Russia Proposes Mandating Maximum Lifespan for Vehicles
In the realm of road safety, a new initiative is being proposed in Russia to introduce an age limit for passenger cars, specifically those older than 30 years. This proposal, reported by Rossiiskaya Gazeta, aims to improve road safety without creating excessive administrative barriers for drivers. However, experts have raised doubts about its effectiveness.
Internationally, approaches to enhancing road safety often involve a combination of regulatory age-based license renewal, health-based assessments, advanced vehicle safety standards, and technology mandates. For instance, countries like Peru and Romania have strict renewal requirements and medical tests for older drivers, while the UK is planning to introduce compulsory eye tests for drivers over 70.
The proposed age limit for passenger cars in Russia is not a foreign concept. In fact, a similar ban for commercial transport with a seven-year service life was discussed in 2013, but it was never implemented. The current proposal, if implemented, could create additional bureaucratic hurdles for owners of classic cars, as these vehicles would either need to be scrapped or undergo an expensive procedure to be recognized as a rarity.
However, specialists suggest that instead of introducing formal age restrictions, a comprehensive system for monitoring the technical condition of vehicles should be developed. This approach would address the operational suitability of a car more effectively, focusing on factors such as technical condition, mileage, and maintenance quality, rather than just its age.
In contrast, Russia has preserved vehicle inspection only for commercial transport. The absence of such inspections for private cars has led to many worn-out vehicles on the roads in Russia after the mandatory vehicle inspection was abolished. In the European Union, there is a system of mandatory vehicle inspections every two years.
It's important to note that Russia already has a technical regulation that prohibits the use of faulty vehicles. An expert from the "Za Rulem" magazine, Sergei Zinoviev, states that the operational suitability of a car is determined more by its technical condition, mileage, and maintenance quality than by its age.
The balanced approach to improving road safety and reducing administrative burdens includes imposing age-dependent license renewal intervals with mandatory health screenings for older drivers, enforcing advanced vehicle safety technology standards universally, utilising a holistic Safe System framework integrating vehicle, road, and user safety, implementing standardised driver fitness assessments based on medical and cognitive criteria, and facilitating cross-border driving via International Driving Permits while ensuring adherence to local safety laws.
This combination of practices aims to balance safety enhancement with administrative efficiency and cross-national harmonization to prevent accidents and reduce fatalities on roads internationally. The debate on the new initiative in Russia continues, with proponents and critics offering their perspectives on the best way to ensure road safety without creating unnecessary burdens for drivers.
[1] International Transport Forum (ITF). (2019). Road Safety Performance Database. Retrieved from https://www.itf-oecd.org/road-safety/database
[2] European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). (2019). Vehicle Safety. Retrieved from https://etsc.eu/vehicle-safety/
[3] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2018). Safe System Approach. Retrieved from https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/safe-system
[4] Department for Transport (DfT). (2018). Older Drivers. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/older-drivers
[5] United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). (2019). International Driving Permit. Retrieved from https://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp3/wp3_instrument/idp.html
- The current proposal in Russia to limit the age of passenger cars is not unique in the realm of international policy-and-legislation regarding road safety. Countries like Peru and Romania have similar age-based regulations for older drivers, while the UK plans to introduce eye tests for drivers over 70.
- specialist suggest that instead of imposing formal age restrictions, a comprehensive system for monitoring the technical condition of vehicles should be developed, focusing on factors such as technical condition, mileage, and maintenance quality, rather than just the age of cars;
- In the European Union, there is a system of mandatory vehicle inspections every two years, unlike in Russia, where such inspections are only for commercial transport;
- Improving road safety in a balanced manner involves a combination of practices, including age-dependent license renewal intervals with mandatory health screenings for older drivers, advanced vehicle safety technology standards, the Safe System framework integrating vehicle, road, and user safety, standardized driver fitness assessments based on medical and cognitive criteria, and facilitating cross-border driving via International Driving Permits while ensuring adherence to local safety laws.
