In traffic rules , roadside traffic is now punishable by a fine. Moreover, its size is rather big. However, many impatient drivers neglect the rules and still try to overtake standing cars during traffic congestion by moving along the sidelines.
What is a curb?
In the rules of the road there is a concept that the curb is an element of the road. Its beginning is usually limited by marking 1.2.1 or 1.2.2 of the applicable traffic rules. If there is no marking, then, as a rule, the curb is different from the paved road . Usually it is unpaved.
It should be noted that despite the fact that the curb is an element of the road, it is strictly forbidden to ride on it. Driving on the side of the road allows only in the rarest situations, for example, when the passage was completely blocked due to a serious traffic accident.
Recently, inspectors of the patrol service have been especially strict with those violators who, despite the rules, still continue to overtake or move along the sidelines.
Why so strict?
In fact, this behavior of traffic police inspectors is understandable if you understand why the curb was recognized as an element of the road and for whom it is intended.
Driving on the side of the road is permitted exclusively to pedestrians, cyclists or mopedists.
On busy roads, situations are often encountered where the intruder, moving along the side of the road, sees a pedestrian and starts to signal him that he immediately give way to him. However, in this case, the driver will be wrong, and if he makes a collision with a pedestrian, then in this case he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Therefore, experienced drivers who are not used to overtaking the “traffic jam” strongly recommend that offenders do not go to the side of the road, because it will be even more difficult to drive back into a row of standing cars.
Roadside penalty
The amount of the penalty for driving on the side of the road depends primarily on the side on which the driver moves.
So, if the offender decided to drive along the side of the road to the right, then in this case the inspector, seeing this violation, will be ready to write him a fine of 1,500 rubles.
There are also reckless ones who, despite the danger, try to overtake the traveling cars along the left side of the road, that is, along the oncoming lane. The inspector can regard such a call as a violation of the rules for overtaking and as a vehicle leaving for the oncoming lane. The penalty for the roadside in this case will be more serious. It may even come to deprivation of rights.
In addition, if during such a maneuver the driver could not immediately return to his lane, then he may be issued another fine - for creating an emergency.
The punishment for such an offense is 5,000 rubles. The court may also deprive the violator of the driver’s license for up to six months. If the driver decides to try fate again, the deprivation for such an act will be increased to one year.
Who can ride on the sidelines
Despite such a severe punishment for car drivers and an absolute ban on the movement of cars on the side of the road, there is a category of transport that has the right to move along this element of the road without fear of getting a fine.
This category includes road service vehicles, as well as loaded wagons. Moreover, trucks have the right to stop at the side of the road if the point where they brought the goods is in close proximity to it.
Also, some other vehicles can move along the roadside if they do not interfere with pedestrians. Among them:
- bicycles if the person who controls it is older than 14 years old;
- mopeds can also continue to move along the side of the road, paragraph 24 of the rules (SDA) confirms this;
- horse-drawn carts and other live transport.
Bicycle Driving
Cyclists who are older than 14 years old can only move along specially designated paths for this. They are called cycling. If there is no such price, then adult cyclists can ride on the usual road, taking the right position. The rules for the movement of cyclists on the side of the road say that you can move along this element of the road only if there are no bicycle paths, and it is impossible to move along the carriageway.
This rule applies only to cyclists over 14 years old. If the driver is younger than this age, then he has the right to move exclusively along the sidewalk or in places that fall under the concept of a residential area.
Scooter Riding
Now it is worth paying attention to mopeds and scooters, whose drivers generally do not follow any set rules. So, as it is written in the rules of the road, which recently entered into force, moped drivers are obliged to move only along the roadway and only pressing against the right side.
The movement of a moped on the side of the road is also not prohibited by the rules, but this can only be done in extreme cases and only if there are no pedestrians on the side of the road and the moped will not interfere with their movement.
It is also worth noting that, compared to a bicycle, a moped has much more restrictions on the rules of movement. For example, moped riders are strictly forbidden to travel along bicycle paths and pedestrian zones. They are also prohibited from moving on the sidewalks.
When can cars move along the curb?
It is no secret that driving along the side of the road can not only cause small road accidents, but can also increase traffic jam even more. In addition, such nimble intruders annoy the already nervous drivers who are already not the first kilometer in a congestion.
Despite the fact that the rules on the side of the road are strictly prohibited, there are situations where the driver simply does not see another way out, like moving along the edge of the road.
Road inspectors sometimes turn a blind eye to such a violation. But only in exceptional situations. In order to understand which situation is exceptional, an example is needed.
So, we can imagine that a major accident occurred on the road. Several cars were damaged in it. During the strike, the vehicle carried to a neighboring lane, as a result of the accident blocked the movement of cars in all directions. It is in this case that the driver has no other choice but to move along the side of the road.
It is clear that the above example is an exceptional situation. In other cases, the driver must overtake the cars that got into the accident only in the oncoming lane, but in no case by the side of the road.
How now they "catch" violators
Of course, if the offender moves along the side of the road and sees a traffic police inspector, he will immediately reorganize into his line. In this case, the guardian may not notice the violation. But now a new technique is being introduced to identify violators.
For example, in large cities cameras for automatic recording of violations began to work for a relatively long time. It should be noted that many drivers are skeptical of this, but those violators who have already received fines for driving on the sidelines in the amount of 1,500 rubles think completely different.
Indeed, unconditional punishment by the ruble is much more effective than talking with traffic police inspectors. The offender has received a fine and will already be required to pay it, so as not to make problems with the law. It is interesting that this has long been confirmed by real examples, when, having paid one fine, the driver will no longer climb to overtake on the sidelines.