Road signs will be halved. Smaller road signs Smaller signs

In Moscow, the experiment on installing smaller road signs has been expanded. By the end of September, 2.3 thousand such signs will appear on 27 streets in the central part of the city. All these areas have been landscaped under the “My Street” program, and now the road signs on them will be replaced with more aesthetic ones.

“The updated signs will be 1.5 times smaller in size than the previous ones. The smaller version looks better, does not block the view of the street architecture, and is clearly visible to motorists. New signs will improve the aesthetic appearance of the city,” said First Deputy Head of the Traffic Management Center Alexander Khodakov.

Information signs on the streets where the experiment is taking place will not be used - combined road signs will appear. For example, on one field there will be signs “Parking” and “Disabled”, as well as “Parking” and “Paid services”.

Very soon new signs can be seen on Myasnitskaya, Malaya Yakimanka, Bolshaya Bronnaya streets and Kuznetsky Most, as well as in Nikitsky, Voznesensky and Kalashny lanes.

Most of them will be installed on Neglinnaya (297) and Myasnitskaya (262) streets. In Voznesensky Lane, some of the signs will be replaced in the area from Bolshaya Nikitskaya to Eliseevsky Lane. More than 120 of them will appear there. In addition, more than four hundred smaller signs will be placed on Bolshaya Bronnaya, Bolshaya Molchanovka, Rozhdestvenka and Rakhmanovsky Lane.

The dismantled large signs are planned to be installed when traffic patterns on wide streets and major highways change.

For the first time, smaller road signs appeared in the center of Moscow as part of an experiment - on Bolshaya Nikitskaya and Malaya Nikitskaya streets, in Bryusov, Granatny and Skaryatinsky lanes. The number of supports for placing signs there was reduced by one and a half times (from 832 to 593 pieces).

Then the use of smaller road signs expanded. On 25 streets in the Khamovniki district, work is underway to experimentally install road signs. The joint use of colored (blue) horizontal road markings to indicate dedicated parking spaces .

Streets on which smaller signs will appear by the end of September:

— Arbatsky Lane;

— Borisoglebsky Lane;

— Bolshaya Bronnaya Street;

— Voznesensky Lane;

— Newspaper Lane;

— 1st Dobryninsky Lane;

— 2nd Dobryninsky Lane;

— 3rd Dobryninsky Lane;

— 4th Dobryninsky Lane;

— Kalashny Lane;

— Bolshoi Kislovsky Lane;

— Krestovozdvizhensky Lane;

— Kuznetsky Most street;

— 1st Lyusinovsky Lane;

— 3rd Lyusinovsky Lane;

— Bolshaya Molchanovka street;

— Myasnitskaya street;

— Neglinnaya street;

— Nikitsky Lane;

— Petrovskie Linii street;

— Pushechnaya Street;

— Rakhmanovsky Lane;

— Bolshoi Rzhevsky Lane;

— Rozhdestvenka street;

— Romanov Lane;

— Starovagankovsky Lane;

— Malaya Yakimanka street.

Smaller road signs appeared in a number of cities at the end of August 2017 as part of an experiment. At the same time, there is a document called “GOST R 52289-2004” on technical means of regulation, which establishes the permissible sizes of signs. Whether it is possible not to comply with the requirements of road signs if they are reduced in size and what to refer to, we will discuss in the article.

What are these new signs?

So, as an experiment, at the end of August 2017, reduced size signs were installed on some sections of roads. The experiment did not affect all of Russia, of course. Moscow and St. Petersburg were chosen as pilot cities. But even in them, such signs have not appeared everywhere, although local residents have already “rocked” the Internet and the service for receiving requests from citizens of the traffic police with questions about what these smaller road signs are and how to understand them.

We know that, according to GOST, all signs on the road must be of a certain size. These sizes differ both depending on the purpose of such signs, and on the places where they are installed (usually on the permitted speed on a section of the road), as well as on whether they are permanent or temporary. On average, their sizes range from 500 to 1300 millimeters. But it may be more depending on the purpose.

The new reduced signs have a maximum size of 500×500 mm, which is already smaller than most of the conditions prescribed by GOST. Did the road services really allow themselves to violate GOST and thereby create precedents for legally savvy motorists to ignore such signs and the cases they won if they tried to attract the latter?!

Not so simple. The same GOST R 52289-2004 stipulates that for the purposes of experiments it is allowed to change the size of road signs in any direction - both decreasing and increasing. In particular, paragraph 4.6 tells us the following:

4.6 Allowed in agreement with the federal governing body of the State Traffic Inspectorate for experimental purposes use technical means of organizing traffic, not provided for by current standards. If necessary, road users are informed about the purpose of such a technical device and banners are installed to explain the meaning and significance of the experiment being carried out.

As we can see, GOST in this case is not violated at all, and reduced-sized road signs must be observed - more precisely, their instructions, prohibitions, warnings, and so on must be observed, depending on their purpose.

True, you won’t find information with banners that the signs have been reduced on roads with experimental sections. Apparently, the authorities did not consider it necessary to inform road users about this experiment.

But there is logic here. GOSTs regulate not only the dimensions of technical structures on the road, but also their shapes and images. Now, if the images changed, it would be possible to introduce what this sign means. This was the case, for example, when people were allowed to turn right at a red traffic light as an experiment; and also when new traffic lights were introduced with luminous borders, indicating the presence of an additional section that was otherwise not visible at night.

In the case of smaller road signs, such information is not particularly necessary, because the images on the signs remain the same, only their size changes.

What is the fine if you still don’t follow the reduced signs?

Fines for violations of regulations, prohibitions, etc. signs are completely different - from a minimum of 500 rubles to an impressive 5,000 rubles, and in certain cases even to deprivation of rights.

In general, all fines regulated by the administrative code often overlap, and the Code of Administrative Offenses establishes in such cases that a road user can be punished only under one article - a more specific one. For example, if you drove under a “brick” onto a one-way road and are moving against the flow of traffic, then for this you can be deprived of your license only for driving towards the flow on a one-way road, and not for driving under a “brick”, since there is one the violation resulted in two penalties. And the Code of Administrative Offenses in such cases requires prosecution under only one article, but a more stringent one (Part 2

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At the Research Center for Road Safety (Research Center for Traffic Safety, part of the State Traffic Inspectorate system) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, at the request of Kommersant, they conducted a legal assessment of the experiment being carried out in the center of Moscow on the use of small-format road signs. Let us remember that First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov ordered it to be carried out; the initiators were the Road Traffic Organization Center (TCOC) and the expert center Probok.net. The idea was to streamline the appearance of road signs: many of them are too large and spoil the appearance of the streets. As part of the pilot project, on February 2, 2017, new signs (1.2-1.5 times smaller than standard dimensions) were installed on Bolshaya Nikitskaya streets, in Granatny and Bryusov lanes, on Malaya Nikitskaya street, in Skaryatinsky lane; in addition, a number of signs were dismantled information signs. According to Kommersant, a similar initiative is being developed by the authorities of St. Petersburg, Saratov and several other cities.

Read the bolded text again. The idea is about appearance, but not about road safety. I have already written about this initiative ().

Additionally, I would like to note that Kommersant’s data on the development of this initiative do not correspond to reality. According to my information, in early February, Shumsky from Probok.net came to St. Petersburg and, as part of a meeting at KRTI, proposed reducing road signs. However, he was unable to answer clarifying questions. In St. Petersburg there is no such madness with the installation of signs every 5 meters, 5 signs (conditionally) on a counter, as in Moscow. Designers and representatives of the traffic police know their business. And Shumsky doesn’t even know about the requirements of the federal law on road safety. Therefore, everyone disagreed with the world with their own opinion.

Reducing the size of individual signs, explained to Kommersant at the Research Center for Traffic Safety, is allowed in accordance with the national standard GOST R 52290-2004. “At the same time, provided that traffic safety is ensured, we consider reducing the standard sizes of signs acceptable if this does not contradict the interstate standard GOST 32945-2014,” noted the Scientific Research Center. “It establishes the choice of standard sizes of signs depending on the speed of movement and the type of road surface.” Thus, as the center explained to Kommersant, signs of the smallest standard size can be installed on roads with a permitted speed of up to 60 km/h inclusive. At the same time, the Scientific Research Center notes, the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation does not include punishment for speeding by 20 km/h or less: thus, with an actual speed limit of 50-60 km/h, the driver drives 70-80 km/h with impunity. “Taking into account this circumstance, signs of a reduced standard size, in our opinion, can be installed in areas with a maximum permitted speed of up to 40 km/h,” says the Research Center for Traffic Safety.

The capital's Traffic Management Center told Kommersant: in Russia, the use of non-standard signs is allowed in agreement with the traffic police. “This project is a pilot project, and it is too early to talk about its widespread use. For a high-quality and complete analysis of the experiment, the Center is working together with scientists and experts,” the organization said. “The experiment will last approximately six months, after which a decision will be made on the use of new signs.”

The pressing question is: what methodology is used to conduct the experiment? By what criteria will the result of the experiment be assessed? Will they once again conclude that in places without accidents there will be no new accidents associated with the reduction of road signs? We've already gone through this with .

And I would like to know the names of scientists and experts.

There is no need to artificially limit the speed of movement in the experimental zone, says Alexander Shumsky, head of the Probok.net expert center. “These streets already have narrow lanes, traffic islands and many pedestrian crossings. As a result, drivers slow down on their own and drive slower than 60 km/h,” he says. “At the same time, the signs themselves have become much more distinguishable and no longer merge with each other.”

You need to protect your project. However, it should be understood that speed limits are necessary for traffic flow and, as a result, to reduce the risk of accidents. If one driver has no place to accelerate and will drive at a speed of 40 km/h, then this is the perfect place for a “street racer” to show his “professionalism.”

Even before the start of the experiment, the Center for Research and Development ordered research on this topic at the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute (MADI). “We said that the reduction in the size of signs should occur in proportion to the reduction in speed,” MADI vice-rector Sultan Zhankaziev explained to Kommersant. “We conducted tests: some signs are clearly legible at speeds of no more than 50-60 km/h. However, the actual speed, taking into account the “penalty gap,” is 70-80 km/h.” On the other hand, says Mr. Zhankaziev, if today you put up signs limiting the speed at 30-40 km/h (to achieve the actual speed of 50-60 km/h), then “then they will have to be rearranged, this will create chaos and confusion.” This is due to the fact that “in the near future the gap will be canceled or reduced,” Sultan Zhankaziev is sure.

This study is not available online. It would be interesting to read...

01.02.2017

A landmark decision by the authorities. Road signs will be reduced in size

An experiment to install reduced-sized road signs is starting in the capital. In addition, the number of information signs will be reduced by almost half. The changes will mainly affect signs related to the rules for stopping and parking vehicles. New signs will be installed first on streets in the city center.

The experiment was initiated by the Traffic Management Center together with the expert center Probok.net. According to them, there is currently an overabundance of road signs on a number of central city streets with active paid parking. Signs spoil the appearance of streets and also create confusion among drivers.

The first smaller road signs as part of the pilot project will appear on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, Granatny and Bryusov Lanes. There, the “No Stopping” and “Parking” signs measuring 700 by 700 mm will be replaced by similar signs of a smaller size – 500 by 500 mm. On Malaya Nikitskaya and Skaryatinsky Lane the signs will be even smaller - 400 by 400 mm. In addition, the signs “Parking”, “Method of parking” and “Paid services”, which currently indicate paid parking, will be combined into one new sign. As an experiment, several signs prohibiting parking will be removed in Granatny Lane - the restricted zone will remain the same, but will be marked with one sign and a yellow stripe at the curb. The pilot project will last about six months, after which a decision will be made to replace road signs everywhere.

Installing new road signs is not the only experiment of the city authorities. Let us recall that in August 2015, waffle markings began to be used at three central intersections of the city. She informs the driver that there is video monitoring of the exit to the intersection clogged with cars. The fine for entering an intersection during a traffic jam is one thousand rubles. The experiment has been ongoing for a year; the use of waffle markings has already been found effective: in the spring it will appear at many intersections in the city.

Another experiment considered successful by the authorities is the installation of cameras on the Third Ring Road that record turns from the second row. The first such camera appeared at the exit from the Third Transport Ring to Varshavskoe Shosse in December 2015, and in 2016, two more cameras were installed on the Third Transport Ring - at the exit to Mira Avenue towards the region and at the exit to Leningradsky Prospekt - also towards the region. Over the course of the year, the cameras “issued” 34 thousand orders under Article 12.14 Part 1.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation – “Failure to comply with the traffic rules requirement before turning to take an extreme position on the roadway in advance.” The fine for this offense is 500 rubles.

According to the head of the traffic police department, Vadim Yuryev, thanks to the installation of cameras, the speed on the Third Transport Ring increased from 33 to 35 km per hour, and in the area of ​​​​the exit to Mira Avenue, the speed increased from 33 to 38 km per hour. In June of this year, another 18 similar cameras will appear on city roads. In total, 600 additional video cameras appeared on the roads last year to record violations of rules.

ANNA LEVCHENKO

Reduced and combined road signs are planned to be installed throughout the country after a successful experiment in five regions.

The traffic police supported the proposals initiated several years ago by the Moscow government, the department told Izvestia. Now the minimum acceptable size of signs has been reduced to 40x40 cm, and in some cases to 35x35, almost half the size of the previous standard. The experiment with smaller signs has been running since 2017, was conceived in the interests of pedestrians and did not cause mass protests from drivers.

Everything for the pedestrian

The Moscow Traffic Organization Center (TsODD) says that replacing road signs with smaller or double ones is done primarily to improve the appearance of the streets. In city centers, it is now customary to put the interests of pedestrians above those of the person driving.

New types of signs are included in the draft edition of national and interstate GOSTs, the press service of the traffic police told Izvestia. There are more variations in interstate GOST. For example, for square signs (including “Parking”) a new format may appear - 35x35 cm, whereas now the minimum is 60x60. For round ones (for example, “Stopping is prohibited”), a diameter of 50 cm is provided.

Changing the dimensions of road signs has been discussed for several years. In 2014–2015, the Center for Road Traffic and Transportation, together with the Moscow Automobile Road Institute (MADI), conducted a study on the visibility of reduced signs and came to positive conclusions. The result was an official proposal to update GOSTs. And at the end of 2016, Igor Shuvalov, who then held the position of First Deputy Prime Minister, at a meeting of the government commission on road safety, ordered to study the possibility of applying the innovation throughout the country.

The initiators explained that such signs fit better into the environment and do not block the view of pedestrians. There are also considerations of convenience: small signs can even be hung on houses if there is not enough space on the road. Finally, they are cheaper than current ones.

First of all, the experiment began to be implemented in 2017 in Moscow. Today, in many places in the city, the size of signs is 50x50, and on some streets in the center, where the speed limit is up to 60 km/h, even 40x40, Izvestia was told by the data center. In the two years since the start of the experiment, signs have been installed on more than 140 streets, and in 2019 they will appear on at least 37 more, the data center noted. Moscow drivers don’t particularly complain; many didn’t even notice the changes.

After the capital, the experiment spread to St. Petersburg, Saratov, Vladimir and Kaliningrad. And in November 2017, a preliminary national standard (PNST) was approved, allowing two separate reduced standard sizes (providing for a sign width of 40 and 50 cm, respectively). It is valid until November 2020.

Mini parking

The discussed version of the GOST changes also contains the possibility of using a “Parking” sign measuring 35x35 cm, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs told Izvestia. This is almost half the size of the current standard size 60x60. The 35x35 sign can be used on streets with low traffic, for example inside historical buildings.

Combined signs will also appear for the first time in the revised edition. For example, “Parking” will be combined with a sign “Paid services” and “Disabled persons”. The traffic police proposed to allow the parking sign to be combined with the designation of places for electric vehicles and diplomatic corps vehicles. The Moscow government proposed to indicate on the “Parking” the time of its validity, but for some reason the traffic police did not support this idea, it follows from the departments’ responses.

Co-developer of PNST, head of the Probok.net project Alexander Shumsky believes that on small streets small signs will be visible even better than large ones.

The more large-sized signs are located on small streets, the less noticeable each of them is, he noted. - Practice has shown that signs 40 or 50 cm wide can be used without any negative consequences. The size of 35 cm is also not critical: when the driver is looking for parking, he slows down.

In addition, the smaller signs cost the city 40% less than the previous ones, their operation costs less, and installation costs are reduced, added Alexander Shumsky.

Coordinator of the Blue Bucket Society movement Petr Shkumatov believes that drivers’ perception of signs depends on the speed of the road. The smaller the sign, the greater the risk that a driver at a certain speed will not see it or will not have time to react, he told Izvestia.

However, an experiment in Moscow, he said, showed that installing smaller signs on streets with calm traffic did not significantly affect the percentage of driving errors.

The decision on what size to install, in each case, according to the rules, will be made by the owner of the road.