Head of the administration practice and investigation department of the Road Police department Vladimir Kuzin
Photo: Alexander Miridonov
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New Laws Reduce Traffic Accidents
Two weeks after a new edition of the Administrative Violations Code, the road police (Russian abbreviation GIBDD) have cautiously issued statistics showing that the stricter laws have led to a reduced number of road mishaps. Fines for traffic violations are now significantly higher. Driving without seatbelts fastened is now liable to a fine of 500 rubles, running a red light costs drivers 700 rubles and speeding can cost up to 1500 rubles. Driving without a license is punishable by up to 15 days in jail.
In the first nine days of the year, the number of traffic fatalities in Moscow Region were down 70 percent compared to the same period of last year, injuries were down 41 percent and accidents as a whole were down 44 percent. As of the end of last week, 37 drivers with suspended licenses had been arrested. Other regions report comparable improvement. In Nizhny Novgorod, the city administration and road police came into conflict when garbage collectors were fined for driving without seat belts fastened. Their trucks are not equipped with seat belts.
The police and drivers associations agree that it is still too early to draw global conclusions about the effectiveness of the new laws, especially since the beginning of January is a holiday season in Russia and there are fewer cars on the streets. There have been reports of excessive fines for some infractions.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 14, 2008
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