a fine of 1 thousand rubles. As an alternative method of punishment, deprivation of rights for a period of 3 to 6 months may be applied.

Part 3 of Article 12.10 determines a more severe penalty for repeated violations. It will be expressed in deprivation of rights for a whole year. A repeated violation is considered if it is recorded within one year from the previous one.

What changes have been made?

In 2021, 204 accidents occurred at railway crossings in the Russian Federation. The main part of them is recorded in regions with the most dense traffic, namely in the territory of the Moscow, West Siberian and Caucasian railways. Tougher fines, together with the installation of video monitoring systems at crossings, should significantly reduce the accident rate. The amendments introduced by the State Duma concern Article 12.10 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO RF). Now the first part of the article will look like this: “Crossing a railway track outside a railway crossing, entering a railway crossing with a closed or closing barrier or when there is a prohibiting signal from a traffic light or a crossing officer, stopping or parking at a railway crossing or driving through an unregulated railway crossing, if a train (locomotive, handcar) approaching a crossing within sight shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five thousand rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of three to six months.” Other violations at railway crossings will also be punishable by a fine of 5 thousand rubles. Previously, the punishment was a fine of 1 thousand rubles, which could be paid with a 50% discount during the first 20 days after drawing up the protocol. The fine discount has now been cancelled. Repeated commission of an administrative offense provided for in Part 1 of Article 12.10 entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for one year.

How to distinguish a real traffic police officer from a fraudster? More details

Overtaking and detour

Overtaking at a railway crossing, as well as avoiding obstacles and entering oncoming traffic, is a prohibited maneuver. This prohibition is related to the content of the following paragraphs of the current version of the traffic rules:

• clause 15.3, which prohibits driving around obstacles (vehicles) into oncoming traffic immediately before the crossing;
• clause 11.4, which prohibits overtaking both on the crossing itself and at a distance closer than 100 meters in front of it.

Penalties in case of detour and overtaking contrary to traffic rules:

• a fine of 1 to 1.5 thousand rubles (part 3 of article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). The driver will pay this amount if he drives into the oncoming lane while avoiding an obstacle;
• if the vehicle was overtaken in an oncoming lane, the fine will be 5 thousand rubles, an alternative punishment is deprivation of rights for a period of 4 to 6 months (part 4 of article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation);
• if overtaking is repeated at a crossing - a fine of 5 thousand rubles (if recorded by a camera) or deprivation of rights for a period of 1 year (Part 5 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Legislative regulation and liability measures

Measures of influence against violators of traffic rules are regulated by the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO) of the Russian Federation. Due to the fact that emergency situations at a railway crossing can cause serious incidents causing serious harm to people's health, including death, violation of established traffic rules is punished extremely strictly.

Let's look at the situations that most often happen at railway crossings due to the fault of drivers. Let's analyze what punishment awaits negligent car owners in each specific case.

Punishment for crossing a crossing on a red traffic light

Regulating traffic at a railway crossing using a traffic light is the most visible way to warn drivers about the importance of this road object. A prohibitory red signal is a clear taboo for continuing to move (Article 15.3 of the Traffic Rules). But there are drivers who, due to inattention or negligence, ignore the ban.

To such drivers, according to Art. 12.10 (clause 1) of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, a rather serious penalty is applied - a fine of 1 thousand rubles. or confiscation of rights for up to six months. If the violation is not committed this year for the first time, then the violator faces the confiscation of his driver’s license for up to 1 year (Article 12.10, paragraph 3 of the Administrative Code).

Fine for violating a stop sign at a railway crossing

A stop prescribed by a “Stop” sign is another measure designed to mobilize the driver’s attention before a railway crossing (Article 15.2 of the Traffic Regulations). By stopping at the sign, the driver will be able to adequately assess the situation in the dangerous area and make the right decision. Therefore, failure to comply with the requirement of a stop sign entails a sanction, according to Art. 12.10, clause 2 of the Administrative Code, in the form of a fine in the amount of 1 thousand rubles.

Punishment for stopping at a crossing

It happens that a vehicle (vehicle) stops at a railway crossing due to negligence or due to a breakdown. This situation is very dangerous and requires a prompt solution. The main task at such a moment is to disembark passengers, remove the vehicle from the railway track, and make an attempt to warn the train driver (Article 15.5 of the Traffic Regulations).

For stopping at a crossing (Article 12.4 of the Traffic Regulations), according to Art. 12.10 (clause 1) of the Code of Administrative Offences, a fine in the amount of 1 thousand rubles may be issued. or rights have been withdrawn for up to 6 months. If you commit a second offense within 12 months from the date of the first incident, your license may be withdrawn for a year.

Fine for overtaking at a railway crossing

Often haste leads to the most unpredictable consequences. Current traffic regulations state that overtaking a vehicle is prohibited not only directly at a railway crossing, but also 100 m before it.

In addition to the fact that every driver should know this rule, warning signs are installed on the road near the crossing. Within the boundaries of a populated area, this is a sign with a schematic image of a railway track or steam locomotive, and outside the city - a sign with two diagonal lines. In addition to the signs described, there is a single or double solid marking line on the road surface, which indicates that overtaking is prohibited.

Failure to comply with the standards prescribed by signs and road markings, in accordance with Art. 12.15 (clause 4) of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, punishable by a fine of 5 thousand rubles. or confiscation of rights for up to six months. If there is a repeated violation within 12 months, the license may be taken away for a year (Article 12.15, paragraph 5 of the Administrative Code).

A special case of prohibited overtaking at a railway crossing is avoiding an obstacle. In this situation, the fine is up to 1.5 thousand rubles. (Article 12.15, paragraph 3 of the Administrative Code).

Stop at a crossing

According to clause 12.4 of the Traffic Regulations, railway crossings belong to the category of places where it is strictly forbidden to stop moving or park. There are penalties for such actions.

Stopping at a railway crossing will not constitute a violation only if certain circumstances were present. These include reasons related to the health of the motorist or the technical condition of the car. In accordance with clause 12.5 of the traffic rules, parking is prohibited in those places where stopping is prohibited (applicable to the situation under consideration, this is the crossing itself), as well as closer than 50 meters from it.

The penalty in case of non-compliance with the above requirements will be similar to driving through a prohibitory signal - a fine of 1 thousand rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of up to 6 months. This is provided for in Part 1 of Article 12.10 of the Administrative Code). For repeated violation - deprivation of rights for 1 year (Part 3 of Article 12.10 of the Administrative Code).

The bar for violators at crossings was raised to 5 thousand rubles

The State Duma adopted amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences, increasing the fine for drivers who violate the rules at railway crossings five times - up to 5 thousand rubles. The 50% discount is canceled upon payment. The same bill introduces for the first time a fine of up to 30 thousand rubles. for illegally disembarking a minor stowaway from public transport - drivers or controllers will be punished for this offense. The Passengers Union fears that teenagers will abuse their rights by using public transport for free.

The bill adopted by the State Duma contains two important innovations. First of all, we are talking about Art. 12.10 Code of Administrative Offenses “Violation of traffic rules across railway tracks.” Now for gross violations - leaving a crossing with a closed (or closing) barrier, with a red traffic light - deprivation of rights for up to 3 months or a fine of 1 thousand rubles is applied. The fine will be increased to 5 thousand rubles. without the right to a discount if paid within 20 days. The same punishment, according to the bill, will be applied if the driver crosses an unregulated crossing at the moment when a train is approaching him within “visual range” (the term is not deciphered). For smaller violations (for example, unauthorized opening of a barrier) today a fine of 1 thousand rubles will be applied. without deprivation. The sanction also increases to 5 thousand rubles. (without discount rights).

There are 270 automatic cameras installed at controlled crossings, Russian Railways told Kommersant. On unregulated ones, violations are detected by a traffic police officer.

The Ministry of Transport initiated the bill back in 2014 to combat accidents; amendments were introduced to the State Duma only in 2021. “We expect that additional legislative measures will help drivers think again about the need to comply with traffic rules,” says Russian Railways. The amendments will increase discipline at crossings and reduce the number of accidents, the Ministry of Transport adds. In 2021, Russian Railways proposed criminal prosecution of drivers who were responsible for a collision with a train while crossing a crossing, but no bill was presented. Let us note that in 2021 there were 204 accidents at crossings (-18% compared to 2021), most of them on the territory of the Moscow, West Siberian and Caucasian railways.

“If a driver decides to break the rules, realizing the real danger, he should be stopped by an obstacle, not the possibility of a fine,” says lawyer Sergei Radko. “There are still thousands of unguarded and unequipped crossings in the country, and it is this problem that must be solved first.”

Law-abiding drivers may face unfair punishment, Mr. Radko continues, due to the presence of the wording “limit of visibility”: the inspector may decide that a train is approaching, but the driver does not see it.

Another amendment introduces a new Art. 11.33 Code of Administrative Offences. For forcibly disembarking a minor passenger who does not have a ticket, the driver will be fined 5 thousand rubles, the controller - 20-30 thousand rubles. In 2017–2018, there were numerous cases in Russia where teenagers were thrown out into the cold for traveling without a ticket. The State Duma prohibited doing this in February 2021, having adopted the corresponding law (came into force on March 7), and sanctions for violation were subsequently adopted.

Teenagers will abuse their right to use public transport for free, says the head of the Passengers Union, Kirill Yankov. The “algorithm of actions” of officials in accordance with the law is not completely clear, they say in Mostransavto near Moscow, and the responsibility of parents who “did not take care of replenishing the fare card for their child” has not been established. “We rely on the awareness of passengers, considering cases where a child was not able to pay for travel as an accident,” the company says. “But if such incidents begin to become systematic, we hope to make changes.” “The adopted law does not mean that you can ignore paying for travel,” say the Moscow State Public Institution “Transportation Organizer.” “Responsibility for ticketless travel remains; after drawing up a protocol, parents will have to pay the fine.”

Ivan Buranov

Crossing tracks without stopping

What will be the risk of crossing railway tracks without stopping and why is this a violation? Almost every such section is equipped with a “stop” sign for safety purposes, indicating the need for a short-term stop (without turning off the engine). In this case, the rules dictate:

• stop just before the stop line, if present;
• stop in front of the road sign itself to make sure that there is no moving train.

The fine for railway crossing without stopping is determined in accordance with Article 12.10 (Part 2) of the Code of Administrative Offenses. It is 1 thousand rubles.

List of violations when crossing crossings

A fine for crossing railway tracks may be imposed if the following violations are committed:

• Travel to the edge;

Regulated by Article 12.10, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

• Stopping in the wrong place (ignoring a stop line or a STOP sign);

Regulated by Article 12.10, Part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

• Stopping or parking at a railway crossing;

What should you not do at a railway crossing?

• You are not allowed to stop at a railway crossing. Therefore, if you see a traffic jam that has formed immediately after the crossing, you cannot drive out and stop on the railway tracks;

An exception is a forced stop on railway tracks due to a breakdown of the vehicle.

• At railway crossings, it is prohibited to overtake another vehicle (as well as one hundred meters before it);
• Cross railway tracks in the wrong place (all places except railway crossings);

For all listed violations, a fine is imposed on the driver. However, in addition to a fine, the offending motorist may be deprived of the right to drive a vehicle.

Read about the terms of deprivation of rights in case of incorrect passage of a railway crossing in the next section.

Controversial situations

Violating the rules for crossing a railway crossing may involve some controversial issues in which the motorist does not agree that he has committed an offense. As an example, consider the following cases.

• If the barrier began to lower or the red light turned on after the motorist entered the territory, his actions cannot be considered a violation. In such a situation, the driver should move through the area as quickly as possible to avoid a collision with a passing train.
• If there is a car malfunction that caused a stop at a crossing, it is also unacceptable to impose punishment on the motorist. In such a situation, measures should be taken to ensure that all passengers get out of the car and the car itself is removed from the tracks as soon as possible.
• If a motorist has already started moving through the crossing (provided the red light is on), and a traffic jam has formed behind him, he should drive forward as quickly as possible - such a maneuver also cannot be considered a violation.

In any situation when a traffic police officer or automatically (based on the recording of an installed video surveillance camera) charges a traffic violation, the driver may disagree and in response provide arguments and evidence on the basis of which prosecution will not occur.