Even if road signs are buried under snow, drivers may face a fine of five thousand rubles for stepping into the opposite lane. This interpretation comes from attorney David Adams, who heads the professional legal group AID. He explains that on multi lane highways with many lanes, a vehicle that encroaches into the oncoming traffic can be charged under Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The focus is not merely the absence of visible signs but the act of moving into the opposing lane, which constitutes a violation when detected by traffic authorities.
On wide roads with several traffic streams, the risk of misjudgment increases. The referenced article addresses the offense of crossing into the oncoming lane. Part 4 of this article outlines the conditions under which such crossing is considered a violation. Adams notes that the legal framework relies on observed behavior rather than sign visibility alone. In practice, authorities weigh whether the driver had sufficient opportunity to notice signs and maintain an appropriate lane, particularly in conditions where signs might be obscured by snow or weather.
Adams adds that such enforcement is rare because assuming sign visibility is a prerequisite for liability would be unfair when weather makes signs hard to see. In those cases the objective reason for non-compliance with traffic rules is the unfavorable weather conditions, not a deliberate disregard of the rules by the driver.
Alexander Khaminsky, a Moscow-based lawyer and head of the Center for Law and Order in Moscow and the Moscow Region, warns that hiding a vehicle’s license plates with special equipment can lead to the driver losing the license for one to one and a half years. He notes that no alternative penalty such as a fine is provided in this case, and the devices used would be confiscated.
Beyond these issues, a former automobile expert turned MP who has been nicknamed Illiterate has proposed new penalties related to car fines. The proposals have sparked discussion about how strictly penalties should be applied and how such measures could influence driver behavior, enforcement consistency, and overall road safety across different regions.