Operation Against Tuned Vehicles by Police in Sıktıvkar: Modified Cars Detained

A large-scale preventive operation was conducted by the regional traffic police (State Traffic Safety Inspectorate - UGIBDD) in Sıktıvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic in Rusya. The main purpose of this operation was to detect vehicles that have been illegally modified, thereby endangering traffic safety. Authorities drew attention to the risks posed by the increasing number of illegal vehicle modifications in recent years, warning drivers to stay within legal limits. During the inspections, both domestically produced vehicles and foreign brand cars were examined in detail. The teams focused meticulously not only on the exterior appearance of the vehicles but also on the interventions made in their mechanical and electronic systems. As part of the operation, dozens of vehicles were pulled over and subjected to a comprehensive safety check.

During the inspection, traffic teams paid special attention to a number of vehicle modifications that are commonly used among drivers but are illegal. In this context, excessively lowered suspension systems that reduce the ground clearance of vehicles, or conversely, illegal lift kits, ranked first. Additionally, non-standard and amateurishly installed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) kits that had not undergone any certification process were among the significant elements caught on the police's radar. Regarding headlights and lighting, illegal xenon headlights that endanger night driving and extra lighting systems improperly added to the manifolds were inspected. Window tints (films) that narrow the driver's field of vision and fall below standards, along with non-factory steering and exhaust modifications, were also among the inspected elements. All these illegal interventions pose serious threats to both the safety of the driver and others in the vicinity.

In the intensive traffic control carried out, hundreds of vehicles were examined in detail by the teams, and a total of more than thirty traffic violations related to these modifications were detected. Administrative action was taken against drivers who were found to be in violation, on the grounds that they did not use their modified vehicles safely and legally. However, according to the traffic legislation of the Rusya Federasyonu, the amount of the fine applied for these detected issues was determined to be only 500 ruble. Considering many car enthusiasts, this amount seems far from being a deterrent sanction. Authorities emphasized that this situation necessitates the implementation of more serious measures and that the actual severe consequences of penal sanctions lie in administrative procedures rather than money.

Despite the fine remaining limited, drivers who make illegal modifications face much more serious and long-term sanctions. The traffic police directly issue an official notification and a written order to drivers found in violation, requiring them to restore their vehicle to its original factory condition. If these changes are technically possible and the driver insists on the modification, they are required to go through a special certification process to legalize these changes. A legal period of exactly ten days is granted to the driver for these comprehensive correction and legalization procedures. During this process, the vehicle owner has to bear all expenses and bureaucratic steps, which significantly increases the costs of modification.

At the end of the given ten-day period, if the vehicle is not restored to its original factory standards or if legal certificates cannot be obtained, drivers face severe sanctions. When the period expires, the traffic registration of the vehicle in question is directly suspended and officially canceled. In the subsequent stage, if the vehicle is inspected in traffic once again, the official registration certificate (STS) and the vehicle's license plates in the driver's possession are immediately confiscated by the police. This sanction causes the vehicle to become completely unable to legally enter traffic and to be removed from the roads. The vehicle owner becomes unable to use their vehicle until they restore it to its original condition and successfully complete the registration process from scratch at GIBDD (Traffic Registration Office).