Special driver training programs designed for right-hand drive cars may appear in Russia. This refers to regions where such cars make up a significant share of the vehicle fleet. The issue is being studied at the government level. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade will present a report on this issue in 2027.
According to Alexander Timofeev, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, most right-hand drive cars are used in the Far East. In the Kamchatka Krai, Sakhalin, and Magadan Oblasts, their share exceeds 70%.
In such regions, it is important to consider the peculiarities of driving: it is more difficult to assess the situation when overtaking, there are higher requirements for distance, and there are also problems with headlight adjustment, which can blind oncoming traffic.
Overall in Russia, the share of right-hand drive cars is about 8% of the vehicle fleet and 12.2% of the secondary market. At the same time, their involvement in accidents grows proportionally to the number of such cars in the country.
According to the expert, right-hand drive cars are more likely to be involved in serious accidents during overtaking, when it is more difficult for the driver to control the oncoming lane. In Moscow and central Russia, their share is less than 1%, so there is no need for special programs there.