Many Russian motorists routinely revisit the Rules of the Road to refresh their knowledge. In a survey of 1,500 participants conducted by SberAvto, 36 percent said they consult the rules on a regular basis. A further 31 percent turn to the rules when they encounter challenging situations on the road, while 21 percent navigate based on the circumstances rather than strictly following the text. Another 13 percent claimed there is no need to repeat the rules because they remember everything already.
Interpreting signals from air traffic controllers remains one of the hardest aspects for today’s drivers, with 24 percent reporting trouble understanding these cues. The next most difficult area is rules for crossing tram tracks (18 percent), followed by parking regulations (12 percent).
In some cases, reversing procedures pose a challenge for 9 percent, the priority rules for other vehicles 8 percent, and the fundamentals of first aid and roundabout organization also present difficulties for some motorists. Yet a large portion, 44 percent, say no topic within traffic regulations caused them trouble in both learning and applying these rules in real life.
More than a quarter of respondents, 32 percent, indicated that they view the rules as imperfect, yet they generally comply with how traffic plays out in practice, while 12 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the current regulations. A fifth of those surveyed said they had not given the rules much thought at all.
Most Desired Changes (percent of respondents)
- Increase in pedestrian accountability – 60%
- Tightening of rules for motorcyclists – 39%
- Greater responsibility for yielding to special vehicles – 31%
- Moderation of the speed limit – 26%
- Clarification of overtaking rules on rural roads – 20%
Some motorists suggested that rules should be stricter to discourage driving on the roadside or neglecting turn signals. Conversely, 13 percent admitted they would not alter the existing regulations because they feel there is nothing worth changing in a system that works. A few anecdotes from drivers illustrate the reality: a trip south that ended in a detention center, and stories about the manual of the driving life being shared on social networks.
Photo: Alexander Sentsov / TASS