What is a “safety island” and can motorists use it?

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They say that a person can get used to even the most strict, draconian, but permanent laws. And, on the contrary, he will feel uncomfortable with laws that are soft and sensible, but if their norms are constantly changing. The situation with safety islands on Russian roads today is similar to the second option.

Specifying everything, scheduling it, regulating it might not be a bad idea. But to change everything radically, while leaving the old norms in force, not directly pointing to sanctions, but issuing fines, confusing motorists so that they no longer understand where they can stop, and how exactly to navigate around these markings - this is not only a bad idea , these are direct problems for traffic.

However, there are car lawyers in the world! And few people manage to confuse this category of professionals who are ready to help figure it out. This article will be devoted to the difficulties associated with traffic islands (their standards and fines for violations).

Safety island and its functionality

According to traffic regulations, a traffic island is a section of the roadway on a dividing strip near a pedestrian crossing, where pedestrians can wait for traffic while crossing the road, as well as a means of separating/merging traffic flows. But, first of all, this is a safety zone specifically for pedestrians, where the rights of drivers are extremely limited. The island can be installed on the roadway, dividing strips, pedestrian zebra crossings, entrances to populated areas, at public transport stops, and roundabouts.

Pedestrian traffic rules

The main question that interests pedestrians is whether they are required to stop at a traffic island.

Temporary cessation of traffic in this zone is possible when crossing an uncontrolled intersection in two steps. For example, elderly people or pedestrians with children can stop here, but there is no mandatory requirement to stop in this area.

Excerpts from paragraph 4 of the traffic rules related to this element:

Before crossing the roadway, the pedestrian must make sure that his maneuver is safe. In the case of a traffic island, he will have to do this twice: on one edge of the roadway and in the specified area;
It is prohibited to stay on the roadway for a long time and thereby cause difficulties on the road. An exception is cases where such a long stop is made for safety reasons;
It is prohibited to wait for public transport on a traffic island.

Possible controversial situations and ways to resolve them

Frequently asked questions from motorists related to the presence of traffic islands on the roadway:

Is it permissible to stop on this section of the road? No, it is not permissible. The area is exclusively for pedestrians and is delimited by a solid white line. When stopping here, the driver breaks two rules at once: he crosses a solid road and parks on a zebra crossing.
Is it permissible to run over such markings at the point where the flow merges or stop at it - no, it is not permissible. This area is considered an intersection and parking or stopping here is prohibited. Driving onto the island is prohibited due to the presence of a continuous line on its border.
Whether there is a penalty for parking on an island located outside an intersection or a pedestrian crossing is not provided. But the traffic police inspector has the right to punish the driver for illegally crossing solid markings.
Is there liability for the driver if he hits only one wheel while overtaking? Yes, it is provided for in the traffic rules. Automatic recording cameras (namely, they help to capture 90% of violations) are configured in such a way that they consider any crossing of a solid line to be a violation. Therefore, a fine will be imposed.

Normative base

All issues related to traffic islands are regulated. The interpretation of this concept can be studied in the Traffic Regulations, specifically in the “Definitions” section, paragraph 2.42. Appendix 2 of the Rules describes marking options. The islands are a geometric figure whose sides are a solid line.

There are also certain rules in these areas. Violation of them entails administrative liability. This issue is regulated by the Code of Administrative Offenses, in particular, by Articles 12.16 and 12.19.

What does it look like on the road and what is it used for?

In Appendix 2 to the traffic rules, the “safety island” is indicated by horizontal road markings 1.16.1 - 1.16.3, which are placed on the roadway in place. The purpose is as follows:

1.16.1 - serves to branch traffic flows;
1.16.2 - necessary for merging traffic flows;
1.16.3 - denotes islands at the confluence of traffic flows.

The following photo shows images of horizontal markings:

A safety island is marked by road markings in an area free from vehicle traffic and is intended for pedestrians to give them the opportunity to stop when crossing the roadway and not run across the road in front of oncoming vehicles.

On the road strip, the safety island is located in the form:

area lined with curb stones above the roadway;
zones designated by road markings;
zones that are part of a pedestrian crossing;
section of the dividing strip between traffic flows.

In Western Europe, buffer zones between traffic directions are mandatory on all streets with more than two lanes. With appropriate justification, when the width of the highway carriageway is 15 m or less, a traffic island with a width of at least 2 m can be constructed by narrowing the traffic lane to 3.25 m.

Islands can be arranged:

at an unregulated crossing;
at a controlled crossing;
at an intersection where there is a roundabout;
at the entrance to populated areas.

How the traffic island works:

Forces drivers to comply with the established speed limit due to the fact that it visually narrows the roadway at the pedestrian crossing and increases the concentration of drivers.
Makes it impossible for a car to enter the oncoming lane to overtake or get ahead.
Excludes parking and stopping at the crossing and in its immediate vicinity.
Creates physical protection for pedestrians, a place where they can safely wait for vehicles to pass, and people can rest.
They allow travel at speeds of 40-60 km/h, and therefore can be used painlessly on streets and roads with heavy traffic. This is an advantage over raised road elements (hill, raised crossing, etc.).
At intersections, the turning radius is reduced and the driver is forced to slow down.

Can police cars be parked on islands?

Probably every driver has seen that traffic police officers often stand on these traffic islands, controlling traffic. Many jealously wonder why they can, but ordinary car enthusiasts cannot. Let's figure it out.

In their activities, traffic police officers are guided by the Administrative Regulations approved by Order No. 664 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation of 2022. Clause 87 of this document states that stopping a service vehicle must be carried out taking into account traffic rules and taking measures to ensure the safety of road users. At the same time, paragraph 88 of the regulations states that exceptions can be established if there is a need to carry out regulatory, administrative actions, suppress offenses, and prevent threats of harm to the health, life and (or) property of road users.

Is it allowed to park and stop a car on the site?

The purpose of this zone is deciphered in its name, which implies the impossibility of stopping or parking vehicles in it.

In paragraph 12 of the Rules there is an exact list where a motorist can leave his vehicle, such areas include: the shoulder on the right or the edge of the roadway, as well as the shoulder on the left inside populated areas (subject to other conditions). This list does not include the traffic island, which means parking or stopping on it is illegal. In addition, the boundaries of this zone are marked by a solid line, crossing which is prohibited.

Thus, a driver who decides to take such an action may violate one of the traffic rules, each of which carries its own punishment:

When it is not a violation

Parking, stopping, or even hitting a traffic island with one wheel is an offense. But there is one exception to this rule. The motorist has the right to enter this area if there is a malfunction in the car (forced stop). At the same time, he must fulfill all the conditions specified in the traffic rules:

Turn on the hazard warning lights.
Place a warning triangle at a distance of at least 15 meters from the broken down vehicle.

This exception avoids congestion on the roadway and speeds up the flow of traffic.

Can a camera record this violation?

Overtaking, turning around, parking on a traffic island - all this can be recorded both by traffic police officers and with the help of cameras. Disputes often arise that the camera is not able to distinguish a stop from a parking lot, but in this case it does not matter - Part 3 (and therefore Part 6) of Article 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses interprets sanctions for both types of this violation in the same way.

The problem may be due to a technical fault. It is not always possible to determine when the hazard warning lights are turned on in a photo. In this case, you will have to appeal the fine for leaving the traffic island.

Functions

First of all, traffic islands are designed to divide the road into two parts. In addition, they are areas where pedestrians can remain for any length of time. People crossing the roadway do not need to control the traffic flow from all sides.

In areas where there are no appropriate markings, accidents involving pedestrians most often occur. This is due to the fact that people do not always correctly assess the road situation and strive to cross life-threatening zones as soon as possible. The presence of islands allows you to cross half the roadway, stop and look around, and then continue driving if it is safe to do so.

These are the two main functions of markup. In addition, traffic islands in some cases force drivers to slow down. Sometimes markings are applied to narrow the traffic lane. Artificial unevenness often forms in such areas. In addition, road workers can install traffic lights. Thus, a driver approaching a dangerous area involuntarily reduces speed. Increasing the vigilance of a person driving a vehicle significantly reduces the risk of an accident.

Remember

A safety island is made by markings or by raising it above the road.
The island is needed to separate traffic flows and protect pedestrians on the wide road.
The fine for crossing or turning around on an island is 500 rubles.
The fine for stopping or parking on an island is 1,000 rubles.
If the fine is not paid within 70 days, the fine will be handed over to the bailiffs, who will write off the amount of the fine from the account.
To receive notifications about fines on time and pay fines at a discount, subscribe to notifications on the Traffic Police Fines website.

Penalties

Crossing a solid line will result in the confiscation of your driver's license. But a fine is imposed for a traffic island, the amount of which depends on the violation committed. The relaxation is related to the degree of negative consequences, of which, for example, on a highway there can be many.

According to the Administrative Code, the driver will have to pay 500 rubles to cross the island. As for check-in/check-out, in this case the violator also faces a fine. It is 1000 rubles. You will have to pay a fine of the same amount for parking.

Are the islands safe?

It is important for pedestrians to understand that this area is marked only by markings. White paint applied to the road surface cannot with a 100% guarantee protect a person from harm.

The situation is different in European countries. The islands there are equipped with barriers. If, for example, there is a drunk driver behind the wheel, the design will stop the car, thereby preventing a collision with a person. For the same reason, people driving vehicles are more attentive on the road and observe the speed limit at crossings.

In Russia, islands are not equipped with such barriers. Thus, in theory they are safe for pedestrians, but in fact they are not. And this is due to the ignorance of many drivers of traffic rules. In addition, numerous accidents in these areas occur due to irresponsibility. A prime example is driving while intoxicated.

What the traffic rules say about traffic islands

Marking 1.16.1 is a small island with lines written on it. They can be seen on sections of highways and city roads. They are often applied when the roadway narrows. If we talk directly about the traffic island, they are applied exclusively at pedestrian crossings, namely in the middle of it. This point is indicated in the definitions of traffic rules with number 2.42.

The island is designed for safe pedestrian crossing of the road. The presence of such an island is especially important on roads with 4 or more lanes. However, in many European countries they can be seen even on two-lane roads. In this case, they are designed to calm traffic; the driver does not have the opportunity to accelerate to high speeds on a narrow road. They are equipped with special lighting and sometimes a road sign. This reduces the accident rate and all related indicators, such as accident rates and the number of pedestrians hit.

Such markings indicate to the pedestrian where he can safely wait for the flow of cars or wait for the green traffic light. Safety islands are very convenient for older people and people with limited mobility who find it difficult to cross a road, especially one with 6 lanes at a time. With a traffic island, this can be done with some pause, while remaining in a safe place and without interfering with moving traffic.

Foot columns

The movement of organized pedestrian columns in the traffic rules with comments is described as follows: people can walk along the road only in the direction of the movement of cars, i.e. on the right and up to 4 people in one row. One escort with a red flag is placed in front and behind the column. These people should be on the left side of the line. At night and in case of insufficient visibility, movement is carried out using a white light in front, red in the back. Groups of children can be driven along sidewalks and pedestrian paths, or, if they are not available, along roadsides, and there must be an accompanying adult.

Penalty for entering, stopping and crossing a traffic island

This is where the main differences and difficulties begin. We have already clarified one problem - crossing a continuous strip (violation of markings - Part 1 of Article 12.16 of the Administrative Code). We will return to sanctions on it later, but for now we will consider other possible violations:

Is it possible to park on a traffic island? Let us remember that the island is directly connected to the pedestrian crossing. stopping/parking (parking) on a pedestrian crossing (Parts 3 and 6 of Article 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), can be recognized as a second violation
At the same time, sanctions may well be applied for parking “further than the right lane ,” which is provided for in Part 3.2 of the same article.
Article 8.1 of the Russian Traffic Regulations prohibits turning around at a pedestrian crossing . Part 2 Art. 12.14 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation establishes a fine for this (we’ll return to the exact figures below).
Article 11.4 of the Russian Federation Traffic Regulations completely prohibits overtaking at a pedestrian crossing . These are relatively recent changes in the rules, and the Code of Administrative Offenses has not yet identified an exact article for the case. However, depending on the circumstances, either the already mentioned violation of markings (Part 1 of Article 12.16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) or driving into oncoming traffic (Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) is applied.

The amount of fines depends on these conditions. Basically they are like this:

Violation	Fine	Note
Violation of markings (Part 1 of Article 12.16 of the Administrative Code)	500 rub.	This is how driving onto a traffic island can be interpreted, as well as the minimum penalty for overtaking on the traffic island.
Stopping/parking at a crossing (Part 3 of Article 12.19 of the Administrative Code)	1,000 rub.	Attention: in case of similar violations that occurred in Moscow or St. Petersburg, Part 6 of this article applies - the fine will be 3,000 rubles.
Stop/parking “further than the first rad” (Part 3.2 of Article 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses)	1500 rub.
U-turn at a zebra crossing (Part 2 of Article 12.14 of the Administrative Code)	500 rub.	A U-turn on a traffic island can be equated to this.
Driving into the oncoming lane (Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Code).	5000 rub. or deprivation of rights for up to six months	In this way, the worst-case scenario for overtaking on a traffic island can be interpreted.

In addition, in some circumstances, a cumulative method of punishment for several articles may be applied.

You need to understand that it is allowed to stop at the markings in the event of a technical malfunction of the vehicle or poor health of the driver.

How to receive notifications on time to pay a fine at a discount

It happens that due to a large influx of visitors, electronic services work with malfunctions or a long delay. This was the case when the president signed a decree on child benefits in June 2022. Parents began to process payments through government resources and overloaded the server. There was no access to other services, such as checking fines, for a long time.

In order not to depend on force majeure, subscribe to the traffic police fines notifications. The service takes information directly from the GIS GMP database. All duties, fines and taxes in favor of the state pass through it.

How can the traffic police prove your guilt?

When drawing up a report on an offense, the traffic police officer must provide compelling evidence of what happened. As a rule, materials on the violation made using video or photography are attached to the case. The capabilities of modern technical devices make it possible to create an evidence base that illuminates the picture of the event with extreme clarity. If possible, the traffic police officer will certainly try to stock up on witness statements. To do this, directly at the place where the protocol was drawn up, eyewitnesses of the violation are asked to give testimony.
In large cities, violations of marking rules (crossing a traffic island) are recorded using automatic video cameras installed throughout the city. And in this case, the driver will receive the decision by mail in the form of a “chain letter”.

Traffic rules requirements

Traffic regulations state that a safety island marked with horizontal markings is most often limited on all sides by a solid line.

The purpose of the solid line is that it separates traffic flows moving in different directions and marks the boundaries of traffic lanes in high-risk areas. This means that any maneuvers on this island are strictly prohibited and are equivalent to driving into the oncoming lane .

Within this island, traffic is allowed only for pedestrians, and nothing is said about the fact that this is strictly prohibited for drivers. Therefore, the traffic island cannot be considered a roadway . The rules stipulate that the movement of vehicles is possible only in the lanes designated for this purpose and there is no prohibition for traffic on this island.

If the driver is moving in the zone where the traffic island is located on the side of the solid line, then it is prohibited to cross this zone. This applies to white markings 1.16.1 – 1.16.3, which:

separate traffic flows in the opposite direction;
separate traffic flows in one direction;
indicate the confluence of traffic flows.

Device according to GOST

According to the requirements of the standard, markings or curbs can act as the boundary of a traffic island on the road.

The basic rules for the OB device are as follows:

raised islands with curbs on the roadway are installed with constant electric lighting;
when separating oncoming traffic flows by installing barriers along the roadway, such raised islands with curbs are not used;
the height of the curb is 10±1 centimeters;
the center of the observatory on the road must be in alignment with the marking line that separates opposite directions;
in front of the island on both sides, a continuous inclined marking of 1.1 is applied according to GOST R 51256, which diverts traffic flows from it, at an angle to the road axis of 1:20/1:50 (1:20 - for a speed of 60 km/h, 1:50 — more than 60 km/h);
OBs located on the dividing strip must have a hard surface;
on the territory of the island itself, markings 1.16.1 are applied (oblique parallel white stripes);
if there is a curb, road signs 4.2.1 (go around the obstacle on the right) with markings 2.7 (horizontal and vertical stripes of black and white in alternating order) are installed.

At the points where traffic flows merge and branch, so-called guide lines are formed, which can be used as safety islands on the road.

Definition in the traffic rules “Safety island”

The term is one of the most frequently used when it comes to traffic rules not only for motorists, but also for pedestrians. Therefore, in the “Basic Provisions” there is also a transcript of it, which helps to understand where this zone is located. In the traffic rules, a safety island is defined as follows:

...an element of road arrangement separating traffic lanes (including lanes for cyclists), as well as traffic lanes and tram tracks, structurally separated by curbstones above the carriageway or marked by technical means of traffic management and intended to stop pedestrians when crossing the carriageway . The traffic island may include part of the dividing strip through which a pedestrian crossing is laid.

There is a term along with its description in GOST R 52766-2007, which regulates the construction of roads and their components. Subclause 4.2.5.1 describes the specified zone as an element of the roadway, dividing it into traffic lanes. The distance from the edge of the road to the border of the special zone must be at least 7.5 m.

The marking by which it is designated is also indicated. Along the edges of the site these are inclined lines 1.1. And between them, that is, in the space of the allocated territory, markings 1.16.1 are applied. If it is distinguished by a curb, there should be a sign 4.2.1 nearby. It is supplemented with markup 2.7.

Horizontal marking

This includes everything that is “drawn” on the asphalt. Such lines indicate the order of movement along this section of the roadway. Horizontal markings on the road are useful not only for car owners, but also for pedestrians.

To decipher the meaning of the lines, use the following table:

There are certain types of horizontal markings that are not used in all cities. Eg:

See also: Assistant Arbitration Manager and its automated version

24.7 – looks like a rectangle and the letter D. Allows parking only for diplomatic vehicles.
24.3 – designates parking spaces allocated for disabled people of any group.
24.5 – only electric vehicles may park or move in this location.

All other types of markings only duplicate road signs.

What's the difference between one and two solid ones?

Many car owners are interested in what is the difference between these two markings. On some sections of roads they use one solid road, and on others, even double ones. There is an explanation for this.

Double solid is used on roads that have several lanes for traffic in one direction. However, this rule is not the only one. Not only the number of stripes determines the appearance of a solid line. If the width from the edge of the roadway to the middle is more than 3.75 meters, then such a road will have a double continuous road.
One solid one is used in places where this width is smaller or where one lane is used for one-way traffic.

Such types of markings not only delimit sections of roads, but also introduce restrictions on overtaking, ahead, changing lanes, turning left or making a U-turn. For such violations there are very strict penalties, including deprivation of rights.