The Rosstandart Appeals Commission decided to cancel the GOST, which entered into force on May 1, 2019, which allows the installation of reduced and other non-standard road signs, as well as a pointer allowing a right turn to turn on a red light. This was announced on Wednesday, February 24, by the Kommersant newspaper, with reference to the commission’s protocol.
We are talking about GOST 58398-2019 “Experimental technical means of traffic management”. The decision was made on the complaint of the Scientific Center for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in which they believe that GOST is contrary to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals of 1968, which does not provide for a right turn at a red light and other documents. In particular, the canceled GOST contradicts and duplicates the current GOST 52289 and 52290, in which it was already possible to install experimental signs.
Small signs were installed in Moscow in accordance with GOST 52289, the city’s TsODD told the publication, so they will remain in place. The city committee for the development of transport infrastructure of St. Petersburg also stated that the method of installing the signs corresponds to GOST 52289 and the replacement of signs will not be required.
After the cancellation of the document, the right to use experimental signs will remain, but only with the permission of the State Traffic Inspectorate.
Previously, city authorities, in accordance with GOST, could install reduced road signs (500×500 and 400×400 mm) on the “low-speed road network” in the central part of cities and in the area of historical buildings.
The introduction of smaller signage with new designs has been discussed since 2015. First, a preliminary standard was adopted and tested in practice in Moscow.
The experiment was recognized as successful and the standard was transferred to the status of a national one, with no expiration date.
Doubts about the advisability of entering smaller signs were expressed in the traffic police. The department feared that such signs lead to an increase in accidents on the roads.