ladlen Kopvillem: ‘Tatarstan is considered a ‘bad’ region among lorry drivers, they try to bypass it’
The State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of Russia has amended government decree No. 413, which regulates the procedure for making changes to the design of vehicles. The inspectorate plans to prohibit the installation of engines whose power or torque exceeds the standard characteristics by more than 25%. It will also be prohibited to extend the frame of the car without the consent of the manufacturer. Read about what this can lead to in a report of Realnoe Vremya.“No one will look specifically”
“No one will look specifically”
The document states that “replacing the engine provided for by the vehicle design with an engine, according to one of the following parameters — maximum power or torque — exceeding any engine by more than 25%” is prohibited.
However, there are no ways to monitor compliance with the new rules yet.
“Of course, no one will look specifically. This will be discovered only when they undergo a technical inspection or if the car gets into an accident. For example, I had a case when I literally won a losing case in court. I proved that the motorist was driving with one tire that was not suitable for the season, that is, different tires were put on one axle. Due to this, I won the case. And here it is exactly the same, if the car is tuned and the other side pays attention to this, then the person will lose. If there is a good lawyer, he will prove that the car could not drive on public roads at all,” said Kopvillem.
Mandatory technical inspection was cancelled three years ago, on 30 December, by a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This procedure remains mandatory for taxis and buses and lorries involved in passenger transportation. Technical inspection also remains for cars and motor vehicles that are older than four years, when they are sold and registered, as well as in the event of changes to the design of the vehicle.
“When they sell it, it will turn out that the car could not drive on public roads at all. And there are several options left — to refuse the deal, bring the car to normal condition or reduce the price so that the new owner pays the fine,” the lawyer said.
“You can get more from lorries”
The draft resolution of the Russian government also states that “lengthening the frame or supporting body of a vehicle if the type of vehicle does not include modifications with changed characteristics” is prohibited.
“I saw this most often with Gazelle cars because they often try to transport one and a half or two tonnes instead of a ton, for example,” Kopvillem said.
According to the expert, violations will also be revealed in accidents or during technical inspections. At the same time, trucks are checked more often at traffic police posts than cars, he said:
“This is a big source of income for traffic police officers. They understand that they can get more from lorry drivers than from an ordinary driver. Each driver of a heavy lorry is given a certain amount of cash so that he can pay the traffic police on the spot. It is especially funny to watch this in the Caucasian republics when the driver is stopped and told: ‘Pay and keep going.’ It doesn’t matter what the violation is, we’ll find something if necessary.”
However, according to the lawyer, Tatarstan is considered an unfavourable region for lorry drivers due to strict weight control and frequent checks.
“They will still take risks. Here our Tatarstan is considered a ‘bad’ region among lorry drivers, they try to bypass it whenever possible. All because of weight control, big hustles, so if possible, lorries bypass it further north or further south — through Samara or Ulyanovsk region,” the lawyer concluded.