Spikes sign size according to GOST 2021

Attention! Starting from December 8, 2021, installation of the “Spikes” sign on the car is not required , because A new version of the traffic rules, discussed in a separate article, came into force.

Good afternoon, dear reader.

The text of the traffic rules provides for the installation of special identification signs, which until December 8, 2018 included the “Spikes” sign or the “Ш” sign.

This sign was intended to inform drivers of other vehicles that the vehicle has studded tires.

In this article you will learn about the features of this sign:

Is it necessary to install a “Spikes” sign?
Dimensions for making a sign yourself?
Where to install the "Ш" sign?
Is there a fine for not having a “Spikes” sign?
Is it possible to pass a technical inspection without a sign?

Let's get started.

Is the spike sign required or not?

In practice, it was not possible to see the “Ш” sign on every car with winter tires. To put it bluntly, less than half of Russian drivers installed this sign.

In this regard, the question arises: is it necessary to glue the “Spikes” sign at all? Is this required by law?

Until December 8, 2021, the following paragraph 8 of the main provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation was in effect:

8. The following identification marks must be installed on vehicles: ... “ Spikes ” - in the form of an equilateral triangle of white color with the apex up with a red border, in which the letter “Ш” is inscribed in black (the side of the triangle is at least 200 mm, the width of the border is 1 /10 sides) - behind motor vehicles with studded tires;

In addition, consider clause 2.3.1 of the traffic rules:

2.3. The driver of the vehicle is obliged to:
2.3.1. Before leaving, check and ensure that the vehicle is in good technical condition on the way in accordance with the Basic Regulations for the admission of vehicles to operation and the responsibilities of officials to ensure road safety.

Thus, until 2021, the “Spikes” sign had to be installed . This was required by traffic rules.

In addition, from April 4, 2021 to December 8, 2021, the absence of the “Spikes” identification mark was included in the list of faults for which the operation of vehicles is prohibited:

7.151. There are no identification marks that must be installed in accordance with paragraph 8 of the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation of October 23, 1993 N 1090 “On the Rules traffic."

Normative base

The legislator has established the obligation for road users to notify their “colleagues” driving behind, through a special “spikes” sign, that special winter tires are being used.

The obligation is now enshrined in the traffic rules thanks to changes made to them in March of this year. The requirement was introduced by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated March 24, 2017, number 333. The traffic rules also included an indication of where to glue the “Spikes” sign.

In paragraph 8 of the “Basic provisions for the approval of a vehicle for operation...” The traffic rules describe how the sign should look: “In the form of an equilateral triangle in white with the apex up with a red border, in which the letter “Ш” is inscribed in black (the side of the triangle is at least 200 mm, border width - 1/10 of the side) - behind motor vehicles with studded tires."

Without the “Ш” plate, when studded tires are used, the car cannot be operated. This is stated in paragraph 7.15 (1) of the “List of faults...”.

Let's try to figure out where to glue the "Spikes" sign according to the 2017 rules.

Dimensions of signs for self-production

The thorn sign can be purchased in a store or made independently. In this case, the following conditions must be observed:

The sign is a red triangle with a black letter Ш inscribed in it.
The length of the side of the triangle is at least 20 cm.
The width of the red border is 10% of the length of the side of the triangle.

If you do not want to draw a triangle yourself, then I suggest you download and print the finished version on an A4 sheet:

Please note that the triangle is quite large. A side length of 20 cm just fits on an A4 sheet (its width is 21 cm). However, this is the size regulated by the Rules.

Some tips for making your own sign:

For printing, it is better not to use plain paper with a density of 80 g/m2, because... the sign will be short-lived. It is better to take photo paper with a density of 120 - 150 g/m2.
A sign intended for black and white printers should be colored yourself. To do this, take a red felt-tip pen or pencil and paint over the edge of the sign.
To attach the sign, it is best to use a suction cup (or 3 suction cups on the corners of the triangle). If you stick the sign with tape, then after it is removed there will be a mark on the car glass. In addition, a sign stuck with tape is unlikely to be reused.

When it comes to purchasing a “Spikes” sign in a store, you need to consider the following details:

Finished signs quite often have dimensions that do not comply with traffic regulations. It should be taken into account that it makes no sense to install a small sign, because... it will be legally considered that there is no sign on the car. As a result, the sign will simply block part of the view through the rear window, but will not provide any benefits.
There are several options for attaching a sign . I recommend choosing the option with a suction cup (with suction cups). The sign, made in the form of a sticker, can only be used once; when removed, traces of glue may remain on the glass.

Sign “Ш” – spikes

Each sign has its own dimensions and requirements for its “appearance”. The Thorns sign is no exception.

If you buy a sign in a specialized store, then it is clear that you have nothing to worry about. However, if you decide to make a sign yourself, then you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements for it.

You cannot simply cut out an arbitrary triangle from paper and stick the letter “W” into it, since such application will be considered incorrect.
The “Spikes” sign is an equilateral triangle, always white.
In this case, the entire triangle should be surrounded by a red border, and the letter “W” should be depicted in black.
All sides of the triangle must be at least 20 cm, and the width of the red border must correspond to 1/10 of its side.
That's all. The requirements for the sign are not that serious, so if you wish, you can easily make it yourself.

Such a sign can not be seen on every car, even taking into account the fact that most vehicles still have studded tires. In this regard, many may think that the sign is optional, however, this is not the case.

IMPORTANT: All cars that have this type of tire must have the appropriate identification mark. This is stated in paragraph 8 of the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation.

Moreover, the traffic rules, namely paragraph 2.3.1, obliges the driver of the car to ensure that it is in good condition before starting to operate the car and during actual driving.
And if we also take into account the fact that since April last year, the absence of such a sign is equated to a malfunction of the car, then it is logical to assume that the sign is mandatory for all cars with a similar type of tire
In the absence of such a sign, vehicle movement is prohibited.

Since this identification mark is mandatory for all cars that have studded tires, there must, of course, be a penalty for violating this obligation. And it is there.

Liability for the absence of a sign has been provided again since April last year.
Liability is clearly regulated by Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
The article deals with driving a car if it has malfunctions. As mentioned earlier, changes that have been made to the legislation provide that the absence of the “Spikes” sign is nothing more than a malfunction.
If you violate this provision, the traffic police officer must hold you accountable, which will be expressed in a warning or a fine. The fine is 500 rubles.

It is not clearly stated anywhere that you are required to remove this sign in the summer, which means that there will be no punishment for having it installed on your car at this time.

It is important to remember that you must stick on the sign exactly at the same time when you change the tires to studded ones.
If you study the law, summer tires cannot be used by any cars from December to February, that is, in winter, which is quite logical
With winter tires everything is just as logical. She cannot be “shod” during the summer months, that is, June, July and August

The location of the symbol Ш on a car is not clearly regulated by the rules for operating cars:

According to clause 8 of the Basic Provisions, this sticker must be placed at the back of a passenger vehicle so that it is clearly visible to other drivers driving behind. Depending on the make of the car, the location of the sticker can be adjusted.

Experienced driving school instructors advise sticking a similar marking at the top of the rear window - according to them, in this place the symbol is best visible to other road users. You can choose any side for gluing - the main thing is that the symbol is clearly visible and does not interfere with the view of the car enthusiast.

In the case of a tinted rear window, the sticker must be placed on the outside. Transparent glass allows it to be positioned from the inside. It is advisable that it be located where the glass is cleared of adhering snow with a wiper or brush. It can also be placed on the body or bumper.

Where to put the “Spikes” sign according to the rules?

The only requirement for installing the “Spikes” sign was given in paragraph 8 of the Basic Provisions. Namely, the sign must be installed at the rear of motor vehicles .

There is no information on this issue in other regulatory documents. So the “Ш” sign could be installed anywhere: on the rear window (inside or outside), on the door or trunk lid, on the bumper, on the rear body cover, on the awning.

Before installation, it was necessary to inspect the car and select a place where a triangle with a side of 20 cm would fit. The sign should have been attached there.

Where to put the “Spikes” sign on a car

Many car owners also often have a question: where to put the “Spikes” sign? It can be difficult to independently determine the place where it should be installed (there are many options - on the door or trunk lid, on the bumper, on the rear lid of the body, on the awning, some even glue it to a trunk attached to the roof rack).

It should be noted here that except for paragraph 8 of the “Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles for operation,” the location of the sign on the car is not specified by any other documents, including the “Road Rules.”

The following is written verbatim in paragraph 8 of the “Basic Provisions”:

...the sign must be installed at the rear of motor vehicles.

That is, the sign simply must be visible and clearly readable for those road users driving behind your car.

As for the sign sticker itself, you need to remember the following:

Since the sign should be placed only for the winter (it is not needed in the summer), you need to keep in mind that the sign pasted in the fall will have to be removed in the spring. But this may not be so simple and can even lead to damage to the paint or the glass itself on the car if the wrong place is chosen.
There are two types of signs - with glue on the front side of the sign and with glue on the back side of the sign. Accordingly, those signs that have glue on the front side are glued from the inside of the car, those on the back side are glued to the outside of the car.
Signs are produced by many manufacturers; for many of them, the adhesive base can grip too tightly, which will create a lot of difficulties when peeling off the sign in the spring. On the inside of the car glass, its heating filaments can be damaged, and on the outside, even the paint on the car body can be damaged.
To prevent this from happening, it is best to choose places where you know you won’t be able to damage the car. For example, car glass is perfect for any glue, since scraping off sign and glue residues from it will be much easier than from any other surface. However, if the sticker is supposed to be applied from the inside, it is necessary that there are no heating filaments on the glass.
When sticking a sign on the car window, do not forget about visibility. The sign must be pasted in such a way that it does not block the view to the rear. The most optimal places for placement will be the upper corners of the rear window of the car. The top left corner works best because it interferes least with your view. The upper right corner can also be used if there are already some stickers in the upper left.
Also, do not forget that many cars have tinted rear windows, so the sign pasted on the inside will be difficult to read. For tinted cars, an exterior sticker is more suitable. Also, a sign glued to the outside is convenient because you can ask to peel it off at any car wash in the spring.
There are also a lot of options for “Spikes” signs for internal installation “on suction cups” and other “Velcro”. Here it must be said that the installation of such signs must be checked from time to time, since all these “Velcro” and “suction cups” tend to come off over time.

Fine for not having a “Spikes” sign

From April 4, 2021 to December 8, 2021, traffic police officers could impose a fine for the absence of the “Spikes” sign under Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code:

1. Driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which, in accordance with the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety, operation of the vehicle is prohibited, with the exception of malfunctions and conditions specified in parts 2 - 7 of this article, -
entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

Please note that this article deals with the presence of malfunctions or conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited. Paragraph 8, which referred to the installation of the “Spikes” sign until 2021, refers to such faults.

Therefore, the punishment for the absence of the “Spikes” sign was a warning or a fine of 500 rubles .

"Spikes" sign: mandatory or not in 2021?

The law does not provide for strict requirements for the location of the sign. The main thing is that it is on the rear window, so that cars behind can get the necessary information. Each driver can independently determine the specific location of the sign. Most often, one of the corners of the glass is used for placement to reduce its impact on the view in the rear view mirror.

It is not recommended to glue the sign in the center, since due to such placement the driver of the car may have problems seeing in the mirror. It is worth proceeding from the convenience for other motorists - the sign should be visible to everyone from a great distance, but you must not forget about your own safety.

It is almost impossible to punish a motorist for an incorrectly pasted sign, only if the situation does not reach the point of absurdity, when it is located in places absolutely not intended for this purpose.

Very often, the rear windows of cars are tinted, and as much as possible. However, this feature does not affect the location of the sign in any way and the general rules apply. However, in 2021, installing a sign on tinted glass is not mandatory.

Until recently, the presence of a sign on a car with spikes was mandatory, and for its absence the driver was threatened with an administrative fine. The sanction of the article provided for a minor penalty in the form of a fine of 500 rubles, so many drivers simply did not pay attention to it.

However, at the same time, without a sign it was impossible to pass a technical inspection and obtain the appropriate certificate. This could cause more serious consequences in the future. The only way out of the situation was to install a sign in accordance with the requirements of the law.

On November 30, 2021, information appeared on the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate about the imminent signing and entry into force of new rules, according to which the presence of the “Spikes” sign will become optional. The main reason for this decision was information about the outdated sign and its loss of relevance, since in modern road traffic it is simply not needed. On December 8, 2021, the resolution came into force, and therefore there is no obligation to install the sign today.

ATTENTION !!! Experts believe that the sign itself is a relic of the Soviet past, when the technologies for producing cars and their spare parts were completely different. At that time, the sign was really necessary due to the simplicity of cars and their components. Russian legislation was based on the old regulatory framework, so the sign was still used for a long time. Today there is no sense in it as such. For this reason, the legislator abolished the previous rules.

There is no need to use the sign today. However, no liability is provided for those already pasted, so drivers can continue driving with the old signs.

So the Thorns sign was quite important a few decades ago. Today, due to the development of technology, it has lost its relevance and has become meaningless, as well as all the sanctions for its absence. For this reason, in 2021 there is no need to stick the sign, but the driver does not face any administrative liability for its presence.

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Fine if there is no “spikes” sign sticker

As of 04/04/17, a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation was adopted, according to which a car with studded tires must have a warning sign “Ш”. Its absence is considered a violation of the operating conditions of the vehicle established by the “Basic provision of clause 8”. If the sticker is missing, then according to Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, Part 1, the traffic police officer will issue a fine of 500 rubles for the absence of a “spike” sign or issue a warning.

If the car uses Velcro winter tires or summer wheels, there is no need to glue the studded tire badge

The fine for the absence of a sign is not large, but the cost of the sticker is 20-100 rubles - we recommend protecting yourself from senseless spending.

In the summer, it is not necessary to get rid of the “studded” badge; the rules do not provide for penalties for the “Sh” designation on a car with summer tires. If the picture is preserved, leave it for the next season.