Recent discussions have suggested that a large share of motorists drive without mandatory third-party insurance. To verify this claim, an independent check was conducted to gauge how many drivers actually go without a policy.
The approach is simple and repeatable. Several major cities were selected, and the number of cars moving in the traffic stream was estimated to reflect those that should have an OSAGO policy. Then, using the Russian Union of Motor Insurers online service, each vehicle was checked to confirm whether a policy exists. The resulting data were normalized by the regional vehicle fleet size to determine the proportion of drivers who appear to be breaking the law by driving uninsured.
In the small-scale study, 1145 vehicles from Moscow, the Moscow region, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Novosibirsk were examined to confirm OSAGO coverage. The sample represented roughly a quarter of the national fleet. The findings are summarized below.
| City | Uninsured share of vehicles tested | Proportion of national fleet after normalization |
| Novosibirsk | 14% | 1.0% |
| Chelyabinsk | 9% | 0.9% |
| Saint Petersburg + Leningrad region | 3% | 0.6% |
| Moscow + Moscow region | 9% | 4.6% |
| Yekaterinburg | 18% | 2.1% |
| Total | 9.2% |
The results show clear regional differences. Yekaterinburg stood out with the highest share of cars without OSAGO, while Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region demonstrated the greatest discipline, with only a small percentage uninsured. Normalizing to the size of each regional vehicle fleet suggests that about 9.2 percent of cars on Russian roads run without OSAGO. Based on an estimated operated fleet of around 45 million cars, this implies roughly four million uninsured vehicles in the country, according to the same normalization method.
Who verifies the OSAGO policy’s authenticity?
The topic gains relevance because upcoming changes will shift verification from media reports to automated checks by law enforcement using fixed cameras. These systems will automatically verify OSAGO status during traffic violations. A fine for driving without OSAGO is currently 800 rubles and can be issued daily. Given how slowly camera data is processed, an uninsured vehicle owner might receive multiple fines before the first payment is made. The implication is clear: if a driver is operating without OSAGO for any reason, obtaining coverage promptly is prudent, since camera checks can trigger unexpectedly.
Future enforcement will rely on fixed cameras to verify OSAGO status in real time.
What does OSAGO cost?
The price discussion has long centered on the perceived depreciation element built into OSAGO, which was introduced as a social feature to reduce policy costs but also led to disputed compensation for parts at the time of a claim. Data over the years show only modest savings, averaging around 1,200 rubles on a policy. If an accident occurs, later claims might require compensation beyond the insured amount, complicating settlements for victims. Motorists often express a desire for comprehensive protection that avoids courts and debt collection, proposing reforms to the current deduction. Yet the debate remains unsettled, and no broad shift away from the current model has materialized.
Meanwhile, courts have begun to hear claims for partial damage compensation, and the potential total costs could rise significantly as the number of accidents each year remains substantial. Questions remain about whether the judicial system has the capacity to adjudicate a continually high volume of motorist claims.
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