Sixfold increase in fine for failing to use a child restraint when transporting a child

10 July 2013

In St Petersburg today, at the final meeting of its spring session, the Federation Council approved amendments to the Law on Road Safety. The amendments include the introduction of a higher penalty for failing to use a child restraint when transporting a child under the age of 12. The fine is to be increased to 3000 roubles.

Prior to this, the NGO Road Safety Russia, together with the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, had surveyed Russians to ascertain their views on child safety in cars. More than a third of respondents (37%) supported the idea of increasing the fine for non-use of child restraints to 5000 roubles. More than half of those questioned (55%) felt that the only way to ensure child safety in cars is to impose large fines for failing to comply with the rules on child restraints.

“For our part, of course we welcome the increase in the fine, to 3000 roubles, for failing to use child restraints when transporting children in cars,” said President of Road Safety Russia, Natalia Agre. “I would like to point out that this was initially our initiative and we are glad that it has found support among legislators. Of course, the number of child passengers killed in traffic accidents remains very high. Moreover, in some cases the children could have survived had car seats been used. I am confident that the measures being taken both at the legislative level and as part of information campaigns will change the attitudes and behaviour of our drivers. And we will be able to raise a generation of law-abiding drivers, which naturally will benefit the road situation overall.”

The new fines should come into effect on 1 September of this year. The document also provides for an increase in the minimum fine (from 100 to 500 roubles), and higher fines for failing to stop at a red light, failing to use a seat belt, speeding, and violations of traffic regulations by pedestrians and cyclists. 

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