On August 4, a new national standard for license plates for cars, motorcycles and other types of transport, GOST R 50577-2018, came into force in Russia, which sets technical requirements for state registration plates.

The Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology recalled that the development of innovations was carried out in 2017-2018 by the Federal State Institution Scientific Center for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. At the same time, the proposals of the Main Directorate for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense of Russia, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia and other interested organizations and citizens were taken into account.

"The fonts of the state registration plates of vehicles, the structure and dimensions of the main types of registration plates have been retained unchanged," TASS quotes the text of the Rosstandart message.

At the same time, GOST provides for a new type of license plate for cars with a non-standard attachment point. We are talking about right-hand drive cars from Japan, as well as cars intended for the American market.

Also, compact numbers for motorcycles are introduced - from the current 245x185 mm, the dimensions are reduced to 190x145 mm. There are motorcycle numbers for diplomatic and consular missions. In addition, special state signs have been introduced for sports and classic cars. From now on, registration numbers will be issued for mopeds and off-road motor vehicles (snow and swamp vehicles, all-terrain vehicles).

At the same time, Rosstandart reported that they do not regulate the exchange and issuance of license plates, stressing that for the production of registration plates of a new format, vehicle owners can contact the appropriate organization.

"Additional clarifications need to be obtained from the State Traffic Inspectorate or the Federal State Institution of the Research Center for Traffic Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia," the federal agency noted.

  • © Pavel Lisitsyn / RIA Novosti

Initially, GOST R 50577-2018 was supposed to enter into force on January 1, 2019, but the date was postponed to August 4 of the same year. The shift was associated with a request from the Ministry of Internal Affairs aimed at avoiding "possible unjustified federal budget spending."

Nevertheless, in August 2019, the introduction of the new GOST did not take place due to the appeals of the State Traffic Inspectorate and the Ministry of Agriculture - by that time, many unused state signs had accumulated in their warehouses, which would have to be disposed of.

On June 2, 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs approved changes in the order to expand the list of numbers with which a three-digit automobile region code can begin. Previously, the traffic police could issue numbers with three-digit codes starting only with the numbers 1 or 7. Now it is allowed to use all numbers from 1 to 9.

Recall that initially in Russia there were regional codes with numbers from 01 to 89, which corresponded to the number of subjects of the Russian Federation as of January 1, 1993. However, later, the available codes began to be insufficient, as a result of which, in 2005, the issuance of signs with region codes consisting of three digits began.

"Long overdue norm and step"

The editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine, auto expert Maxim Kadakov, in a conversation with RT, called the introduction of a new standard for registration plates correct.

“This is a long overdue norm and step. If there is a square ledge under the license plate, standard factory lighting, you do not need to invent anything, but simply remake the license plate - make a different shape, and hang it up, and everyone is happy: the traffic police, and motorists, and all the norms are observed, then this is good, in my opinion. And we must go further along this path, that is, adopt only the best options and examples from foreign experience and follow them, apply them in practice, ”the expert explained.

In turn, the partner of the analytical agency "Autostat" autoexpert Igor Morzharetto noted that in Russia numbers of non-standard sizes are already issued, but the necessary legislative standards did not apply earlier.

“It's just comfortable for a certain number of people who drive cars not made in Russia. Previously, the number was only given out a standard, elongated rectangle, and this number did not sit on that seat, and you cannot bend it at all, you cannot cut it off, you cannot do anything with it. Accordingly, they came up with a cunning system of fixings, lighting these rooms, it was inconvenient, so the introduction of GOST was long overdue. This also applies to motorcycles, because a large number can not always be fixed on a motorcycle, there is space on many only for attaching a small number, ”added the interlocutor of RT.