Gathered abroad by car? Remember that traffic rules in other countries may differ from what we Russians are used to.
The holiday season is just around the corner. And although economic difficulties have significantly reduced the flow of tourists abroad, the popularity of auto travel is falling more slowly than others. The explanation lies in the fact that for those who like to relax outside our country, the car is still the most affordable way to see the world. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to remind the basic rules for those who are planning a trip abroad.
First of all, you need to check if all the documents are in order. You will definitely need a driver's license and a registration certificate for the car. There is no need to change the rights to a new document issued in Russia since 2011, since old documents are also easily recognized in Europe and most Asian countries. You can use both national and international driving licenses.
In the latter case, it should be borne in mind that the international document will suit the police if it is presented together with the current national rights. In other words, there is not much expediency in obtaining it, because the Russian national driver's license fully meets all modern international requirements. As for the registration certificate for the car, suffice it to say that it just has to be with you. Since Russia is a member of the Green Card international insurance system, it can be purchased from almost any Russian insurance company. However, this can be done when crossing the border.
When leaving the borders of your country, you no longer need to glue the identification plate of the country of registration on your car. In our case, this is an oval sticker with the letters RUS. Now this function is quite successfully performed by the same letters under the region code on the registration plate.
No one also has the right to demand from you a coupon or any other document confirming the passage of a technical inspection. By and large, the police of another country are not interested in this issue at all, therefore, documentary confirmation of the serviceability of the machine is not required. But in many countries it is necessary to purchase and stick a vignette on the windshield, which gives the right to use toll roads.
Since April, most countries have banned winter tires, let alone studded tires. If there is tint on the front windows of the car, remove it in advance. Otherwise, you will have to do it at the border. Radar detectors are prohibited in the vast majority of states, even when turned off. If you have such a device, tuck it away in the trunk and do not show it to anyone.
In some countries, along with the warning triangle, the car must be equipped with a reflective vest, which the driver must wear when troubleshooting a problem on the road.
Do not abuse alcohol, even if the country has a legal limit. For example, in Germany, drivers are not punished for driving after a glass of beer, but in the event of an accident, even the minimum alcohol content in the blood becomes an aggravating circumstance.
You can inquire about the nuances of traffic rules on the websites of the respective embassies. General information on all countries is also available on the website of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The fines are quite high, and Russian numbers for photo cameras have long been no obstacle: the “letter of happiness” is successfully arriving in Russia, because the authorities have passport data. The highest and at the same time "popular" fines are traditionally for speeding. Moreover, in order to avoid problems with obtaining a visa in the future, it is recommended to pay fines, although they are often measured in hundreds of euros.
And do not have any illusions about the absence of police on the roads. You will not find posts familiar to us, but ambushes and covert surveillance from civilian vehicles are in the order of things.
Important: when communicating with representatives of foreign authorities, mainly police officers, one must forget the purely Russian (more precisely, even Soviet) habit of getting out of the car and running to the serviceman, holding out documents. It is categorically impossible to pull out documents from the inner pocket of your clothes on the go, as the police can perceive this as an attempt to get a weapon. If you are stopped, lower the glass, sit in your seat and wait for the policeman to come up to you and give instructions on what to do.
