Putin signed a law on criminal liability for malicious violations of traffic rules

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law introducing fines of hundreds of thousands of rubles and imprisonment for up to three years for malicious violations of traffic rules.

The new article of Criminal Code 264.2 introduces criminal liability for the third violation, expressed in speeding by more than 60 km / h, for driving into the oncoming lane or on the tram tracks of the opposite route.

For such a violation, a fine is provided in the amount of 200 thousand to 300 thousand rubles, compulsory or compulsory labor, or imprisonment for up to two years.

If the violator has previously been criminally liable under a new article, has an unexpunged or outstanding criminal record and again maliciously violated traffic rules, the fine for him will be from 300 thousand to 500 thousand rubles, correctional labor or forced labor, restriction of freedom or imprisonment for a term up to three years.

The new article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation will not apply to violations recorded by traffic cameras. As the lawyers explain, the first two violations can be detected automatically. But the inspector must identify the last violation – speeding or driving into the oncoming lane, after which he will establish the identity of the offender and draw up all procedural documents.

Lawyers consider this law ill-conceived. Anton Shaparin, a member of the public council at the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moscow, vice-president of the National Automobile Union, noted that corruption in the ranks of the traffic police has not been canceled. Alexander Kholodov, vice chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Motorists’ Rights, agrees with him: “If they are guided by street racers, and these are wealthy people, how much will they offer the inspector to avoid criminal punishment, which threatens with a fine of up to 300-500 thousand rubles?”

Auto lawyer Dmitry Larionov believes that in general there will be no squall of landings, but, in his opinion, situations of false punishments cannot be excluded: the words of the inspector that he saw it. So, although for certain categories the tightening seems to be overdue, the initiative does not seem to be well thought out.