In 2021, road crashes dropped by 3.1 percent, totaling 133,331 incidents. That year, 14,874 people lost their lives on roadways, a decline of 5.8 percent from the previous year. The number of people injured in traffic accidents also fell, by 4.2 percent to 167,856.
Administrative offenses in road safety reached 182.9 million filings, up by 9.4 percent. Of these, 160.8 million offenses, or 88 percent, were caught by cameras, while police officers documented 22.1 million offenses, accounting for 12 percent.
The growth in the number of photo and video devices continues, with the nationwide tally nearing 23 thousand and rising steadily.
More violations, fewer crashes.
Fines collected increased from 71.9 billion rubles in 2020 to 84.7 billion rubles in 2021.
It is not possible to credit the fall in crashes solely to better enforcement or vigilant traffic police. Road infrastructure quality improved in many areas, and extensive public education emphasized the importance of obeying traffic rules. Taken together, these factors contributed to a positive trend for the ninth consecutive year.
|
Cause of the crash |
Number of crashes |
Fatal outcomes |
Severity of consequences* |
|
Failing to obey traffic signals at intersections |
22 640 |
911 |
2.7 |
|
Speed not matching conditions |
20 877 |
3051 |
10.3 |
|
Violating lane usage rules |
15 639 |
2200 |
9.9 |
|
Unsafe following distance |
13 810 |
833 |
4.4 |
|
Violation of crossing rules |
11 875 |
558 |
4.4 |
|
Driving in the wrong lane |
11 744 |
3738 |
15.6 |
Note: the metric shows deaths per 100 people involved, combining both fatalities and injuries.
Railway crossing violations lead to the highest potential harm, followed by parking on roadways or verges without lights and violations of towing rules, indicating where risk remains greatest.
Nighttime and twilight hours demand extra caution. A third of crashes occurred after dark, and roughly half of all fatalities happened during these low-visibility periods.
How cars were affected
Technical issues were noted in 7,616 crashes, resulting in 1,226 deaths and 10,367 injuries. It is important to clarify that inspectors recorded these defects on the vehicle involved, even when the defect was not the driver or the primary cause of the crash. In other words, a technical fault could belong to the victim or another vehicle, rather than the at-fault party.
- Unregistered model modifications 27.1%
- Unequal tire sizes or tread patterns on the same axle 18.5%
- Window tinting not compliant with standards 12.5%
- Tires not matching vehicle model in size or load capacity 10.8%
- Faulty lighting 9.9%
- Tread wear 7.7%
- External tire damage 3.4%
- No proper seat belts installed 1.9%
- Nonfunctional seat belts 1.7%
- Brake system failure 1.2%
Road conditions
In 4,645 crashes, road maintenance shortcomings were recorded as an additional factor.
- Insufficient visibility of road markings 30%
- Winter maintenance gaps 22%
- Lack of traffic signs in critical spots 9%
- Poor verge condition 6%
- Lack of lighting 6%
- Other deficiencies 27%
Details on road safety and practices appear in analyses published by regional transport authorities and traffic safety bodies.