The route from Moscow to Minsk along the M-1 “Belarusian” federal highway is just over 700 kilometers, this distance can be traveled by car in about 9 hours, taking into account gas stations, lunch and “sanitary stops”. There is no border control between countries, it is checked whether the passengers crossing the border have a Russian passport.
At the same time, the traffic rules in Belarus and the control of their observance have a number of features that the driver should know in order not to get into an unpleasant situation.
For driving without OSAGO – a big fine
If a relatively small fine of 800 rubles is imposed for driving an uninsured car under OSAGO in Russia, then in a neighboring country the liability for this is much stricter. According to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus, drivers of foreign cars without insurance are fined 10-20 basic units.
When converted into Russian money this is 8-16 thousand rubles. Therefore, it is better not to neglect the purchase of a Green Card (international OSAGO).
In addition, the policy will be freely issued by agents at gas stations and private sales points near the border. The Russian Association of Motor Insurers (RSA) announced that from 2023 it will be possible to purchase an “extension” of OSAGO operating in Russia on the territory of Belarus, but this measure has not yet been implemented.
Do not park behind the crosswalk
One of the important differences in Russian and Belarusian traffic rules is the rules for stopping near pedestrian crossings. If in Russia it is forbidden to stop cars closer than 5 meters from a pedestrian crossing, then in Belarus the clean zone near the “zebra” is much larger –
no closer than 15 meters from the crossing and in both directions.
Give way to cyclists
In winter, the chances of meeting someone using a bicycle or scooter on the road are low, but still you should not forget that drivers of personal mobility devices have an advantage on Belarusian roads. Relevant changes in local traffic rules took effect on October 27, 2022.
At crossings, cyclists and scooters must pass on an equal footing with pedestrians. Also, bikers and other sims users get the benefit of being on the move if the allowed traffic signal is valid for both driver and cyclist at the same time.
Speed - plus 20 does not work
The same changes in the traffic rules of Belarus introduced the maximum speed limit for driving on highways. For cars (up to 3.5 tonnes), it has been increased to 120 km/h from the previous 110 km/h. On regional roads outside the settlements remained the same – 90 km / h.
However, drivers from Russia should remember:
There is no threshold of 20 km/h impunity on Belarus roads.
Administrative liability already arises when the speed limit is exceeded by 10 km / h – the penalty for such a violation in Belarus is about 800 Russian rubles.
There are many cameras on the roads and not only on highways, but also on regional highways, and information about violating cars is quickly entered into the database of the traffic police, whose posts also work near the borders. Therefore, it is better to stick to the speed indicated on the sign.
You cannot pay on toll roads
On Belarusian highways, after crossing the border, you can see the “Toll Road” signs, but it should be noted that the obligation to pay a toll does not apply to all categories of cars. If you are traveling with a car or light truck (up to 3.5 tons) on a toll road and the vehicle is registered in one of the EAEU countries (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan) –
You do not need to pay for travel.
Payment is only required for trucks or cars from other countries.
Do not hold your smartphone
If the Russian traffic rules contain an old rule prohibiting the use of the phone while driving without a device that allows you to make hands-free calls, the Belarusian rules are also clarified in terms of correspondence in instant messengers:
It is forbidden to use gadgets “if for this you need to hold them in your hand or move with your hand”.
The penalty for this violation is up to 2 base units (1600 Russian rubles).
Drinking and driving are penalized more severely
The minimum penalty for drunk driving in Russia is a fine of 30 thousand rubles and deprivation of rights for 1.5-2 years. In Belarus, this violation is punished much more severely.
According to the Belarusian Code of Administrative Offenses, if a driver is found to have up to 0.8 ppm of alcohol, he will be fined 100 base units (80,000 Russian rubles) and he will lose his driver’s license for three years.
If this threshold of drunkenness is exceeded and the examination is refused, the fine is doubled, and the period of deprivation is five years.
At the same time, sanctions are imposed on the territory of Russia within the framework of mutual recognition of the requirements of the legislation. It should also be taken into account that
In 2020, the specification of the minimum allowable alcohol content of 0.3 ppm was removed from the Belarusian Code of Administrative Offenses,
but the authorities to guaranteecontinued application of this rule – this it contains In the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Belarus of 2011 on the rules of review.
The car may be delayed.
Belarus has its own system of fines, and for certain substances they are more stringent than in Russia, especially this relates to penalties for lack of OSAGO and more stringent requirements for speed – this is what you need to pay attention to first of all, says the car. expert Igor Morzharetto.
“There are many cameras, and for several years Belarus has set up a system to collect fines from transit workers. If previous drivers of transit transport went unpunished, video recording cameras are now installed on all roads, including regional ones. Information from them is immediately processed and sent to the public network, ”explains Morzharetto socialbites.ca.
The cameras are also placed next to the traffic police stations, which are located on the roads at intervals of 100-200 km and are necessary when exiting the country.
They scan the license plates of passing cars, inspectors stop violators and demand fines. The specialist says that this can be done on the spot and not in cash via the cash terminal, and if the amount of the fine is small but the driver refuses or is unable to pay, his license will be confiscated.
If fines have accumulated in large quantities, police officers may leave the violator’s car in the parking lot as a temporary measure.
“Leaving Belarus in 2019, I saw a hysterical man in one of the missions. It lasted non-stop from Brest to the border of the Smolensk region, where it was stopped. It turned out that he collected a fine of 750 thousand rubles. Investigators said that in such cases they detained the car until the debt was paid, ”remembers Morzharetto.