A car without license plates in a paid parking lot - is it worth doing this?

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Today, in parking lots you can regularly see vehicles with their identification marks removed. The traffic police service is desperately fighting this, but so far to no avail. The larger the metropolis, the more such drivers you can meet. Those who don’t like to pay still strive to leave their cars without license plates in paid parking.

Will they take it or not?

The question arises, is it really legal to take away a vehicle? Based on current legislation, it is prohibited to take the car. However, it can be evacuated “on a general basis.” Especially from places where a large number of people are constantly present. This is being done because of the fight against terrorism. The unidentified car, like another unidentified object, is evacuated.

So why do drivers remove their identification signs in parking lots? Main reasons:

• desire to avoid payment;
• evasion of payment of a fine for violating traffic rules;
• to avoid evacuation of the vehicle.

Still, it should be noted that it is illegal to hide the identification mark of your car. Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses is violated. You can pay up to 5,000 rubles or even lose your rights.

"Fair" evacuation

If a car owner parks his “iron horse” without license plates under a “Parking is prohibited” or “Stopping is prohibited” sign, MADI inspectors will not waste precious time on further clarification of the circumstances of this act.

They have the legal right to tow a car to a parking lot for illegal parking. In this case, the inspector will not figure out who owns the car.

Since he does not have the right to clean the dirt from the license plate or rip off the special film (by law, such actions can be classified as property damage or violation of the inviolability of private property), he will rewrite the visible numbers and then send the car to the impound lot.

If a cunning driver has completely removed the license plates, then only he will have problems, since he will not know what to do next, where to look for the car, or to which parking lot it was evacuated. This may well waste a lot of mental energy and precious time.

Recently, you can see the evacuation of cars without license plates under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

The vehicle is removed from a 400-meter zone from the MCC, surface vestibules of stations, metro structures, ground transport stops, transport hubs, parks, as well as other public places where a large number of people accumulate.

According to the new regulations, such cars are moved to specialized parking lots, where they are checked by law enforcement officers.

Thanks to this, they can determine whether the car poses a terrorist threat or whether it is wanted. After this check, the evacuated cars are returned to the owner or his legal representative.

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Paid parking

Whether parking is paid or not is monitored by parking sensors - these are devices that can read the identification mark and identify the owner of the vehicle. Drivers have learned to hide them in order to avoid paying for parking. The numbers are covered with film and other stickers. Some people purchase magnetic frames that allow them to be quickly removed and put on. Workers can remove foreign objects that will cover the numbers and interfere with vehicle identification. Thus, you can avoid penalties from traffic police inspectors, but not payment for parking your car.

Parking lot workers can also call the state traffic inspector and insist on evacuation if the car is involved in an emergency.

Why rent rooms?

Such a simple way to prevent the evacuation of a car seems innocent and simple.
But is this really so? It’s interesting that they started hiding license plates since digital locks appeared . Hairdryers, a device that records the speed of a moving car, have caused some drivers to remove their identification plates.

One of the first means in the fight against them was hairspray and women's tights. Such means blocked the reflection of light, so they did not allow the number to be recorded. However, such ancient means are absolutely powerless in the fight against evacuation.

If due to this the radar could simply not record the data, then the inspector may well notice and then identify a violation of the law, manifested in the form of falsification or concealment of the license plate.

It is worth admitting that even removing the plate with numbers and taking it with you or leaving it in the trunk is not so easy. To do this, the driver must always have with him a tool that allows him not only to dismantle, but also to mount the license plates back.

At the same time, it is important to learn how to perform such actions without unnecessary noise and as quickly as possible, since otherwise passers-by may suspect a crime and call a traffic police inspector.

But why do some motorists still resort to these tricks? Where did the tradition of removing numbers or hiding them using a special film, a layer of dirt and other “screens” come from?

There are several possible answers to this question:

• 
  Many paid parking lots are equipped with special mechanisms, parking signs, that read the number. Thanks to this information, the car owner is obliged to pay for parking. If the device cannot determine absolutely all the digits of the numbers, you can really save money;

• similar equipment is also installed in the coverage area of ​​most prohibition signs. As in the case of paid parking, its purpose is to read license plates and transmit information to charge fines to negligent drivers;
• and finally, current legislation prohibits the towing of a vehicle without license plates. Drivers who hide their license plate count on traffic police inspectors to strictly comply with this rule.

However, unfortunately for car owners, traffic police officers are well aware of such tricks . That is why they have developed a number of measures that allow them to counteract dishonest drivers.

Fine for leaving a car without an identification mark

According to the law, there are no penalties for such parking. However, the situation is twofold, because the laws contradict each other. The fight against terrorists has a detrimental effect on those who want to “save money.”

Important information

License plates are now often stolen, demanding a ransom for them, but much more often license plates are removed from the car by its owner, who wants to avoid paying for parking, recording a parking violation, and also towing the vehicle.

After all, the law states that it is simply prohibited to evacuate vehicles that do not have license plates. But at the same time, other regulations were introduced that, in order to increase safety, allow a car to be towed even if it does not have license plates.

The main motive is the fight against terrorism, which is being waged throughout the country, but is especially noticeable in large cities and other populated areas.

If the car looks suspicious, is located near crowded places and, moreover, does not have license plates, then the employee will definitely decide to evacuate.

And the lack of license plates will only complicate the work of the car owner, because searching for a car in impound lots will be much more difficult if it does not have state license plates.

Basic Concepts

In order to competently understand the procedure for evacuation of a car and understand in what situation this can happen, it is necessary to consider general concepts that will familiarize the driver with certain terms used in the law.

Why do drivers hide their license plates?

First of all, drivers hide the license plates so that they cannot be stolen, which is a fairly common occurrence in Russia, because subsequently they demand a ransom for them.

But motorists can also remove their license plates to:

The legislative framework

If the car’s license plates are hidden, then this is a reason to apply Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, for violation of which a fairly large fine is provided, or even deprivation of a driver’s license.

But these measures are applied at the discretion of the inspector, and depending on the situation in which the absence of license plates was revealed, and if aggravating circumstances were found, then this is a reason for imposing the most severe punishment associated with the temporary suspension of a person from driving.

The evacuation of cars without license plates in Moscow has been carried out relatively recently to prevent terrorist attacks.

For this purpose, the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Commission of Moscow was approved under the number 13-80-1/15, as well as another document with the number 4-13-7596/7.

They stipulate that they can take the car to the impound lot if it is in crowded places for a long time, and something causes suspicion, in particular they do not have license plates, then law enforcement officers may decide to send the car to a stop.

Police instead of traffic police

If an inspector finds vehicles without license plates in a paid parking lot, they are planned to be placed under the control of law enforcement agencies. These cars may be stolen, wanted, or already used in illegal activities. To protect local residents from terrorist attacks and encounters with criminals, unmarked cars will be handed over to the police. Therefore, from now on, drivers who decide to save money may face serious problems worse than evacuation or a fine.

Recommendation: Before you rent a number and park your car, it is better to seriously think about the possible consequences.

Is it legal to tow a car with a missing license plate?

Yes, it's legal. If such a car was noticed by a traffic police officer, then the following scenarios are possible:

1. The employee will transfer information about the car to the law enforcement organization, which will deal with all subsequent proceedings.
2. The employee has the right to decide to inspect or evacuate this vehicle. As a rule, in such cases, cars are transported to an impound lot, they are issued a fine and payment for tow truck and parking services.

Lanes of Invisibility

You can see streets lined with unmarked cars. Today such streets are called invisible lanes. While respectable motorists are circling around, trying to find a place to park, those who like to circumvent the rules spend hours free of charge. Owners of middle-class vehicles wonder why those who have expensive cars do not want to pay for parking spaces? Why will you get away with parking without license plates in a paid parking lot? Theoretically, police officers can find out the vehicle identification code, but in most cars it is hidden by the hood.

Moscow may begin to evacuate cars without license plates from paid parking lots

Moscow intends to take radical measures to combat drivers who, when parking, remove license plates from their cars. Recently, this trick has become epidemic. The fact is that such vehicles cannot be towed by law. And people take advantage of it. But they are going to close the loophole.

These lanes in Moscow are already called streets of invisible people - there are dozens of cars without license plates here. They spend hours in paid parking. “If the number is removed, then our system will not read anything at all,” says a data center employee. Accordingly, the system will not issue a fine. While such car owners occupy the parking lot, many circle around the area in search of free spaces.

Those who are lucky pay fairly.

“This, I think, is wrong. Moreover, the cars, I see, are expensive and have their license plates removed. I think they have money, they could pay for it. We seem to be middle class, and we pay for it,” says one of the drivers.

This unique “separate” class includes not only owners of expensive foreign cars. For example, here is a small car with a seat for the disabled. There is no special sign on the glass. Rooms too. The man, with his usual movement, returns them to their place and explains his actions this way: “The salary is not enough.” If the car is parked according to the rules, the motorist is in no danger.

“According to the instructions, if I find cars without license plates, I call the police,” says Mikhail Salautin, a walking inspector of the State Public Institution “Administrator of the Moscow Parking Space”.

The police, in theory, can identify the owner by the VIN code of the car. But in many models it is hidden under the hood.

“In this case, the car is in a paid parking lot, so we have no right to evacuate it,” explains Oleg Knysh, inspector of the 3rd battalion of the traffic police regiment of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Central Administrative District of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow.

A gap in the law. Driving without license plates is a violation, but parking even in a paid parking lot turns out to be sleight of hand, and no fraud.

“Driving a vehicle without a license plate or with a closed registration plate. For this, a fine of 5 thousand rubles is imposed, or deprivation of the right to drive. Those that were, unfortunately, were subject to a fine, much less deprivation of the right to drive,” says automobile lawyer Dmitry Slavnov.

Therefore, such a reception is spreading across the capital like a virus. Some people even buy special magnetic frames for their bumpers. The numbers can be removed and put back with a slight movement of the hand.

Impunity reaches the point of absurdity. Here the driver throws the traffic police and Moscow parking inspectors in the face: what are the complaints? Although the voice, of course, trembles. The city authorities decided to take care of this problem.

“The issue of evacuation of these vehicles will be considered. An appropriate regulatory framework will be developed, and measures will be taken to evacuate them from our streets,” said Andrey Golovatyuk, Deputy General Director of the State Public Institution “Administrator of the Moscow Parking Space”.

Tow away cars without license plates, even if they are parked according to the rules in a paid parking lot. It's illegal now.

Cars without registration plates are still towed from Moscow streets today. But only if the rules are broken. Like here - the SUV was parked on the sidewalk. He will be taken to one of the capital's impound lots. Finding a car, of course, will not be easy. It will be listed in the database as an unknown car without license plates.

You will have to search for it by brand and color, call call centers and impound lots. Some drivers called the possible innovation too strict.

“I believe that it is better to issue large fines than to tow the car. Thousands 10-15-20. That is, the fine should be such that the person does not do this again,” says Anna Vorobyova.

But who should issue the fine? There is a proposal to use the European experience - to install a blocker on the wheels. Then the driver himself will be interested in payment. Another method is radio tags, which have long been discussed in Russia, which transmit information to the scanner remotely.

“In addition to state registration marks, the RFID tag must be placed directly in the car itself, which, using a scanner, can determine who it belongs to. It will be identified by this unique ID code, which is embedded in this tag,” explains Alexander Yakhnyuk, Deputy Head of the Department for Construction and Operation of Highways of the Federal Road Agency.

Mosparking assured that they will consider best international practices and discuss them with citizens before implementation. As for the evacuation of cars without license plates, they promise to resolve the issue before the start of the Confederations Cup. It starts in mid-June, and this is one of the safety measures that should be introduced before the tournament.

Evacuation of a car in emergency situations

Various everyday situations arise. During various construction, repair work, or the participation of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, it may be necessary to vacate a parking space. In such a situation, service workers can call a tow truck for the vehicle. There is a certain list of places from which a car is towed even without license plates:

• gas pipeline;
• city ​​sewer system;
• water pipes;
• places through which special services will travel.

Advice: In case of emergency evacuation of the car, the owner will be required to pay for the tow truck, a fine for the lack of registration plates and the time the car spent in the impound lot. It's worth paying attention to the place.

Car parking without license plates

According to city officials, such a car poses a real safety threat.
According to city officials, such a car poses a real safety threat.

“If the owner arrives at the site before the tow truck starts moving, the car is returned to him, but only after checking by law enforcement agencies. The priority in this work is to ensure the safety of citizens,” explained Liksutov.

In general, this all looks like some kind of stupid show. Look what's happening. In a paid parking lot in the city center there is a car without license plates. Let’s even assume that, based on some signs, one can suspect something is wrong and assume that there is a bomb in it. How should the situation develop in this case? Lightning-fast reaction of the police and intelligence services. A complete cordon of the perimeter, and even all nearby houses must be cleared of people. After all, if a car is filled with explosives, the force of the explosion can be enormous. Then sappers with special equipment get into action.

Foot army against car offenders

When fighting against those who like to circumvent the law, foot traffic police inspectors act. They are engaged in freeing the numbers from various stickers covering the number and issuing a fine.

Sometimes pedestrian traffic inspectors have to deal with the rudeness and arrogance of today's drivers. It gets to the point where the driver directly says that everything is legal and there shouldn’t be any problems.

Gap in the law

Parking without identification signs does not fall under the points of violation of the law. It turns out that driving without them is a violation, but parking is not yet. But they are going to close the “loophole” because this phenomenon is spreading like an epidemic from large cities further and further. A legitimate reason for towing such vehicles, in addition to the fight against terrorism, may be improper parking of the vehicle. Fortunately, this happens everywhere.

To summarize, we can say that at the moment there are no penalties for parking without identification marks, but the car can still be towed “on a general basis” or if the vehicle is involved in an emergency. It's better to think twice before leaving your car in the parking lot.

Do they take

Is it true that a vehicle without registration numbers cannot be towed? Let's consider several standard situations.

If a car without license plates is parked in the area covered by the “Stopping and Parking Prohibited” sign, and an additional sign indicates that a tow truck is operating in the area, then traffic police officers have the right to:

• wait for the car owner (driver) to arrive to find out the owner of the vehicle;
• evacuate the car in the presence of the owner (driver).

Recently, especially in large cities of the Russian Federation, vehicles without license plates are towed on a general basis.

The reason for this phenomenon was the fight against terrorists. Within the framework of the adopted legislation, every unidentified object, including a car, is considered potentially dangerous and is subject to seizure to clarify all the circumstances.

If the reason for the detention was alcohol intoxication, the vehicle will be detained and moved to a special parking lot regardless of the presence/absence of registration plates, and the fine imposed on the driver will accordingly increase by 5,000 rubles

A similar situation arises with violations provided for in the following articles of the current Administrative Code:

• 12.3 (the driver does not have the package of documents required by the traffic rules);
• 12.5 (driving a vehicle with a faulty brake system, clutch or steering);
• 12.26 (driver’s refusal to undergo a medical examination prescribed by a traffic police officer);
• 12.27 (use of illegal drugs, including alcohol, after a traffic accident, but before undergoing examination);
• 12.21.1 (violation of the rules established by law for the transportation of large or heavy cargo);
• 12.21.2 (violation of the rules for transporting dangerous goods).

From paid parking

Can vehicles without license plates be towed from a paid parking lot? In accordance with current legislation, it is impossible to evacuate a vehicle without license plates from a paid parking lot.

It is these rules that guide drivers, who not only completely avoid the detention of vehicles, but also do not pay for the services provided by the parking organization.

However, unlike traffic police inspectors, parking employees have the right to independently remove items that cover one or more digits in the registration number, which leads to the need to pay for the services provided by the parking lot.

That is, in this situation, it is possible to avoid the detention of vehicles, but it is impossible to avoid paying for the services provided.

From the yard

Traffic inspectors also have the right to evacuate a vehicle from the yard in the absence of license plates. However, there are emergency situations in which the law establishes the right to detain vehicles without license plates.

These include parking lots:

• on gas pipelines;
• on city sewer systems;
• on water supply networks;
• on electrification systems;
• at any place that prevents the access of special services to eliminate the accident.

Employees of the relevant special services can call the traffic police and have the vehicle evacuated if an emergency occurs while the car is parked (cable break, pipeline system break, etc.).

In this situation, the car owner will have to pay for the services of a towing service, car storage and a fine for the lack of registration plates.