Russia overhauls traffic laws to slash road accidents by 2036

Russia has announced a new road safety strategy that will run until 2030, with a longer-term vision extending to 2036. The plan includes major updates to traffic rules, aiming to reduce accidents and improve highway management across the country.

Under the current traffic code, drivers are not legally required to obey electronic road signs. This gap has made it impossible to issue automated fines for violations. Now, the government is drafting amendments to change this, led by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin. Once approved, electronic signs will take priority over fixed ones, and drivers must follow their instructions strictly.

More than 2,600 electronic signs have already been installed on highways, with an additional 900 in Moscow. The changes will also address other safety concerns, such as the lack of median barriers on federal roads—only 16,000 km of the 61,400 km network currently have them.

The Transport Ministry has been tasked with creating uniform nationwide rules for setting speed limits. Another proposed measure is a minimum safe following distance for trucks on two-lane roads, designed to cut down on severe crashes during overtaking. Officials are also instructed to plan for separating traffic flows and adding lanes by 2036 to prevent wrong-way driving incidents.

However, no specific implementation details from the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor) or the Ministry of Transport have been publicly released yet.

The updated regulations will enforce stricter compliance with electronic road signs and introduce new safety measures for highways. The long-term strategy focuses on reducing accidents by improving infrastructure and standardising traffic rules. The government expects these changes to make roads safer over the next decade and beyond.