SHIP me: fines for not having a “Spikes” sign on a car turned out to be no joke

What is the sign “Ш” for?

In fact, there is nothing mysterious about the “Ш” sign: it is stuck on the rear window in late autumn or early winter and notifies drivers driving behind that the owner of the car has installed winter studded tires on it. That is, the letter “Ш” is an abbreviation for the word “thorns”.

The fact is that tires equipped with studs have much better grip on the road, especially if the road surface is covered with a layer of rolled snow or ice. If a driver sees an obstacle on the road and brakes, his braking distance will be shorter than that of a car with conventional tires. Because of this, the driver driving behind must maintain a large distance between the cars, otherwise he will not have time to brake in the event of an emergency braking of the car on spikes.

In addition, the studs do not stick to the tires very firmly. While driving, they can break off and fly out from under the wheels. If the car behind is kept at a short distance, fragments of the spikes can damage the glass or scratch the hood.

Ш - helmet, joke, spikes, fine

Until recently, drivers did not believe that the traffic police would introduce a fine for the absence of a “Spikes” sign. Moreover, at the same time, another piece of news appeared, which also had little resemblance to the truth - drivers and passengers must wear protective helmets when driving outside populated areas if the car does not have airbags. A photo of the corresponding order, signed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Kolokoltsev, quickly spread across instant messengers and social networks on the eve of April 1. The Ministry of Internal Affairs later had to refute this information.

“The publication of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of the order dated March 28, 2021 No. 777 “On amendments and changes to traffic rules” does not correspond to reality,” said official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk. It turned out that Kolokoltsev’s order was an April Fool’s joke, simply launched a couple of days ahead of time.

Drivers also didn’t think of taking the news about “Spikes” seriously, until in fact, on April 4, the day the innovation came into force, traffic police inspectors started stopping them. For the first time, limiting themselves to a warning, the patrol officers informed that, in fact, the fine for not having a sticker was now 500 rubles.

Now the traffic police had to officially confirm this information. The acting head of the department for the execution of administrative legislation of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, Aidar Valeev, recorded a video message for citizens.

What should the "Ш" sign look like?

According to the standard, the “Ш” sign is made in the form of a triangle with identical sides, the length of which must be at least 20 cm. The standard also establishes the width of the bordering red line, which must be exactly 0.1 of the length of the side of the triangle.

However, very few drivers think of drawing the “Ш” sign with their own hands, since with the onset of autumn it can be bought at any auto store for no more than 100 rubles.

Is the spike sign mandatory or not in 2021?

Where according to the rules to glue the thorn sign

The traffic rules indicate that the location of the sign must be at the rear of the vehicle. Where exactly it should be located is not indicated. Teachers and instructors at driving schools recommend sticking similar signs on the top of the rear window. In their opinion, in this place they are better visible to other traffic participants. The side is chosen as desired, the main thing is that the sticker does not interfere with the driver’s view. If the glass is tinted, then it is better to stick the sign on the outside. It is good if it is in the place that is cleared of snow with a brush (wiper).

What is the penalty for missing a thorn sign?

Starting from April 5, 2021, the “List of malfunctions and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited” has been supplemented with a new paragraph - 7.15.1. There are no identification marks that must be installed in accordance with paragraph 8 of the “Basic Provisions for the Admission of Vehicles for Operation.” Paragraph 8 of the “Basic Provisions for the Admission of Vehicles for Operation” requires that the necessary identification marks be installed on the relevant vehicles:

• "Road Train"
• "Spikes"
• "Transportation of children"
• "Deaf Driver"
• "Training vehicle"
• "Speed ​​Limit",
• "Dangerous Cargo"
• "Large cargo"
• "Slow moving vehicle"
• "Long vehicle"
• "Beginner driver"

Fine under Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences, for failure to comply with the requirements of the above-mentioned paragraph of the “Basic Provisions” the driver faces a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.
It is worth noting that if a car that does not have a “spike” sign is rammed from behind, then both road users may be at fault for the accident. The owner of the car behind can take advantage of the situation and will prove that he braked according to the rules, but due to the lack of a sticker, he did not expect you to stop so quickly. By the way, maybe use Velcro instead of studs? xn--2111-43da1a8c.xn--p1ai

Is it necessary to stick the “Ш” sign?

The rules state that a driver who has installed tires with studs on his car must notify other drivers about this by placing a sticker on the rear window or hood of the corresponding sign. Typically, the letters “Ш” appear on cars in late autumn or early winter, when drivers “change” their cars to winter tires. In the spring, the sticker is removed, since in the summer there is no need for spikes. On the contrary, driving on studded tires in summer is not recommended, as they have a destructive effect on the asphalt road surface.

For the absence of the “Ш” sign on the window of a car equipped with studded tires, the driver may pay a fine. Although its amount is not particularly large and is only 500 rubles. But the traffic police inspector may limit himself to a verbal warning about the absence of the coveted triangle on the back of your car.

It should also be noted that at the moment there are many court decisions that find a driver in a car with studded tires guilty of a collision, precisely because he does not have the ill-fated “Ш” sign on his glass.

Sign "Spikes" - money down the drain

Since 2021, it has become mandatory in the Russian Federation to stick a special sign on cars with studded tires - a red triangle with the letter “Ш”. If you are caught with spikes and without this sign, you face a fine of 500 rubles.

Apparently, the size of the fine turned out to be a weighty argument for drivers, which is why my city is now filled with red triangles. Each such sign costs at least 30 rubles, often more than a hundred.

100,000 Russian pensioners shrugged their shoulders in bewilderment - we will now throw their pensions into the trash bin every autumn. I’ll tell you how and why now.

If we consider that there are now approximately 44 million passenger cars in the Russian Federation, it turns out that motorists will have to spend a total of 1.32 billion rubles on these signs.

For one person, the amount looks more than significant, and on a national scale it is quite a lot. The average pension in the country is now just 13.2 thousand rubles, that is, with the money spent on “W” signs, it would be possible to pay pensions to 100,000 pensioners.

But maybe it’s worth it and the “Spikes” sign is really that useful? Let's figure it out. Imagine that you are driving, the wheels of your car have Velcro, and a car with a “Ш” sign is driving in front of you.

Situation one : you are in the city, the road has been cleared, the asphalt is dry and clean under you. Which car will slow down faster - yours with Velcro or the one in front of you with spikes?

Situation two : there is compacted snow underneath you, it’s about -5 outside. Which car will brake faster?

Situation three : the day before the snow melted and turned into a dirty mess, and at night the frost hit -15 and the whole mess froze as it was: with crushed pieces of ice and even tracks from wheels. Who will stop first - Velcro or spikes?

Situation four : it’s -20 on the street, there’s a “skating rink” under the wheels—ice as smooth as glass. Who can slow down faster now?

To see the correct answers, share this article on social networks using the Facebook, VKontakte or Twitter buttons under the article - perhaps it will also be useful for your friends to know how “Velcro” and “spikes” actually behave on winter roads, but for now let’s continue .

If you could not answer at least one of these simple questions correctly, the value of the sign informing you about studded tires tends to zero.

But that’s not all! The braking distance depends not only on the very fact of the presence of studs, the condition of the road surface and the temperature outside. In order not to throw money away, you can right now. The brand of tires, their wear, the condition of the brakes, the presence of ABS, the speed of the driver’s reaction, and - the question of questions - whether he has hung up a “spikes” sign, as required by the rules, or is driving on studded tires without one, all play a role.

You knew the two variables of this equation - the temperature and the condition of the coating, and thanks to the sign you know the type of tires on the car in front. There are six more to find out, and you are the king of the road. But, as you understand, this is impossible to do even theoretically.

The last argument in favor of installing the “Ш” sign is to warn drivers about the danger of getting a spike in their windshield that has flown out from under the wheels of the car in front. The argument, frankly speaking, is weak - the probability of catching the most ordinary pebble on your windshield is hundreds of times higher.

Therefore, we can safely assume that all these stupid stickers do not affect road safety in any way. And the need to glue them every fall and remove them every summer is nothing more than another foolishness of the authorities.

The country is full of real problems, but instead of solving them, officials are inventing one crazy idea after another. Remember the leapfrog with winter-summer time or permitted ppm? And what about the epoch-making renaming of the police into police? The story with the “Spikes” sign is from the same series.

And yes: if you want to drive safely in winter, keep your distance and everything will be fine.

Well, now click one of the social network buttons under the article and get the correct answers to questions about the braking of “Velcro” and “spikes” in different conditions.

Some nuances of using the sign “Ш”

• When buying a sticker with the image of the “Ш” sign in a store or at a car market, you need to pay attention to the size of the triangle. Its sides should not be shorter than 20 cm. A sticker that does not meet the requirements of the standard is, from a formal point of view, equivalent to the complete absence of a sign. If your car has a small sign, this may also be a reason for a fine.
• It is not necessary to glue the sign on the glass, because the rules do not indicate a specific location for its placement. It is quite enough to find a noticeable place for the triangle on the trunk lid or even on the bumper. The main requirement is visibility for drivers driving behind.
• A sticker with the “Ш” sign must be present on the rear of the car when undergoing technical inspection. Of course, it is only needed by those who have studded tires. If this sign is missing and there are studs on the tires, the inspection will most likely not be registered, even if everything else is fine with the car.

Is it necessary to use the Spikes sticker?

Previously, drivers had the right to install the “Spikes” sign at will. However, a number of amendments made to the traffic rules changed the situation. If the sign is missing, the machine must not be used. Violation of the rule will lead to questions arising when checked by traffic police officers. They will definitely pay attention to this aspect and may even impose a fine.

It is necessary to stick a sign on the glass as soon as a citizen has replaced regular tires with studded ones.

The rules and terms for replacement are established by law. However, in the off-season it is quite problematic to determine what tires a car is running on. To make it easier for drivers to navigate the situation on the road, the sign must be present. If a citizen flouts the rule, he will be fined. The amount of the penalty is 500 rubles. The decision to impose a penalty is made by a traffic police officer.

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