The Government of the Russian Federation has supported amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CoAO), which toughen the penalty for drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles with flashing lights but without color graphic schemes on board.
For this offense, drivers may be fined up to 7.5 thousand rubles or have their driver's licenses revoked for a period of three months to one year.
If a driver fails to yield to a vehicle with a simultaneously activated blue flashing beacon and a special audible signal, they will be fined up to 500 rubles. If priority is not given to a vehicle with a blue flashing light and color graphic schemes, the fine will increase to 4.5-7 thousand rubles.
The authors of the initiative explain the new amendments by the increasing number of cases of citizens refusing to yield to vehicles under state protection. The government noted that the amendments are supported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Protective Service, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Justice.
The Cabinet also proposed supplementing the article of the Administrative Code concerning the failure to provide priority in traffic to a vehicle with a color graphic scheme, with a clause on the need to yield to vehicles with a color scheme and simultaneously activated blue and red flashing beacons.
Changes to the rules for yielding to vehicles with flashing lights were proposed by the Ministry of Transport at the end of May. The agency plans to tighten the requirements for drivers, who must not only yield the road but also clear the lane for the passage of special transport. Drivers are prohibited from overtaking vehicles with flashing lights, being in close proximity to such vehicles, and moving at their speed.
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