Reflective vest allowed not to carry

In March 2018, an amendment to the SDA began to apply in Russia, according to which every driver should have a reflective vest in the car and wear it if necessary. Here is the verbatim text of clause 2.3.4 of the rules: "In the event of a forced stop of a vehicle or a traffic accident outside the settlements at night or in conditions of limited visibility while on the road or curbside, wear a jacket, vest or wrap with strips of retro-reflective material that meet the requirements of GOST 12.4.281—2014."

Various assumptions and interpretations immediately appeared in the media about how and when, due to the lack of a reflective vest with reflective fabric in the car, traffic police officers will fine drivers. In this regard, the head of the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, Yaroslav Nilov, prepared and sent a request addressed to the head of the traffic police General Mikhail Cherenkov, in which he asked for clarification: did the patrol traffic police have the right to require this driver to present this vest when checking documents. And also to answer the question: what sanctions may follow if the vest in the car is still not there.

The other day from the traffic police came to a response to the request of the deputy Nilov. In it, the first deputy chief of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Russian Federation, General Vladimir Shvetsov, clearly and unequivocally stated that traffic police have no right to require the driver of a vehicle to present a vest or jacket with strips of reflective material when checking documents or performing other administrative procedures. "Administrative liability for the lack of a vest in a vehicle or driver is not provided."

And since no one has the right to check and punish for the lack of a vest in the car or on the driver, then, in fact, it is allowed not to carry retro-reflective clothes in the car. Another thing is that any sensible driver will take care of this accessory without anyone else's instructions and, if necessary, will put it on himself - simply obeying the instinct of self-preservation.