Draft:Speed Limits in Russia

There are four implicit speed limits specified in Russian traffic regulations: The owner of the road may raise the speed limit on a road if the conditions and design allow for it. In this case the speed limit must not exceed 130 km/h on roads signed with sign 5.1 (motorways) and 110 km/h on roads signed with sign 5.3 (roads for motorcars). On other roads the speed limit for specific vehicle types may be raised if it is safe for them to travel at a higher speed, but the speed limit for these vehicles must not exceed their speed limit on motorways.

All values between 5 and 130 km/h can be set as speed limits on Russian roads in increments of 10 km/h (signs for 120 and 140-160 km/h exist but are not posted anywhere). The most common speed limits seen are 40 km/h in urban areas and 70 km/h elsewhere, set on dangerous sections of road. Some high-speed urban roads are set at 70 or 80 km/h, some toll roads in Moscow are set at 90 km/h and the Moscow Ring Road has a speed limit of 100 km/h. Newly constructed motorways such as M11 and sections of M4 feature variable-message signs and allow a speed of 130 km/h in the summer.

Moscow has introduced speed zones in the city centre; minor roads within the Garden Ring are signed as 30 km/h zones and major roads as 50 km/h zones, however some major roads are still 60 km/h such as New Arbat Avenue and most squares around the Kremlin (Manezhnaya Square, Staraya Square, etc.). Some areas and suburbs of Moscow have also introduced 50 km/h limits in an effort to increase safety.

Speeding Tolerances
There is no specified fine for exceeding the speed limit by less than 20 km/h. The Russian government planned to introduce a points system and exceeding the limit by over 10 km/h would incur points on the offender's license, however the proposal was scrapped. The fines set out in the Code of Administrative Offenses are as follows:


 * Exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 but less than 40 km/h incurs a fine of 500 rubles
 * Exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 but less than 60 km/h incurs a fine of between 1000 and 1500 rubles
 * Exceeding the speed limit by more than 60 but less than 80 km/h incurs a fine of between 2000 and 2500 rubles or driving license confiscation for 4 to 6 months
 * Exceeding the speed limit by more than 80 km/h incurs a fine of 5000 rubles or driving license confiscation for 6 months
 * A repeat offence of exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 but less than 60 km/h incurs a fine of between 2000 and 2500 rubles
 * A repeat offence of exceeding the speed limit by more than 60 km/h incurs driving license confiscation for 1 year (if the offence was captured using automatic speed cameras the fine is 5000 rubles)

It should be noted that breaking the speed limit even by 1 km/h is still against the rules and it is more likely the driver will be found liable in case it was found they were speeding before a collision.