Traffic Laws. The history of the emergence of traffic rules Laws of the road history and modernity

Regulation traffic This is a question posed in the distant past. The movement of pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages also required regulation. In those days, this was carried out by royal decrees.

The history of traffic rules dates back to Ancient Rome. Julius Caesar introduced one-way traffic on several streets in the city in the 50s BC. From sunrise until approximately two hours before sunset (the end of the working day), the passage of private carts and chariots was prohibited.

Visitors to the city had to travel in Rome on foot or on a palanquin (stretchers on long poles), and park their vehicles outside the city limits.

Already at that time there was a surveillance service monitoring compliance with these rules. It consisted mainly of former firefighters

The duties of this service were to prevent conflict situations among vehicle owners. The intersections were not regulated. To ensure free passage, nobles sent walkers ahead. They cleared the streets and the nobles could thus freely travel to their destination.

Over time, changes and additions were made to the rules, stipulating features when driving through intersections, changing the speed limit when approaching an intersection, and prohibiting overtaking in difficult areas. One of the additions was a rule giving priority in traffic to pedestrians. A religious procession or, for example, a funeral ceremony also enjoyed an advantage in the movement.

The basis of modern traffic rules was laid on December 10, 1868 in London. On this day, the first railway semaphore appeared in the square in front of Parliament in the form of a colored disk with mechanical control. This semaphore was invented by J.P. Knight, a semaphore specialist of that time.

The device consisted of two semaphore wings, and depending on the position of the wings, the corresponding signal was indicated:

Horizontal position – movement prohibited
Position at an angle of 45 degrees - movement is allowed, but with precautions.

At night, a gas lamp was used, signaling in red and green. The traffic light was controlled by a servant in livery.

The technical implementation of the semaphore was not so successful. The chain of the mechanism for raising and lowering the booms was so noisy that it greatly frightened the horses, making it difficult for the coachman to control. Less than a month later, a semaphore exploded, injuring a police officer.

The number of vehicles continued to increase, and the first cars began to replace the carts. The need for traffic management has increased significantly. The first rods for manually regulating traffic at intersections appeared in 1908. The first road signs can be considered signs indicating movement to a populated area.

In 1909, at a world conference in Paris, it was decided to create unified European Traffic Rules, as the number of cars continued to grow, and the speed limit and traffic intensity on city streets increased.

The next step in the development of traffic management was at the traffic conference in Geneva in 1931 "Convention for the Introduction of Uniformity in Road Signaling" was adopted. The Soviet Union was also a participant in this conference.

The first official publication of the Road Traffic Rules in the USSR took place in 1920. The document had a title “About traffic in Moscow and its environs”. This document has already described in detail many important issues. Driver's licenses for the right to drive have appeared, and the maximum speed limit has been designated. In 1940, general traffic regulations were issued for the entire union, which were edited for each city.

Unified general traffic rules valid throughout the entire territory of the USSR were introduced in 1961. “Rules for driving on the streets of cities, towns and roads of the USSR”

The most important date in the history of the Road Traffic Rules is November 8, 1968. On this day in Vienna I was The Convention on Road Traffic was adopted. The document was signed by representatives of 68 countries and is still in force today.

By 1973, the USSR traffic rules were written in accordance with the Vienna Convention. With the passage of time and corresponding changes on the roads, the constant growth of transport, and the technological development of road networks, adjustments and additions are constantly being introduced.

Latest changes on the day of writing of this material came into force on November 24, 2012 and the State Duma is always considering bills aimed at adapting the rules to the real situation on the roads.

Traffic rules (abbreviated: traffic rules) are a set of rules governing the responsibilities of vehicle drivers and pedestrians, as well as technical requirements for vehicles to ensure road safety.

The first known attempts to streamline urban traffic were made in ancient Rome by Gaius Julius Caesar. By his decree in the 50s BC. e. One-way traffic was introduced on some city streets. From sunrise until the end of the “working day” (about two hours before sunset), the passage of private carts, chariots and carriages was prohibited. Visitors were required to leave their vehicles outside the city and move around Rome on foot or by hiring a palanquin. At the same time, a special service for supervising compliance with these rules was established; it recruited mainly former firefighters from among freedmen. The main responsibilities of such traffic controllers were to prevent conflicts and fights between vehicle owners. Many intersections remained unregulated. Noble nobles could ensure unhindered passage through the city - they sent walkers ahead of their carriages, who cleared the streets for the owner to pass.

When horse-drawn carts appeared, when moving along the roads towards each other, they sometimes collided. In order to streamline the movement of horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians, the Tsar's Decrees required strict adherence to the rules of riding and walking on streets and roads. The decrees determined the rules for riding horse-drawn vehicles and the penalties for violators. These were the first rules of the road.

The history of modern traffic rules originates in London. On December 10, 1868, a mechanical railway signal with a colored disc was installed on the square in front of Parliament. Its inventor, J.P. Knight, was a specialist in railway semaphores. The device was manually controlled and had two semaphore wings. The wings could take different positions: horizontal - a “stop” signal and lowered at an angle of 45 degrees - you can move with caution. With the onset of darkness, a rotating gas lamp was turned on, which gave signals in red and green light. A servant in livery was assigned to the semaphore, whose duties included raising and lowering the boom and turning the lantern. However, the technical implementation of the device turned out to be unsuccessful: the grinding of the lifting mechanism chain was so strong that passing horses shied away and reared up. Having not worked for even a month, on January 2, 1869, the semaphore exploded, and the policeman who was with it was injured.

The prototypes of modern road signs can be considered signs that indicated the direction of movement to a populated area and the distance to it. The decision to create uniform European traffic rules was made in 1909 at a world conference in Paris, due to the increase in the number of cars, speeds and traffic intensity on city streets.

In Russia, the first domestically produced car appeared in 1896. It was designed by engineers E. A. Yakovlev and P. A. Frese. In the same year, the first official rules for the transportation of heavy objects and passengers in self-propelled carriages were developed. And in 1900, the “Bandatory resolution on the procedure for passenger and freight traffic in St. Petersburg by car” was approved. These rules were subsequently constantly improved and reaffirmed.

In 1909, the International Convention on Road Traffic was adopted in Paris, in accordance with which the first road signs, indicating the presence of an intersection, a railway crossing, a winding road, or unevenness on the roadway.

The next important step was the adoption of the “Convention for the Introduction of Uniformity in Road Signaling” in 1931 in Geneva, at the Road Traffic Conference, in which, among other countries, the Soviet Union took part.

Modern Traffic Rules set out the responsibilities of drivers, pedestrians, passengers, and provide descriptions of road signs, traffic lights, etc.

Since children are pedestrians and passengers, they need to know their responsibilities.

Rules are needed for safe movement on streets and roads. Due to violations of the Rules, accidents occur, pedestrians, drivers and passengers are killed and injured.

It is calculated that if road users complied 100% with the Traffic Rules, the number of injured in road accidents would be reduced by 27% (±18%) and those killed by 48% (±30%)

Summary from the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (www.gibdd.ru)

History of traffic rules

A. L. Rybin

ISBN 978-5-4485-8594-4

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

Introduction

Road traffic is an integral part of the modern state of being of society. It has absorbed the most advanced in scientific and technological progress and characterizes social and economic level development of the country.

In the world, 1.3 million people, 50 million people die in one year as a result of road traffic accidents (RTAs). are injured and maimed. Economic damage from road accidents amounts to more than $500 billion.

IN Russian Federation Over the past 10 years, more than 300 thousand people have died in road accidents, which is equivalent to the population of an average regional center. Almost 1/3 of the dead are people of the most active working age.

Road traffic accidents cause damage to the Russian economy, which amounts to about 2.0% of the domestic gross product countries.

From the memoirs of P. S. Koryakin, commander of a platoon of ORUD in the early 30s in Moscow: “The regulators (regulators) looked impressive: in uniform, in a pith helmet, with a large red wooden baton attached to the belt on one side, and with a Moscow street directory hidden in a leather case, on the other.”

This is how the driver E. Ryzhikov recalled in his book “From a Taxi Cab” about the work of the ORD of that time. “Once I was driving along Pyatnitskaya, from the center to Serpukhovka. Suddenly, at Vishnyakovsky Lane, a traffic controller stops me and strictly demands my license. I submit my license.

The scale and nature of the country's road safety problem, social, economic and demographic consequences have a significant impact on national security countries, and the task of ensuring road safety actually represents an independent state problem. The streets of a big city during rush hours are filled with streams of cars and pedestrians, everyone is moving in different directions, with different speeds, purposes and motives for travel. But why don't they happen? terrible tragedies, everyone does not collide with each other, pedestrians do not end up under the wheels of vehicles? The fact is that road users comply with the norms of the Rules of the Road (hereinafter referred to as the Rules). The clauses of the Rules, requiring drivers to drive on the right, immediately remove many conflicts; other requirements, such as stopping at a red traffic light, giving way when there is an obstacle on the right, further detail and regulate the behavior of road users.

Protecting his life and health from the danger created by the car, a person was forced to protect himself by concluding the use of the car within the framework of the Rules that define the requirements for the driver and the technical condition of the vehicle. Rules are the basis for accident-free and efficient operation of vehicles.

In his famous book “The Mastery of Driving,” the French expert in the field of road safety Andre Bonn says this about the Rules: “You can... compare the Rules of the Road with a character who suffers from a complete misunderstanding of him on the part of almost everyone around him, because his face is so it is repulsive that his kind and reasonable qualities remain unknown.

For a car driver, the Rules of the Road are memories of vague and difficult questions that had to be answered during the driving test. This is the bible of the gendarme and the inspector, who want to understand absolutely nothing from such convincing explanations of the driver who committed violations... And, however, the Rules of the Road are the rules of the game that millions of citizens play every day, and in which you can lose your health, life or become an unwitting killer." It is difficult to better and more imaginatively characterize the Rules.

The existing Rules are a set of postulates and interrelated norms, honed over time. This is a leading legal document that, one way or another, affects the interests of almost the entire population of the country, establishes the order of traffic on the streets and roads, and regulates the relationship between road users. They are included in the general transport education of the population.

The Rules concentrate a huge amount of experience in human interaction with various vehicles, behavior in a given traffic situation, accumulated not only over the last 100 years, but also over the period of its entire existence. The rules contain the necessary number of safety standards, compliance with which is quite sufficient to ensure safe behavior driver, pedestrian or passenger.

What are the modern Rules?

Firstly, it is a legal act in the field of road traffic, which regulates the traffic order and the relationship between road users.

Secondly, the Rules are a “concentrated expression” of safe behavior on the road that have been developed by mankind. The rules determine the general flow of vehicles and pedestrians, preventing accidents that could lead to loss of life and property.

Thirdly, it is a document that defines a list of requirements for road users, vehicles and traffic control.

These are the many faces of the Rules today, which are just over 100 years old. The first automobile city traffic rules in Russia were adopted on September 21, 1898 in St. Petersburg and were called “On the procedure for passenger and freight traffic in the city of St. Petersburg by car.” In Moscow, the first Rules came into force on April 10, 1904. It was on this day that the Moscow City Duma adopted a resolution “On the procedure for the movement of mechanical carriages around the city.”

Part 1. Historical stages of development of the Rules of the Road

Chapter 1. The road is life (ancient times)

The need for movement, trade, and wars led to the emergence of the first roads already in ancient times. The road turned out to be the thread that led a person out of the labyrinth of darkness and, ultimately, changed him.

Even animals have their own paths and navigation systems. The primitive hunter also used trails to return back to his camp. Already in those distant times, people tried to mark the first roads with the help of notches in trees, broken branches, and laid stones.

The caravans walked through the desert, guided by heaps of stones piled up in places where the road changed its direction.

The need to move goods and people, in turn, prompted man to the idea of creating a wheel, a means that made it possible not to drag or carry a load, but to transport it with much less effort, making extensive use of cheap horse-drawn power. The wheel, born somewhere around 5 thousand years ago, was the first structural element of the first vehicles - carts.

The wheel has gone through a long evolution. On the first carts it was made from a whole disk with a diameter of 30-40 cm, then lighter wheels with spokes appeared. The evolution of the cart design also went through a number of stages: at the beginning there were carts with two large wheels, and later with 4 wheels and a turning front axle.

The oldest cart made of wood, made approximately 4 thousand years ago. years BC, found during excavations in the city of Mahenjano-Daro (Pakistan). On the territory of Ukraine, the remains of a cart with wheels dating back to 3 thousand. years BC, were found during excavations on the banks of the Dnieper, near Dnepropetrovsk in 1949 (Fig. 1). At first, bulls and donkeys were used as cartage, then the domestication of horses opened up a new draft force.

Rice. 1 – Using the wheel

The development of social relations and means of production led to the creation of large slave states. Roads and transportation were now necessary for constant and reliable communication links between distant parts of states in order to trade, collect taxes, and also in order to wage further wars of conquest. Pure trade routes also emerged, for example, the famous Silk Road to China and the tea route to India. Roads were a necessary attribute of the state government system.

The centralization of power led, along with the development of the road network, to the creation major cities, in which transport problems arose.

The greatest development of road transport communications in ancient times was associated with the Roman Republic, and then the empire. During this period, a road system was created. Roads are the most significant remains of the Romans. They can be compared with one of the 7 wonders of the world.

The need to streamline traffic on the streets appeared long before the internal combustion engine was invented. According to historical chronicles, Julius Caesar tried to restore order on the roads. In the 50s BC, he introduced one-way traffic on some streets of Rome, and also limited the passage of private carts, chariots and carriages during the daytime. Visitors to Rome had to leave their vehicles outside the city (much like in park-and-rides today) and travel on foot or hire a palanquin. At the same time, the first service of traffic controllers appeared, who were supposed to prevent conflicts on the roads. The main problems were related to crossing intersections, since movement along them was not regulated by rules, which is why conflicts arose.

In Russia in 1683, Peter I banned fast driving around the city, riding without drivers and on unbridled horses. He also took care of pedestrians - coachmen were forbidden to beat passers-by with whips. Later in the 1730s, Anna Ioannovna introduced punishment for reckless drivers - they were given a fine, flogged with rods, or simply executed. The decree of July 25, 1732 read: “...And if in future, in defiance of this Her Imperial Majesty decree, anyone dares to ride so briskly and uncontrollably and beat someone with whips and crush someone with sleighs and horses, then, due to the state of their guilt, they will be subject to severe punishment or the death penalty "

However, cars have brought more serious problems to traffic management. There were some curious points in the rules of the 19th century. For example, in Great Britain they passed a law according to which a person with a flag had to run in front of a self-propelled carriage and warn others about the danger. Photo flag: a car is a danger on the road, it was necessary to warn about it.

Flag. (pinterest.com)

The first traffic rules for cars were adopted in France in 1893. The regulation and regulation of “self-propelled carriages” began in Russia in 1896; in 1900, in St. Petersburg, the procedure for the movement of passenger and trucks around the city was approved; a number of points have been preserved to this day. In 1909, at a conference in Paris, an attempt was made to create uniform European traffic rules. Some road signs were identified that were not so different from modern ones, including “Railway crossing with barrier”, “Intersection of equivalent roads” and “Dangerous bend”. In 1931, at a conference in Geneva, 26 signs were already identified, which were divided into three groups: prescriptive, indicative and warning. There were no uniform traffic rules in the USSR until 1961. Thus, in the summer of 1920, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR approved the Decree “On automobile traffic in the city of Moscow and its environs.” The document stipulated the speed limit for traffic around the city and the registration of vehicles. Particular attention was paid to license plates.

It was pointed out that they could not be “self-written”, that there must be two of them - in front and behind. Drivers were required to have documents confirming the right to drive a car and an identity card - everything, as it is now. As for speed, passenger cars could travel around the city at a speed of 27 kilometers per hour, and trucks at 16 kilometers per hour. At the same time, parking rules were introduced - leaving a car on the street unattended was prohibited. However, this was of little concern to ordinary citizens of the USSR; in the 1920s they did not have cars. Another important milestone - in 1936, the State Automobile Inspectorate appeared in the USSR - the first specialized body for monitoring compliance with traffic rules. In the 1950s, the rulebook became thicker.

Overtaking. (pinterest.com)

There it is already recommended to drive the car so as not to interfere with others. Interestingly, there was also a requirement for the driver himself to “be neat, disciplined and monitor the condition of the car.” Another requirement for the driver is that you cannot drive drunk. However, driving at intersections still causes major problems. The roads are already divided into main and secondary, but there are no priority signs; they will appear only in 1979. In the city you can already drive at a speed of 50-70 kilometers per hour, but outside the city there are practically no restrictions. The driver must be guided by the condition of the road surface and other factors affecting traffic safety and choose the appropriate speed.

Speed mode. (pinterest.com)

Parking rules have become more complicated; now cars need to be parked as close to the sidewalk as possible, and cars must be parked in a row with others. There are lane rules at intersections; you can only turn right from the right lane, middle row drives straight, the left one turns left. Public transport has priority in traffic, and the concept of “interference on the right” is introduced. Uniform and updated rules throughout the country were introduced in 1961, after the USSR joined the international Convention on Road Traffic, adopted in Geneva in 1949. Gradually, the traffic rules also include requirements for cyclists and pedestrians. The latter are prohibited from crossing the street in a place not designated for this purpose.

Pedestrians. (pinterest.com)

New traffic rules were introduced in 1973. There is an interesting clause: it is prohibited to operate a car with curtains or blinds that limit visibility. This rule was very relevant several years ago, in the wake of the popularity of these curtains. After 1979, a requirement to wear seat belts was introduced, priority signs appeared at intersections, and entry into them was prohibited if there was a traffic jam there. The speed limit outside the city is 90 kilometers per hour. The latest version of the rules that appeared in the USSR dates back to 1987; these traffic rules are not so different from modern ones.

You might be surprised to see this headline and think, “Is it really that hard to cross the road?” Some pedestrians believe that you just need to run across the road very quickly and everything will be fine.

Others, on the contrary, wait patiently until there is not a single car on the road. But this happens so rarely that you can stand for several hours waiting for the moment when you can cross the road.

What to do? How to cross the street correctly?

You already know that you can cross the road using an overground or underground pedestrian crossing, as well as a green traffic light. But before you start crossing the road, determine whether the traffic on it is one-way or two-way. After all, the rules for crossing different roads differ from each other.

But first of all, you must know very wellgeneral rules :

Before crossing the road, stop at the edge of the sidewalk.
Look carefully to the left and to the right and find out whether it is a one-way or two-way road.
Before you start crossing the road, make sure that all vehicles are at a safe distance from you to cross.
Cross the roadway at a brisk pace, but do not run.
Cross the road at right angles to the sidewalk, not diagonally.

And the most important thing: Be careful all the time while you are crossing the road!

You already know that when crossing any road you must be very careful and follow the general rules. But, in addition to the general ones, there are also rules when crossing two-way roads.

How should you behave when crossing a two-way road?

It may seem to you that there are too many rules and it is difficult or even impossible to remember them. But it is much better to spend time learning the rules of crossing the road than to risk your health and life!

When crossing a one-way road, you need to behave a little differently than when crossing a two-way road. When approaching a one-way road, first of all, determine whether traffic is going along it - to the right or to the left.

Before you start crossing a one-way road, remember that you can only cross it immediately.It is impossible to stop in the middle of the road here!After all, on such a road cars travel across the entire width of the roadway. Therefore, we remind you once again: when crossing a one-way road, you will not be able to stop in the middle.

Now you understand that you can cross such roads only when you are absolutely sure that all vehicles are at a distance sufficient from you for safe crossing. Therefore, first of all, make sure that the transport is far from you, and remember the braking distance!

Don't forget to make sure that there are no cars driving in reverse near the pedestrian crossing. Start crossing the road quickly, but do not run. Walk at right angles to the sidewalk, not diagonally.

When crossing a one-way road, do not forget to watch the side where traffic is coming from.

In ancient times there were no private cars or public transport. There were not even horse-drawn carriages yet, and people walked from one settlement to another. But they needed to know where this or that road led. It was also important for them to know how much distance remained to go to the desired place. To convey this information, our ancestors placed stones on the roads, broke branches in a special way, and made notches on tree trunks.

And in ancient Rome , back in the time of Emperor Augustus, the first signs appeared that either demanded “Give way” or warned “This is a dangerous place.” In addition, the Romans began to place stone pillars along the most important roads. The distance from this pillar to the main square in Rome - the Roman Forum - was carved on them. We can say that these were the first road signs.

In Russia in the XVI century, under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, mileposts 4 meters high were erected on the road that led from Moscow to the royal estate of Kolomenskoye. This is where the expression “Kolomenskaya mile” comes from.

Under Peter I, a system of milestones appeared on all roads Russian Empire. The pillars began to be painted with black and white stripes. This way they were better visible at any time of the day. They indicated the distance from one settlement to another and the name of the area.

But a serious need for road signs arose with the advent of cars.

In 1900 year, at the congress of the International Tourism Union, it was agreed that all road signs should not have inscriptions, but symbols - understandable and foreign citizens, and illiterate people.

In 1903 The first road signs appeared on the streets of Paris. And after another 6 years International conference in Paris, they agreed to install road signs on the right side, in the direction of travel, 250 meters before the start of the dangerous section. The first four road signs were installed at the same time. They have survived to this day, although their appearance has changed. These signs have names:"Rough road", "Dangerous bend", "Intersection of equivalent roads" And "Railway crossing with barrier".

In 1909 In the same year, the first road signs officially appeared in Russia.

Subsequently, the number of signs, their shape and colors were determined.

There was a time when only riders on horses, chariots and horse-drawn carts rode on the streets and roads. They can be considered the first vehicles. They traveled without observing any rules, and therefore often collided with each other. After all, the city streets in those days were very narrow, and the roads were winding and bumpy. It became clear that it was necessary to streamline traffic on streets and roads, that is, to invent rules that would make traffic on them convenient and safe.

The first traffic rules appeared more than 2000 years ago, during the reign of Julius Caesar.

They helped regulate traffic on city streets. Some of these rules have survived to this day. For example, already in those ancient times, one-way traffic was allowed on many streets.

In Russia, road traffic was regulated by royal decrees. Thus, in the decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna of 1730 it was said: “Carriers and other people of all ranks should ride with horses in harness, with all fear and caution, at attention. And those who do not comply with these rules will be beaten with a whip and sent to hard labor.” And the decree of Empress Catherine II says: “On the streets, coachmen should never shout, whistle, ring or jingle.”

At the end of the XVIII century, the first “self-propelled carriages” appeared - cars. They drove very slowly and caused criticism and ridicule from many. For example, in England they introduced a rule according to which a person with a red flag or lantern had to walk in front of each car and warn oncoming carriages and riders. And the speed of movement should not exceed 3 km/h; In addition, drivers were prohibited from giving warning signals. These were the rules: don’t mix, don’t breathe and crawl like a turtle.

But, despite everything, there were more and more cars. And in 1893 The first rules for motorists appeared in France. First in different countries there were different rules. But it was very inconvenient.

Therefore in 1909 In 2008, at the International Conference in Paris, the Convention on Road Traffic was adopted, which established uniform rules for all countries. This Convention introduced the first road signs and established the responsibilities of drivers and pedestrians.

Do you know when the first traffic light we are familiar with appeared?

It turns out that traffic control using a mechanical device began 140 years ago, in London. The first traffic light stood in the city center on a pole 6 meters high. It was managed by a person specially assigned to him. Using a belt system, he raised and lowered the instrument needle. Then the arrow was replaced by a lantern powered by lamp gas. The lantern had green and red glasses, but yellow ones had not yet been invented.

The first electric traffic light appeared in the USA, in the city of Cleveland, in 1914. It also had only two signals - red and green - and was controlled manually. The yellow signal replaced the police warning whistle. But just 4 years later, three-color electric traffic lights with automatic control appeared in New York.

Interestingly, in the first traffic lights the green signal was at the top, but then they decided that it was better to place the red signal at the top. And now, in all countries of the world, traffic signals are located according to a single rule: at the top - red, yellow in the middle, green at the bottom.

In our country, the first traffic light appeared in 1929 in Moscow. It looked like a round clock with three sectors - red, yellow, green. And the adjuster manually turned the arrow, setting it to the desired color.

Then in Moscow and Leningrad (as St. Petersburg was then called) electric traffic lights with three sections of the modern type appeared. And in 1937, the first pedestrian traffic light appeared in Leningrad on Zhelyabova Street (now Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street).