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Road Rules and Traffic Regulations in Russia - Driving Nuances
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1. The first thing that should be noted when describing Russian roads is high contrast that can be seen just in everything. Quality and specific character of roads, the level of road equipment, the nature of local drivers, vehicles prevailing on the road - all these factors can vary significantly even in the same region, not to mention the whole country.
2. The frightening quality of local roads is known far beyond the borders of the country. Even on main roads of the country you will often see cracks and holes. The quality of pavement does not depend on the settlement size. Roads in big cities are often much worse than roads in small towns.
3. When it comes to describing informative support of Russian roads, there is no universal explanation here. If you plan to go to an unfamiliar city, you certainly need to purchase the detailed map of its roads or, that would be even better, install a car navigator. Motorists, who plan to drive on roads of the capital region, should pay close attention to that piece of advice.
Nuances of Car Rental in Russia
To save on your rental, we advise to book your car in advance. You will save the most if you do this several weeks or even several months prior to your trip. Rental offices in Russia usually raise rental prices over time, based on the number of cars left available for the accounting period.
When looking for an exotic car (cabriolet, minivan or limousine), we advise to check in the rental offices located at airports, as they usually provide much wider choice comparing to offices in urban areas.
Upon receipt of invoices, bills and documents for your car at the rental location, please compare the obtained data with your voucher. Quite often, employees of rental offices in Russia try to add optional charges or services without informing customers.
It is very important to pick up your car at the rental office in Russia in a correct way. Prior to leaving the office, carefully inspect the car for various defects, and ensure that all the discovered defects are mentioned in your rental documents. In case of a non-compliance found, place a demand for correction to the rental officer.
You can always check our car actual rental offers in Russia. Simply use the search form at the top of the page. We guarantee that you will not find better prices anywhere else!
4. In addition to standard road signs, you will see an incredible number of billboard advertisements on Russian roads. Travelers, who are used to seeing only road signs and information boards on the road, may find these billboard advertisements very irritating, especially at night, when those huge banners are highlighted with bright and colorful lights.
5. The nature of local drivers is also unpredictable and contradictory, just like the quality of roads. You will certainly see attentive and polite motorists, who tend to be extremely cautious on the road. However, the majority of drivers prefer fairly free driving style, so rapid or unexpected maneuvers are absolutely normal for them.
6. In recent years, a huge number of cameras and radar has appeared on the road. They are used to monitor the implementation of traffic regulations. In residential areas of cities, on many country roads and near railway crossings you will often see so called "speed bumps". As a rule, drivers are warned about them by road signs.
7. A huge number of free parking spaces is another important feature of Russian roads. They can be found literally everywhere - close to shopping and entertainment centers, tourist attractions, and business centers. Parking lots are also equipped along some streets.
8. In spite of the fact that it is not difficult to find a free parking space, many local people do not bother to make a long search and leave their cars right on the road surface. Sometimes, the number of cars parked on the road is so big that almost the whole right lane is blocked. Of course, that often becomes the reason for traffic jams.
9. It is forbidden to park the car closer than 5 meters to intersections and pedestrian crossings, and closer than 15 meters to public transport stops. The latter are often marked with a zigzag line of yellow color. It will be really hard not to notice the public transport stop.
10. Inexperienced motorists should not risk and leave their vehicles in the first convenient place. Wrong parking may result in rather large fines. The improperly parked car can be taken away by a tow truck, and the violator will have to pay for its services.
11. Foreign drivers are recommended to look for parking spaces next to the closest store. Quite often, even small shopping pavilions have specially equipped parking spaces. If you seek higher level of safety, paid parking lots will be a better choice. They are especially convenient when you need to park your car for a long time.