The Ministry of Internal Affairs opposed the introduction of fines for average speed – Kommersant

“I want to say to all motorists in the country: the Ministry of Internal Affairs is categorically against holding drivers accountable on the basis of fixing the average speed, as well as time restrictions on information boards and signs,” police spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Monday. The comment was the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ reaction to the draft government resolutions posted by the Ministry of Transport on regulation.gov.ru last week.

In the first (“Kommersant” reported about it on December 8) the department proposed to enshrine in the traffic rules a ban on exceeding the average speed, and then make corresponding amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences. The traffic police applied sanctions for this act until 2021, but then stopped due to legal gaps, which were also pointed out by the Supreme Court. The Ministry of Transport proposed to resolve the gaps and return to the practice; the idea was supported by many regions. Irina Volk nevertheless spoke on Monday about “the presence of unresolved issues.”

Second document (“Kommersant” reported about it on December 11) – a draft of another resolution with mandatory requirements for traffic cameras. Among other things, it provides for the possibility of issuing fines for violations of the requirements of information boards, which most often introduce temporary speed limits on major highways. The draft, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Monday, contains “provisions that may contribute to the emergence of controversial situations on the road and introduces excessive administrative restrictions for drivers.”

Both documents are currently undergoing public discussion.

Ivan Buranov