Drivers who drive and get stuck on a road closed (temporarily) to public traffic due to snowfall, or those who cause accidents due to the lack of winter tires or chains, will be required to bear the costs of the CNAIR road administrator, as well as the intervention costs. fines from 2,000 to 6,000 lei, according to a decree adopted by the government on Thursday.

Why the Government introduced new sanctions: Reimbursement of CNAIR’s intervention costs

On Thursday, the executive power adopted changes to the government order no. 43/1997 on the road regime, some measures aimed at increasing the awareness of users that they do not drive on closed or prohibited roads without having the legal right to drive that road, except at the risk of material consequences.

SEE THE SHOW PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN HERE

The explanatory note also provides some examples, namely:

• “examples: a car that is driving and stuck on a road closed (temporarily) to public traffic due to snowfall, blizzard, etc., or a vehicle with excessive weight and/or dimensions that moves on a road with weight or dimensions restrictions without permission and cause an accident.
• Therefore, if this user creates a traffic incident or gets stuck, he must bear the consequences of his action by paying the costs of the road administrator’s intervention team, which may be delayed due to involvement in other traffic incidents.
• It should be noted that this proposal is not specifically aimed at charging users, but rather at discouraging users who create these events.
• At the same time, by reimbursing intervention costs, the aim is to reduce costs that are not reflected in the main maintenance and repair activities or in the management and operation of roads of national importance, and which are carried out in situations of -compliance or violation by users legal provisions regarding traffic on public roads.”, shown in the explanatory note.

Fines from 2,000 to 6,000 lei

The decree adopted by the government shows that guilty drivers or RCA or CASCO insurers will bear both the cost of repairs and damages caused in such cases, as well as fines of 2,000 to 6,000 lei.

More precisely, the new paragraph was introduced after paragraph (6) of Article 45 of Government Resolution no. 43/1997, which provides for the following:

“In the case of traffic on road sections limited by mass or dimensions or temporarily closed to public traffic, vehicles that do not have the right to drive them, which led to traffic accidents or the impossibility of continuing the trip, if the intervention of the road administrator is necessary to eliminate the consequences of accidents or the removal of vehicles from these sections of the road, road administrator:

• a) will be notified by the traffic police or the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations that intervened on the scene of the damage caused, recorded in the statement of findings, if possible, and/or the insurance company that issues the RCA insurance policy or CASCO Insurance that issues the claim ;
• b) prepares and submits to the violator and/or the insurance company, as the case may be, within a maximum of 30 days from the date of the notification provided for in letter a) an estimate of the cost of repairs and/or damages, and the violator/insurance company, as the case may be, shall it must be paid within 15 days from the date of receipt of the report;
• c) draw up and submit to the offender and/or the insurance company, as the case may be, within a maximum of 30 days from the date of the notice specified in letter a), an estimate indicating the cost of the intervention, the offender/insurance company, as the case may be, is obliged to pay it within 15 days from the date of receipt of the report”.

The law states that the same provisions “apply if the accident occurred as a result of failure to fulfill the obligation to equip vehicles with winter tires, chains or other permitted anti-skid equipment on road sections where they are mandatory.”

In addition, new offenses will be punishable by fines from 2,000 to 6,000 lei.