Dishonest traffic police officers can use various tricks that can lead to serious consequences for the driver. Up to the deprivation of rights and the imposition of a large fine. Risky situations often arise when passing complex intersections, during examination for a state of intoxication, when recording entry into the oncoming lane, as well as at railway crossings.
Cameras and "live" protocols
In large Russian cities, drivers are less and less likely to interact with inspectors in person: the vast majority of traffic violations are recorded by automatic systems. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2025, such “automatic” fines accounted for 93% of the total number of resolutions.
However, in absolute terms, the number of violations detected not by cameras, but by inspectors on the road, remains significant — 15.6 million cases in 2025. It is police officers who draw up protocols under those articles that provide for the deprivation of rights. Therefore, meeting with a corrupt inspector or poor knowledge of the procedures enshrined in law can be very expensive for the driver.
Temporary signs after repair
Restrictive signs installed for the period of road works often continue to stand even after their completion, even when there are no signs of repair, including fences. In such areas, motorists do not always reduce their speed to the speed indicated on the sign and, as a result, receive a fine for speeding — including according to automatic cameras.
Formally, such a decision can be challenged if the work has been completed and accepted under the act. However, this will require significant efforts on the part of the driver or his representative and, probably, an appeal to the court to protect his position.
Overtaking a "slow-moving vehicle"
A classic situation is a slow-moving vehicle in the area of the “Overtaking is prohibited” sign with a solid lane marking. After overtaking, for example, a tractor, inspectors may state that it does not have a sign of a slow-moving vehicle, therefore, the maneuver was prohibited.
At the same time, there is a position of the Supreme Court: slow speed is determined by the design features of the equipment, and not by the presence or absence of a special sign. This nuance is of fundamental importance when analyzing such episodes.
Overtaking on a bridge and stopping at a crossing
Some violations are committed due to ignorance of all the details of traffic rules. Thus, clause 11.4 of the rules prohibits overtaking with entry into the oncoming lane on bridges and overpasses. At the same time, the structures themselves are sometimes barely noticeable: the driver can understand that he is on a bridge only by a small blue sign with the name of the river or stream. Even if the marking is intermittent or absent, overtaking in such a place is prohibited. Traffic police officers often patrol in such areas, taking advantage of the inattention of motorists.
The situation is similar with railway crossings. Often there are several intersections of tracks nearby — the main line and a less busy industrial branch. Drivers waiting for the opening of the barrier at the main crossing may forget to stop before the second one and brake directly on the tracks.
According to Article 12.10 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, stopping at a railway crossing entails a fine of 5 thousand rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of three to six months for the first violation. A repeated violation provides for only deprivation of a certificate for one year.
U-turn through solid lines
Another controversial situation is related to a U-turn through two solid lane markings. Unscrupulous inspectors may qualify such a maneuver as entering the oncoming lane and put pressure when drawing up a violation scheme. Meanwhile, the legal assessment depends on the nature of the movement: if the driver turned or turned at a right angle, we are talking about a fine for non-compliance with the requirements of the marking. If he drove along the oncoming lane for at least a short distance, a sanction in the form of deprivation of rights is possible.
Additional difficulties arise in areas with complex traffic management and ambiguous lane configurations, where it is easy to make a mistake and end up in the "oncoming lane."
Examination: refusal equals admission
Special attention requires the procedure for checking for a state of intoxication. Many drivers are not fully familiar with its subtleties. An unscrupulous inspector may try to get you to sign a refusal to undergo a medical examination, while the punishment for such a refusal is comparable to the sanction for an established fact of intoxication.
If the driver does not agree to be checked on the spot and requires referral to a medical institution, he may inadvertently sign a document refusing a medical examination. This will lead to a guaranteed punishment.
The practice of preliminary “blowing” with an uncertified device is also common. Its readings can be recorded by an unofficial breathalyzer, calibrated in the interests of the inspector. Based on these data, the driver may be inclined to an informal “solution to the issue”.
In addition, motorists are often frightened by the prospect of being registered in a drug dispensary if even minimal traces of prohibited substances are found, including a long time after their use. Such arguments are used to force a person to refuse an official medical examination and automatically receive punishment.
