Punishment or disadvantage?
Current rules, under article 12.9 of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Russian Federation, set fines for speeding violations. Exceeding the limit by 20 to 40 km/h carries a 500 ruble fine. If the speed excess reaches 40 to 60 km/h, the fine increases to 1000 to 1500 rubles, with a repeated violation potentially pushing it to 2000 to 2500 rubles. A higher overspeed of 60 to 80 km/h results in a fine of 2000 to 2500 rubles or a license suspension of four to six months, with a year-long suspension possible on a repeated offense. For speeding over 80 km/h, the maximum fine rises to 5000 rubles or a license denial for six months; a relapse may lead to a one-year license revocation. A repeated violation is considered within one year from the payment date of the prior fine.
From January 10, 2022, persistent speed offenders can face criminal penalties. A suspect in a criminal case risks becoming a driver who loses the license for exceeding the speed limit by 60 km/h or more or for entering the oncoming lane and continuing to violate the speed limit. For the third instance of exceeding the limit by 60 to 80 km/h or by 80 km/h or more, one of several criminal penalties may apply, including a fine of 200 to 300 thousand rubles, or an income-based fine for one to two years, or compulsory labor up to 480 hours, or forced labor up to two years, or imprisonment up to two years. In addition, the driver will lose the right to drive for up to three years, and starting from 25 July 2022 a car may be seized. For a fourth or subsequent offense of speeding within the 60 to 80 km/h range or the 80 km/h or more range, penalties escalate to 300 to 500 thousand rubles, an income-based fine for two to three years, correctional labor up to two years, restriction of freedom up to three years, forced labor up to three years, or imprisonment up to three years. Alongside fines, license deprivation can extend up to six years and car confiscation remains a possibility from 25 July 2222. A detailed summary is provided in a document available on the Legal Information website. (Source attribution pending.)
If speed violations are detected by cameras, penalties may be limited to a fine for the car owner. In cases of repeated deductions at 40 to 80 km/h, fines increase and the 50 percent discount is not applied. (Attribution: Legal Information source.)
Who decides whether a car is impounded?
The judge determines whether a violation falls under a criminal penalty or a confiscation scenario. One important caveat remains: only the vehicle owner can have a car impounded. If the violator was driving by another person with permission at the time of the violation, the owner may retain possession of the vehicle. (Source: Legal Information repository.)
Sanctions for violations detected by cameras
When a camera records the offense, the driver is not automatically stripped of rights or charged with criminal liability. The offender faces a fine of up to 5,000 rubles if the Administrative Violations Code specifies deprivation of rights as a sanction for that article. If the provision does not include deprivation, the fine can be minimal. (Legal Information publication cited in the field.)
Hard measures do not deter all drivers
Even with stringent penalties, reckless driving persists on many roads. Officials note that roughly 40 percent of traffic accidents in the capital involve speeding, with similar patterns in other large cities. One proposed measure to curb offenses is to reduce non-penalized speed thresholds from 20 to 10 km/h in certain zones. While some officials advocate tougher limits, others caution about unintended consequences. (Context drawn from the Legal Information site.)
What constitutes an unpunished speed bump
Today there is talk of enforcing sanctions only when the speed exceeds by more than 20 km/h. For example, accelerating to 79 km/h on a 60 km/h road may not incur a fine under Part 2 of Article 12.9. It is crucial to note that exceeding the limit by even 1 km/h can be counted as a violation, which means an accident could lead to liability depending on the judge’s assessment. (Legal Information commentary referenced.)
New old fines and background
The 10 km/h overspeed fine exists in history. It appeared in 2013 under Part 1 of Article 12.9 but was briefly removed from the Code. In 2019 a proposal for a 1,500 ruble fine for exceeding by 10 km/h resurfaced, yet the initiative faced pushback from officials concerned about unintended consequences for motorists. In late 2021 Moscow authorities revisited the idea of lowering the non-punishable threshold to 10 km/h while proposing to keep a higher threshold outside the city at 20 km/h. Critics argued the move would not improve road safety and would simply raise fines. The general political stance has seen debates continue without a final change. (Historical notes attributed to public records from the Legal Information source.)
Observers have debated whether the threshold will be lowered again. At present, there is no official change to the non-punishable threshold. (Expert opinion from the Legal Information resource.)
Expert Commentary
Sergey Smirnov, a lawyer, observes that lowering the threshold may not improve road safety. He suggests reconsidering the overall licensing framework and reviewing speed limits on critical road sections. The idea is to remove a perceived impunity while tightening restrictions on particular stretches. Such a shift would likely face resistance from drivers accustomed to the current limits. (Attribution: Legal Information commentary.)
Further notes indicate that information can also be found through messaging platforms associated with traffic updates. (Source acknowledgment: Legal Information.)