Sign 5.10

Definition

Reversing traffic is a forced, organized measure, the purpose of which is to relieve the number of cars on part of the road. Such actions reduce the time required to get to a specific point and increase the throughput of the roadway.

Lanes intended to relieve road congestion are characterized by a higher level of danger, which can provoke an emergency situation.

Most often, such a traffic system is encountered during road repair work. The reverse is organized by representatives of the traffic police or workers involved in road surfaces.

Reversing traffic is advisable specifically on those road sections where traffic flows in different directions have uneven intensity. This is relevant for rush hour, repair work on the road or an accident on a specific part of it. Most often, stripes are found at exits from large populated areas, where the flow of cars is mainly directed outside the city.

Expert opinion

Evgeniy Romanov

Lawyer, specializes in protecting rights in areas related to traffic rules, insurance and disputes with the traffic police.

This type of movement has been used for quite a long time in Europe, Australia, and the USA. In our country, it still has a lot of shortcomings. There are many organizational issues that prevent us from achieving the final positive result. Taking into account the specifics of the system of traffic rules and the driver's mentality in our country, it can be argued that the accident rate on such roads is very high.

The introduction of reverse causes a lot of controversy among drivers. However, despite some difficulties in organization, reverse movement does make it possible to increase the speed of vehicles in the general flow. At the same time, the number of cars in different directions does not increase. To increase the number of reverse lanes in the Russian Federation, a number of measures are required aimed at increasing discipline among drivers.

The main requirement is to reduce the accident rate on reverse sections. Drivers are required to have maximum concentration. The car owner must be precisely aware of the extent of his responsibility and adhere to existing rules. This makes it possible to minimize the number of accidents on a specific part of the road. Particular caution is required when turning right, as well as when changing lanes at an intersection. You can change to a reverse lane only within the visibility range of a traffic light.

What does reverse movement mean?

First of all, this concept refers to the classification of vehicles into certain lanes. The main purpose of such regulation is to free up road sections during peak hours.

Currently, such technology is used only in large cities, such as Moscow, Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad or Nizhny Novgorod.

It is used only at certain times, when people go to work, return from work, or repair work is carried out on the highway.

In total, several types of regulation of reverse movement can be distinguished:

Specialized road equipment (traffic lights);
Road signs;
Markings on the road lane.

Reverse movement is a very important component. Thanks to it, drivers can cover the distance in a minimum period of time. In this case, the rules will not be violated.

Methods for organizing reverse movement

To organize reverse traffic, you need to install a special road sign that will warn drivers about this. For the same purpose, markings are applied to the road or a traffic light is installed.

Road markings

The row for reverse movement is divided by markings 1.9. It consists of two broken parallel lines, the interval between which is 3:1.

The disadvantages of this method include that when there is snow outside, it can be difficult to see the markings. In addition, over time, the lines may fade.

One centrally located line forms two rows where the machines reverse. If the markings are marked on both sides, there will be one reversible lane on the road.

Traffic signals

The use of a special signaling device - a traffic light - is another way to organize reverse traffic. A traffic light usually has 2 or 3 fields. The following symbols can be seen on them:

Green downward arrow. Gives permission to drive in the appropriate lane.
Yellow arrow pointing to the lower right corner. It is a sign that you need to leave the lane, changing it to the adjacent one.
Red Cross. Prohibits movement.

A reversible traffic light is installed on a specific lane of the road. Its operation does not apply to the entire road or intersection. It works exclusively for those cars that move along the lane over which it hangs.

Special characters

When entering a reversible lane, the driver should see signs that indicate this. These include the following signs:

Sign 5.8. It looks like an image of a connected arrow with up and down direction indicators. Indicates the beginning of the reversible stripe.
Sign 5.9. It looks like the previous sign crossed out with a red line and indicates that the part with reverse is ending.
Sign 5.10. Represents white arrows that are located horizontally and point to the left and right directions. The indicator is a warning about the start of movement in reverse. You can see it only before the intersection.

Parapets

Accidents on the roads are largely due not only to congestion, but also to the fact that there are not enough traffic lights and markings to ensure correct reversing traffic. Therefore, parapet-type blocks made of concrete structures can additionally be used. They fence off free lanes on the opposite side of the road, which makes it possible to increase the speed of cars during peak loads.

Parapets are installed on the road and secured with rubber pads. Fences can have constant or variable length. Parapets of variable length are made of steel and are a welded structure. The use of such mobile blocks ensures that the road markings are divided into sections for reverse traffic.

Reversing signs

There are 3 specialized road signs:

White arrow with two tips that are directed in different directions. This sign indicates that a reversible lane begins ahead.
The same sign, which is crossed out diagonally by a wide red line. This sign indicates that the reversible lane is about to end.
The same sign as the first one, but the arrow is positioned horizontally. This sign indicates that a reversible lane begins ahead, and the lane itself will be perpendicular to the current traffic (usually this sign is placed before an intersection with reversible traffic).

Advantages and disadvantages of reverse strips

Reversing movement provides the following advantages:

Thanks to reverse, traffic on the roads is coordinated.
In large cities, reversing traffic is indispensable for reducing traffic congestion.
A lane with similar traffic can be used at specific times of the day, weekdays or weekends.
Vehicle speed can increase by 20%.

However, there are also some disadvantages:

Emergencies in such areas occur more often than in ordinary ones.
In our country, the reverse system is not so widespread, so the driver may get confused and not understand how best to behave.

Traffic rules for reversible sections

Compliance with traffic rules will help you avoid road accidents and fines. It is extremely important to adhere to them due to the fact that the reversible part of the road is characterized by an increased accident rate.

Entering the lanes

Driving into the reversible lane is permitted if the following conditions are met:

The presence of a working traffic light where the color is green.
Installed sign 5.8.

In the second case, it is important to look at the pointer that is located near the symbol. So, under 8.5.1, you can enter the strip only on holidays and weekends. In the absence of an auxiliary sign, the traffic light will serve as a guide, or a traffic controller should be located in this area.

If there is no prohibition, then you can enter the driving lane in any direction from all directions. You can only leave it in the far right lane.

At the traffic light

Reversing traffic is characterized by a special traffic light. Usually it has two signals - green and red. Red prohibits entering a lane with a changing direction, driving along it, or requires moving to the right if the car is already there. Green allows you to move along the lane. There may also be a yellow signal at the traffic light. It means that the direction of movement will soon change. Each lane, if there are several of them, will be equipped with a separate traffic light.

If there is a traffic light, but it does not work, and the 1.9 marking is only on the left, the multifunctional row becomes normal. If the device is turned off and the line is in the middle of the road, driving is prohibited.

Driving over the bridge

When driving on a reversible system on a bridge, the rules will be the same as when driving on a regular part of the road. It is possible to select one or several rows with or without a change in direction. When driving in reverse on a bridge, you need to rely on road signs, markings and traffic lights.

At the crossroads

Difficulties with reversing traffic at an intersection are usually related to how you need to turn in this area:

If you are entering a road intersection with the beginning of a lane with a changing direction, you must first take the rightmost position. Only after turning from it can you change to reverse movement.
If the car is already driving in the reversible lane and the intersection requires you to go straight, the rules will be similar to normal traffic in that zone. That is, you must be guided by the signals of a regular traffic light. In the absence of one, you need to give way to a car that is moving on the right (if the roads are equivalent) or driving on the main road.
If a car is driving in reverse and needs to turn at an intersection, this is done from the outer lane on the right. In this case, in which direction the car plans to move does not matter.

Other reverse features

In addition to what has already been said, reverse movement involves the following rules:

It is possible to overtake other cars on a multifunctional lane, but this must be done taking into account paragraph 11 of the Road Traffic Rules.
Entering the reverse lane, which is limited on both sides by markings 1.9 when the traffic light is off or the red signal, can be equated to driving in the oncoming lane.
A U-turn from the reverse lane can be made if the 1.9 marking does not separate the lanes that are intended for driving in oncoming directions.

Reverse traffic light operation

Traffic on such sections of the road is regulated by a special reversible traffic light. This special traffic light is installed above each reversible road and regulates traffic only in its lane.

Malyshev Sergey Petrovich

Major of the traffic police special regiment for St. Petersburg

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If on any section of the road there are several lanes with reversible traffic, then traffic regulation is carried out using the appropriate number of traffic lights. A reversible traffic light usually contains 2 or 3 segments, where only one segment can be lit at a time: - the “green arrow pointing down” segment is lit - this signal indicates that you can enter the reversible lane; — the “red cross” segment is lit - this signal indicates that you cannot enter the reverse lane (if the driver does this, he will be fined);

- the segment “yellow arrow directed diagonally to the right and down” is on - this signal indicates that the direction of movement will soon change on the reverse lane, so the driver must change lanes to the right.

Fine for violating traffic rules when driving in reverse

If a driver does not follow the rules while driving in reverse, a fine may be imposed. Its magnitude will depend on the type of violation. So, if the driver does not change lanes to the right when exiting the reverse lane, he will have to pay 500 rubles. If you drive in reverse when the traffic light is not working, you may be fined 5,000 rubles, and if you violate it again, your driver’s license will be confiscated for 12 months.

When the traffic light is not working, the danger of leaving is that it may be turned on. Therefore, this violation is equivalent to driving into oncoming traffic. If a driver does not comply with the rules for driving in reverse at traffic lights, he faces a fine of 1,000 rubles.

Although reverse traffic is not very common in Russia at the moment, for many drivers it becomes a real salvation, reducing road congestion and reducing time spent in traffic jams. Therefore, it is important to adopt the experience of Western countries and develop a system of reverse movement in the Russian Federation.

How to properly organize reverse movement?

As mentioned earlier, there are several ways to competently organize reverse movement; it is worthwhile to dwell on each of them in more detail.

Special signs on the road

The reverse sign is fairly easy to recognize. It is presented in the form of a double arrow, located on a blue background. If it is depicted on a blue background, then this indicates that reverse movement begins in a certain area. There is a similar crossed out sign, it indicates its end.

This arrow is classified into two options: the tips are located below and above, or on the left and right. The second option is installed only at intersections; such a sign indicates that after a certain distance the reverse movement will begin.

The vertical arrow is installed directly in front of this section. Upon seeing such a sign, the driver must take a position in the far right lane.

Road markings

The beginning of reverse movement can be recognized by certain markings on the road. The direction in one direction is accompanied by a double broken line, similar to a dotted line. However, this type of marking is not effective, since they are not visible in the winter season, and they can also be erased over time.

Reversible traffic lights

One of the best means of regulating reverse traffic is a traffic light. As a rule, they are installed in those places where this strip begins.

This equipment is presented in the form of an electronic square on which an arrow is depicted; it is this that indicates the direction that the driver must follow. The red cross symbolizes the prohibition of movement. You can also see a yellow sign, it indicates the need to take a position in a certain lane.

Studying the organization of reverse movement is an extremely complex issue that every driver must carefully study, only in this case it is possible to create the correct movement on the highway.