To remove the thorns sign for the summer or not: when to attach the “Thorns” sign
According to current traffic rules, cars with studded wheels must have a special sign. It will notify all road users about the installed tires.
Also, the presence of this sign indicates a rather short braking distance, especially in the summer. This means that all road users are required to maintain an increased distance in case of more sudden braking.
You can purchase this sign at any automobile store. It is a triangle on a white background, with a red rim. Inside the triangle there is a black letter “Ш”, meaning spikes, that is, studded tires, intended, for the most part, for winter movement.
Despite the fact that spikes are most often used in winter, no one forbids driving on them in the summer. After all, the main purpose of this type of rubber is to increase traction, thereby improving handling and reducing braking distance.
There will be no fines for leaving the “Spikes” sign up for the summer
The off-season has arrived, which means that soon most tire shops in the country will be sold out. Many motorists are wondering what to do after changing shoes with a sign in the form of the letter “Ш” in a red triangle on a white background. Let us remind you that such a sticker has become mandatory for all cars with studded winter tires in the cold season. The norm came into force about a year ago, at the beginning of April 2021.
It should be noted that drivers for using the appropriate tires, but without the “Spikes” sticker, are fined by traffic police officers, the amount of the penalty is 500 rubles. Inspectors consider this violation within the framework of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, Part 1, according to which “driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which, in accordance with the basic provisions for the admission of a vehicle to operation and the duties of officials for ensuring road safety, the operation of a vehicle is prohibited.”
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By the way, not so long ago it became known that the head of the Russian State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, Mikhail Chernikov, was surprised to learn that similar measures to punish drivers are used on Russian roads. “This is some kind of nonsense, they shouldn’t be fined for this, I’ll sort it out,” Kommersant quotes the head of the traffic police.
Let us remind you that the purpose of using this identification mark is to warn drivers of vehicles moving behind them about the need to keep an increased distance, since such vehicles have a short braking distance.
At the same time, the traffic police reported that there is no penalty for having a sticker when using summer tires during the season. “There is no ban on the use of “Sh” in the summer months. As well as a fine. The sign only informs and encourages you to keep the greatest distance. If the tires are summer, the braking distance will not be shortened and this will not create an emergency situation,” an employee of the department told Gazeta.ru.
However, he emphasized that the presence of such an identification mark in the summer threatens motorists with “increased attention from traffic police inspectors who will want to thoroughly check the tires and tread depth.” The traffic police reminded that employees act on the basis of the rules of the current technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles,” which prohibits driving on winter tires in the warm season.
In Kazakhstan, both for the absence of a sticker when using studded tires, and for the presence of a sign when “changing shoes” to summer tires, a fine is imposed. The publication reports that when converted to Russian currency, it is about 1,300 rubles.
Previously, a proposal was discussed in Russia to introduce fines for tires that do not correspond to the season (for summer tires in winter and for studded tires in the warm season). Last fall it became known that this proposal did not find support in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
To remove the thorns sign for the summer or not: legal requirements for the sign
If a vehicle has studded tires, the corresponding sign must be installed.
The absence of this sign on a vehicle, but adopted studded tires, is punishable by the law of the Russian Federation with a fine of 500 rubles, and there is also the possibility of removal from driving a vehicle due to non-compliance.
This sign should be located at the rear of the vehicle, preferably on the glass. In cases where the sign obscures the view too much or interferes with the driver, it can be moved to the rear bumper. But the inspector has every right to ask for evidence of the legality of transferring the location of this sign.
If there is no tinting, it is allowed to place this sign on the inside of the vehicle. This helps keep it in better shape and also ensures sufficient visibility.
Is it necessary to have a “Ш” sign on a car?
The discussion about the mandatory nature of the “Spikes” sign is based on the eighth paragraph of the “Basic provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety.” It states that all cars must have an identifying mark such as a sticker with the letter “W” on the rear. The Code of Administrative Offenses continues the story with this sign - it provides for liability for non-compliance with the above rules. As punishment for this, the motorist faces a fine of five hundred rubles (Article 12.5).
If previously the issue of the presence of the “Spikes” sign was controversial, then from April 4, 2017, the traffic rules clearly define that the operation of a vehicle is prohibited if:
7.15. There are no identification marks that must be installed in accordance with paragraph 8 of the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation of October 23, 1993 N 1090 “On the Rules traffic."
This means that in the absence of the “Spikes” sign (with studded tires on), the traffic police inspector has the right to prohibit the use of the car. Those. he may ask you to purchase this sign at any nearby store, stick it on your car, and only then allow you to continue driving.
A fine for this offense has also been clearly introduced:
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 , - entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles .
As you can see, the punishment largely depends on the will of a particular inspector; you can either get off with a warning or pay a fine, and even go on public transport to buy and stick a sign on yourself. Therefore, we recommend that you still purchase such a sticker in advance, fortunately it costs only 100 rubles, stick it on and drive calmly, without unnecessary questions or problems for you.
Video: The “Spikes” sign has become mandatory
When to remove the "Spikes" sign?
“SH” is not a new invention. This “cocked hat” began to be actively used back in the 90s of the last century, when studded wheels ceased to be something exotic, previously available only to racing drivers. Then the appearance of a sign on an ordinary car indicated to other traffic participants its special status and the need to maintain an increased distance. Today, spikes on Russian roads are an everyday occurrence, but the purpose of “Sh” remains the same. Only with changes in legislation in 2017, motorists have more questions related to the use of this sign.
When to remove the "Spikes" sign? Is it necessary to do this at all? Is it required? Is it possible to drive on summer tires in winter and on studs in summer? Are there any fines for not having this sign? Is it necessary to install it if the car has Velcro? In light of changes in legislation, many similar questions actually arise. Therefore, a short expert report, especially on the eve of spring, will be useful to all motorists.
What does "Sh" mean?
You must understand that this triangle with the letter “W” inside, which must be secured to the rear window of the car, not only informs that the car has studded wheels. It is a warning that, due to studs, braking distances, especially in icy conditions, are significantly shorter. Therefore, it is natural that in order to prevent an accident, having seen such a warning on the vehicle ahead, the distance should be increased.
There is another practical information that the triangle “W” can warn about. The fact is that studded tires still have different quality, which in many cases leaves much to be desired. Therefore, in order not to get a flying spike on the windshield, it is better to stay away from such a car.
When can I install and when can I remove the “Spikes” sign?
Indeed, questions about the seasonal factor are the most pressing. There is one unshakable rule that must be followed: “W” must appear on the car simultaneously with the installation of studded wheels. It must be remembered that Russian legislation prohibits driving on summer tires from December to February, and on studded tires from June to August.
Knowing about the legally established period of prohibition of the use of studded wheels, the question arises, what to do in the off-season from February to June and from August to December? Here, each driver can be guided by his own considerations, taking into account the weather. In addition, it is possible for the regional legislator, based on the climate characteristics of the region, to shorten or, conversely, increase the winter and summer periods. After all, it is obvious that the duration of winter, for example, in Yakutia and the Krasnodar Territory is somewhat different.
Does the law provide for fines for the absence of the “Ш” sign?
From 2021, if your car has studded tires, the sign is mandatory. Failure to do so may result in a fine of 500 rubles.
But to the question of what to do when the roads are dry and whether it is necessary to remove the “Spikes” sign in the summer, despite the fact that there are no studded wheels, each driver will answer for himself. This issue remains unresolved at the legislative level. There are drivers who believe that in the summer they need to remove the “Spikes” sign, and are guided by the principle: if there are spikes, there is a sign; if there are no spikes, there is no sign. And there are those who, when asked whether to remove the “Spikes” sign in the summer, answer categorically - no. They have their own principle: glue the triangle once and forget it.
In this regard, you can even hear advice that, in order to be reinsured against troubles on the road, it is better for all drivers to have a sign, regardless of the season and type of tires installed. True, these recommendations can be called rather dubious, because if all drivers attached the sign to their cars, the significance of this warning would sharply decrease.
What to do if there is Velcro?
The answer is simple - nothing! The lip system is not spikes, so the absence of a sign does not bear any responsibility, at least for today. And this is strange, because Velcro has an even shorter braking distance than studded tires. There is no point in understanding this further, and it is better to leave this question on the conscience of the legislator, as well as the question of why the voluntary sign “Ш” suddenly became mandatory. Today, the traffic police are conducting real raids on cars without a sign. They catch drivers as if they were terrorists, causing a sharply negative reaction from many car owners who claim that this sign itself is absurd.
In fact, which of the tires in the photo will brake better and which will slow down worse? How the driver will see this and how he will calculate the distance, taking into account many other factors: road surface, the presence or absence of ABS on the car in front, the brand of tires, both his own and the one in front.
That’s why many motorists stage some kind of protests against the “Ш” sign. And they have a lot of humor.
Meanwhile, whether anyone would like it or not, the mandatory sign “Ш” is a legislative norm of the Russian Federation with all the ensuing consequences.
Is the Spikes sign mandatory or not, rules 2017-2018
Our country is part of the Customs Union with established Technical Regulations. According to it, at different times of the year, the car owner is obliged to change tires from summer to winter and vice versa. Studded wheels should be installed by motorists in the cold season, when the road surface may become icy.
Since their installation changes the driving characteristics, decree No. 333 was introduced into the traffic rules, which came into force on 04/04/2017. It states that for the absence of a Spikes sign, the owner of the vehicle will be warned and fined in the amount of 500 rubles. Thus, installing a sign becomes necessary, and it will not be possible to avoid punishment in case of its absence. If an accident occurs when another vehicle drives into a vehicle in front without a Spike sign, both drivers are considered to be at fault.
