What is the fine for installing xenon headlights? Xenon in Russia is a fashion statement or a functional device? How can xenon lamps be dangerous?

Xenon headlights are a very popular lighting device both among ordinary citizens and among fans of professional tuning. They are bright, powerful, last a long time and look great at the same time. Therefore, they are installed on anything - from sports cars to cars produced back in the Soviet time. In this case, both homemade xenon and professional xenon headlights are found.

However, from the point of view of the traffic police, xenon headlights are not just a stylish and powerful source of light, but a self-installed lighting device that is not provided for by the design and creates a danger for traffic. At the same time, the traffic police has every right to think so - self-installed xenon blinds oncoming road users and creates a lot of emergency situations.

In this regard, xenon is mostly prohibited in Russia. In this article we will look at the punishment for installing xenon yourself and the cases when such headlights can be installed without any fear.

Serves the owner significantly longer and requires replacement less often
Gives stronger and more intense illumination

Very blinding to other road users
In practice, they significantly impair the driver's visibility.

The last minus is worth noting separately. The fact is that a huge number of drivers simply install xenon lamps and continue to drive as before. This significantly reduces visibility, although it provides brighter illumination. Xenon is only good when it is equipped with all additional devices(regulators, washers) and correctly configured. Homemade xenon headlights do more harm than good.

An interesting fact is that the Code of Administrative Offenses does not provide for a monetary fine for xenon. Such a seemingly insignificant thing immediately results in deprivation of rights. However, the period is quite long - from six months to a year. However, it is provided specifically for self-installed xenon illuminators - this measure does not apply to factory xenon.

You can also receive a much more serious fine and subsequent deprivation of your license for red light xenon. This is a gross violation of traffic rules. Lighting in this case will not only completely fail to comply with GOST, but will also violate several other rules.

However, all of the above does not mean that xenon cannot be used in Russia at all. It is permitted if it is included in the basic equipment of the car or if the manufacturer provides for the possibility of installing xenon headlights in a specific car model.

Pay a fine online:

What should you do if you are stopped for using xenon headlights?

Xenon is an externally noticeable change in the design of the car. Therefore, any traffic police officer can stop a car with too bright headlights in 2017. However, not every motorist knows how to properly protect himself, even if he is right. In addition to the standard check of documents of a traffic police officer, you should do the following:

Pay close attention to how the traffic police inspector determines the presence of xenon. He cannot do this “by eye”. Just open the hood. And if he looks into the “insides” of your car, then such a check will already be considered an inspection of the vehicle. Require the inspector to call witnesses and videotape the process;
Follow the check itself carefully, check the correctness of the employee’s actions. Again, he cannot conduct an inspection without special devices and simply by looking under the hood. Demand that his every action be displayed;
Pay close attention to how the protocol is filled out. During its writing, the inspector must explain all your rights and the appeal procedure. At the same time, be sure to put a note stating that you do not agree with the fine if you really think that it was issued unfairly;
Remember that in 2017, an inspector cannot detain your car and send it to a impound lot - this is a violation of your rights as a driver and is generally illegal. They also cannot rent rooms from you.

In what cases is it possible to use xenon headlights?

There are few such cases, only two. They serve as those rare exceptions that are allowed by traffic rules. So, you can use xenon:

IN fog lights. In this case, the design of the fog lights itself plays an important role. It must comply with the design permitted by GOST in 2017. If there are deviations, then you will receive not only a fine for the use of lighting fixtures that do not meet the standards, but also for the use of xenon headlights.
In some cars, the factory equipment of which includes xenon headlights. This is due to the fact that the lighting fixtures in such cars are designed taking into account xenon color, which makes its use safe and compliant with GOST.

Let's sum it up

Xenon headlights are quite a useful device. But the desire to have headlights best quality must not pose a threat to other drivers. If you want to have xenon headlights, approach the issue wisely. If this is possible, then try to install a type of xenon that will not only comply with the standards, but also will not interfere with other drivers and pedestrians. It won't be cheap, but you will save yourself from the risk of losing your rights.

The theme of xenon in Russia is like the ghost of communism in Europe. No one saw him except Karl Marx, and it all ended rather sadly, if it ended at all. Unlike communism, xenon is visible to everyone. By and large, it doesn’t bother anyone. If the owner wants to install expensive headlight lamps, believing that xenon is better than halogen lamps, this is his personal business.

Legality of using xenon light

From a logical point of view, a ban on the use or a fine for xenon in the frame common sense doesn't fit. Until now, no one can understand why inspector Kulakov, standing on the Vyazniki-Vladimir highway, understands more about optical-physical characteristics luminous flux low beam than engineer Johansson, who devoted half his life to the development of this gas-discharge lamp. The engineer sincerely did not want to harm anyone, he simply improved the design of the headlight. It may simply be configured incorrectly, but it cannot work against traffic safety laws by default.

On the other hand, how can an inspector determine by eye that a car has a xenon lamp, even if it is prohibited a thousand times over? After all, he does not have the right to even touch the hood of someone else’s car with his finger without a court decision or an order from the prosecutor’s office. We propose to consider this issue in a little more detail, and we will return to gas-discharge lamps a little later.

Video about how they will punish for xenon

Vehicle inspection

This is exactly how and only this way you can find out whether a xenon lamp is installed in a car. But first, let’s look at an algorithm of actions that can get rid of problems altogether or put them off for a while. In response to the accusation that three times illegal xenon lamps are installed on the car, you can calmly answer that this is not so and ask to present an official ID, in accordance with paragraph 2.4 of the Road Traffic Rules.

The inspector can substantiate his accusations only after an examination or by pointing to the markings of the xenon lamp on its base. It is impossible to do this under the conditions of a highway or even a stationary post. Also, the inspector does not have the right to open the hood if the owner does not agree with the accusation. The headlights may well have a halogen lamp with a luminous flux spectrum very close to xenon.

If the inspector tries to open the hood without permission, this is already a direct execution of the guidelines to Article 27.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The article is called “Vehicle Inspection.” The search must be carried out after drawing up a protocol and in the presence of two witnesses. Personal hostility or suspicion based on insufficient knowledge of the optical properties of the light flux by the traffic police warrant officer is clearly not enough to satisfy the requirement to conduct an inspection of the vehicle. Basically, on this turning point usually there is a resolution.

The fact is that the inspector has no right to touch, feel, twist or fiddle with anything in the car. To do this, you need a court order or a decision from the prosecutor's office. If the inspector refuses to present these documents, his actions are regarded as an abuse of official authority. He can conduct searches from the outside of the car as much as he likes. But you can't do it with your hands. IN otherwise the owner has the right to file a complaint with the prosecutor's office with all the ensuing consequences.

If attempts to part as friends, in a way known only to drivers and traffic police inspectors, fail, the inspector may ask to show him the lamp for inspection voluntarily. To avoid this, you can find one and a half hundred reasons. If a traffic police officer has drawn up a protocol, then he cannot remove the lamp, since according to the inspection rules, it is carried out without any violation of the integrity of the car’s structure, and dismantling the lampshade or cap is already a violation. Until the inspector determines the type of lamp, he cannot take further action. This is clearly stated in Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

With all this, the employee must explain and explain the driver’s rights. This means that he must explain them himself, and not force him to read them from a sheet. At the driver’s request, the traffic police officer is also obliged to explain the procedure for appealing his actions, indicating the addresses and telephone numbers of the relevant authorities or a specific official. When filling out the protocol, you must not omit the column with the driver’s explanations - it is necessary to write that the detainee does not agree with the alleged violations and requires the help of a lawyer. As a result, both the driver and the inspector will remember this meeting for a long time, but the most important thing is that in this case no one has the right to remove license plates, take away licenses, or, moreover, confiscate the car and send it to a penalty area for driving with xenon.

When can xenon be used?

At the beginning of 2014, it was possible to legalize xenon lighting installed independently. It cost blood, but theoretically the issue of legalization was resolved. On February 24, 2014, an order came into effect that canceled the previous order, which allowed the legalization of some design changes, including those related to xenon. Until now, the situation has not changed, and since January 1, 2016, most of the changes made to the design of the car are prohibited for use on public roads.

There are only two exceptions in which the use of gas discharge lamps is permitted:

Xenon lamps can be used in PTFs when their design is designed to work with lamps of this type.
The machine is equipped with gas discharge lamps from birth. Standard xenon installed on the assembly line, thank God, is not prohibited. The lamp must be marked with the Latin letter D.

There is no fine for xenon in 2017. Provided. Judicially.

How to obtain permission to install xenon on a VAZ

For now, right now, not at all. But tomorrow everything may change, an amendment or cancellation of the order may be adopted or some other hitch that will return the situation to 2014, and then the installation of non-standard xenon on domestic cars will be possible. In order to make changes to the design of a domestic car, it is necessary:

obtain the appropriate permit from the traffic police;
find an organization that has a license for this type of operation;
make changes to the design of the car using the efforts of this organization.

By the way, fog lights are also additional equipment and you also need to take permission for them if non-standard xenon in the fog lights is not provided by the manufacturer.

If you can't, but really want to

From a legal point of view, the situation is extremely clear - non-standard xenon is prohibited on domestic cars. But there is an opportunity not to contact VAZ, but to buy a foreign car, which involves the installation of standard xenon. Then the mosquito won't hurt your nose. For example, an Audi A4 without standard xenon.

Buy foreign cars - they require the installation of standard xenon, which will help you avoid problems with the law

If you really want, you can buy a standard set, no matter which company, which includes new headlights adapted for gas-discharge light, lenses, lamps, ignition units and a control unit. The entire set will cost 50-55 thousand rubles, depending on the car model. And then no fines or deprivation of rights will threaten anyone. This solution also contradicts healthy logic, as well as the ban on xenon, but the ghost is wandering...

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Each of the car owners has their own driving experience: some have been turning the steering wheel for ten years, while others just recently received their license. When driving a vehicle in the dark, any driver wants to see more and further, since bright light allows him to orient himself on the roadway in a timely manner.

And to solve this problem, many car owners install xenon lamps. However, law enforcement officers can fine you for xenon.

That is why every interested driver should know how to install xenon so that traffic police officers do not deprive of their license.

The installation of xenon gas-discharge lamps was carried out back in 1992. Unlike halogen lighting devices, xenon was very advantageous in its greater light output and relatively low energy consumption.

Lamps of this kind are durable. And if we compare them with the same halogen ones, then the latter can last approximately 180-500 hours, while xenon will shine for 2800-3000 hours.

Xenon lamps emit light that is very similar in characteristics to daylight. It is for this reason that the driver can see the road much better at night.

The person driving the vehicle is not afraid of bad weather conditions, since the light emitted by xenon lamps passes through drops of fog or even pouring rain and perfectly illuminates the road.

Moreover, the driver does not need to squint and thereby damage his vision in order to see the road surface on which he is moving.

In addition, xenon lamps create a wider beam of light, allowing the car owner to see even those objects that are on the side of the road.

Installing xenon yourself

Absolutely any car owner can purchase xenon, or rather xenon light lamps, by going to the car market or to a specialized store. As a rule, xenon lamps are produced and assembled by Chinese manufacturers, so there is no shortage of this product.

Some car owners purchase such lighting devices in order to improve the efficiency of their headlights at night. And there are also car enthusiasts for whom xenon is just an item that gives their vehicle a more impressive look.

But, be that as it may, not everything is so simple. A vehicle equipped with such a light takes on a more rustic appearance, and on the roadway the owner of such a car is constantly sought to be stopped by State Traffic Inspectorate employees in order to punish for xenon either with an administrative fine or with the deprivation of a driver’s license. For what reason does this happen?

Everything is banal and simple. Every driver wants to install xenon. But in this case, the vehicle’s headlights must be equipped with washer nozzles, and in order to ensure the correct direction of the light beam, you should also acquire a special corrector.

As a rule, craftsmen who independently install xenon on cars are fined or even deprived of their driver’s license.

There is another interesting point. When installing xenon on your car, the vehicle headlights must be marked with special markings in the form of DCDR or DCR symbols.

If they are absent, then State Traffic Inspectorate employees can legally charge you a fine or deprive you of your rights (depending on some of the nuances of installing xenon lamps).

Most cars are equipped with headlights marked DC/HR, which indicates that the vehicle can be fitted with HID lamps and used only as a low beam source.

The negative side of xenon lamps

Why do traffic police inspectors fine or deprive drivers whose cars have brighter lamps? The fact is that xenon beams blind drivers who are moving towards this car.

Problematic situations also arise for vehicle owners who want to retrofit their car with xenon lamps, because this light source is quite difficult to adjust.

And besides, software, which every modern car is equipped with, does not perceive xenon lamps as a working element of the circuit and constantly generates an error message about a machine malfunction.

If your car's headlights are designed to use halogen bulbs, but you install xenon bulbs instead, you can expect the light coming out of them to flicker. Consequently, such lighting will only create additional strain on the eyes, and they will get tired very quickly.

Considering that xenon light practically blinds the driver ahead, it is also understandable that xenon becomes the cause of an emergency situation on the road surface.

That is why in the legislative framework of our country there is administrative responsibility, which allows employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate to punish offenders whose cars are equipped with an external light device prohibited for a given vehicle, with penalties in the form of an administrative penalty or the confiscation of a driver's license.

Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses

Since 2012, traffic police inspectors began to pay attention to what light source in the headlights of moving vehicles illuminates the roadway for car owners.

Types of lamps.

This behavior of law enforcement officers is due to the introduction of some changes to the Code of Administrative Offences.

In particular, Articles 12.4 and 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses began to indicate that only those lighting sources should be installed in cars that comply with the “Basic Rules for the Operation and Approval of a Vehicle” and also do not contradict the requirements of GOST.

These changes also affected xenon lamps. The Code of Administrative Offenses provides for the installation of xenon only if the vehicle manufacturer does not prohibit it.

As for penalties, for self-installation of xenon in fog lights, a car owner will have to pay at least 2.5 thousand rubles to the state budget and say goodbye to the lighting device.

There are also frequent cases when, for repeated violation of Articles 12.4 and 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the driver was simply deprived of his license for a period of 30 to 90 days with the confiscation of the light device, of course.

For retrofitting a vehicle that is on the company’s balance sheet with xenon lamps, the amount of penalties increases - 15-20 thousand rubles. And if we are talking about an individual entrepreneur, then the administrative penalty reaches half a million rubles.

The need for a ban

Why penalize equipping a vehicle with a more efficient light source? But there are many reasons to use punishment.

For those who were outraged by this innovation, it is worth saying that xenon lamps cannot always improve visibility on the road surface. Headlights on older cars are not able to create the required luminous flux.

In addition, owners of converted cars have to deal with a huge number of issues, including:

lack of concentration of the light beam over a long distance, which does not ensure the visibility of objects located in the distance;
poor quality of a xenon lamp of Chinese origin (and in our markets, to a large extent, only products from this manufacturer are present).

It was on the basis of such arguments, as well as the occurrence of road accidents due to blinding light flux, that the need arose to ban the installation of xenon lamps on those cars whose technical requirements do not provide for the installation of such equipment.

What are the innovations about?

Today, no penalties are provided for violation of Articles 12.4 and 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses; instead, a traffic police officer can immediately withdraw the right to drive a vehicle.

In connection with these innovations, owners of cars whose requirements prohibit the installation of xenon are increasingly giving preference to halogen lamps, since no driver wants to lose his driver’s license, which is confiscated for a period of six months to a year.

Legal ways to solve the problem

It turns out that it is possible to avoid punishment in the form of deprivation of rights and provide yourself with bright light accompaniment in the dark, but this procedure is not affordable for many car owners.

Thus, a xenon headlight with the symbol “D” characteristic of this light accompaniment is legally installed. Moreover, today there are many cars for which it is impossible to find a standard xenon headlight.

There is a slightly cheaper option. Tuning headlights are installed, equipped with lens modules into which xenons are inserted, the glow temperature of which does not exceed 4300 K.

Thanks to this solution, the required power is retained, and the light output is identical to halogen lamps, so it is not possible to find differences behind the lens, whether it is xenon or not.

There is another legal way to enhance the light accompaniment. You can simply polish the surface of the glass; the same effect can be achieved when replacing old headlights with new ones, since plastic loses its light transmittance over time due to external irritating factors.

Employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate do not make any claims to xenon lamps, which were installed legally and meet all the requirements for permitting a vehicle to drive on the road.

How to use xenon in foglights

Fog lights are lighting devices that motorists use to provide additional illumination of the road.

They may only be used in poor visibility conditions or in bad weather.

Installation of xenon rather than halogen lamps in fog lights (PTF) is currently very popular. The problem is that many motorists do not follow the installation rules. The lighting system must have a device that regulates the size of the light beam.

Installing xenon in PTF is a controversial issue. Let's understand the legality of installing xenon headlights, situations when use is justified, and when it is unnecessary and harmful.

When installing xenon in PTF, it is important to decide for what purpose we are doing this:

Improving road lighting in poor visibility. In this case, the installation is done based on strict rules.
If the goal is to impress your friends or oncoming cars, to show off your eyes, then it is much better and safer to use daytime running lights.

It will not be possible to combine 2 goals at once due to the principles of xenon operation and traffic rules. Thoughtless installation of xenon lamps in PTF will lead to many problems:

The light from the lamps will blind oncoming and passing cars (when you look into the rearview mirror when overtaking). Xenon light spreads in all directions.
Possible loss of control of an oncoming vehicle. And this is fraught with an accident in which you may also find yourself.
Deterioration of headlight visibility due to the properties of xenon.
Fines for the use of xenon in PTF.

If you install xenon in PTF, it is better to do it in licensed headlights or special reflector devices. These headlights prevent drivers from being dazzled. Another solution is special xenon lamps for fog lights.

The installation of xenon in PTF, as well as the installation of various light sources (halogen lamps, incandescent lamps) in headlights, is carried out in accordance with GOSTs of the Russian Federation and UNECE Rules.

These documents assign the headlights a specific type (for example, DCR).

The headlight type approval mark is depicted in the shape of a circle with the letter “E” inscribed in it. Next comes the number of the country where the approval took place, and the number of the approval itself. Xenon light sources are marked with the initial letter “D” and their installation is prescribed in UNECE Regulation No. 99 and GOST R 41.99-99 on requirements for the installation of gas discharge lamps in motor vehicles (types DC, DR and DCR).

The use of xenon in headlights and PTFs not intended for it is defined as a discrepancy between the operating mode of the lighting device and the vehicle performance requirements. Responsibility for violating the conditions for using xenon lamps arises on the basis of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (CAO).

But such liability is possible if installation rules are violated. For example, if you installed xenon in headlights designed for halogen.

If PTF and other xenon headlights were produced with the car at the factory, the traffic police inspector cannot hold you accountable for their use.

Xenon is installed exclusively in headlights designed to use gas-discharge light sources.

Such headlights are marked DCR - bi-xenon in one lamp (low and high beam) and DC\DR – xenon in different lamps ah (high and low beam).

HC\HR and HCR – markings for headlights with a halogen source.
The DC\HR marking allows the use of xenon for low beam, and only halogen for high beam.
C\R or CR – only incandescent lamps are allowed.

Low beam headlights with xenon beam can only be operated with headlight cleaners and automatic headlamp angle adjustment devices.

Installation of xenon in PTF is possible only when their type provides for the use of gas-discharge (xenon) light or fog lights with xenon are assembled at the factory and are marked accordingly. There are no other exceptions!

What is the fine for xenon in 2017

What is the fine for xenon in fog lights?

The use of xenon in fog lights is regulated on the basis of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and the “List of faults and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited.”

Methods for checking vehicles are given in GOST R 51709-2001.

There is no penalty for xenon as such! Problems with installing xenon lamps in external lighting devices are described in Part 3 of Art. 12.5 Code of Administrative Offences. And the punishment for such an action is strict - deprivation of rights for a period of 6 months to 1 year.

If it turns out that xenon cannot be installed in the PTF for the reasons described above, then the car is confiscated, the license plates are removed and it is sent to the parking lot. This cannot be done in the dark or in bad weather.

The decision to initiate a case for an administrative offense is sent to the magistrate's court, and only it can make a decision on deprivation of rights.

Xenon lovers should not be upset. Part 3 Art. 12.5 is too loosely interpreted, so a good lawyer can easily prove your innocence. Why?

The rules state that in order to be able to operate a vehicle, its integrity must be maintained. That is, you cannot change lighting fixtures or replace them with others.
When installing xenon, the integrity of the headlights is not formally compromised, nor is the location of the lamps or operating mode.

Pay a fine online:

Actions to install xenon, if properly presented in court, are often reclassified as part 1 of Art. 12.5, and is replaced by a fine of 500 rubles. As a result, depriving someone of a license for xenon is a very difficult matter. More often, under unfavorable circumstances, you can only count on a small fine for xenon.

The actions of traffic police inspectors are regulated by relevant laws.

And you should know them in order to be able to communicate if you are accused of illegally installing PTFs in foglights.

The inspector claims that he can detect a violation in the xenon installation by eye? Don't be alarmed. The only proof (with a protocol) is the markings on the headlight and lamp base.
The inspector cannot violate the integrity of parts of the car that are under warranty. This is done at a dealership or certified workshops.
If you are asked to remove the lamp from the headlights yourself to check it, feel free to say that you do not know how to do this. A traffic police officer cannot disassemble your car.
If xenon is installed illegally, do not get lost. The inspector is obliged to draw up a protocol and issue a ruling on the violation.
Enter objections into the protocol. They will be used in court.
Record your car inspection on video or photo. This helps to identify irregularities in procedure during legal proceedings.

Bottom line: entrust the installation of xenon in the PTF only to certified specialists. Most likely, you yourself will not be able to adjust the headlights correctly. And this leads to a fine and deprivation of rights. Know how to defend your rights before traffic police officers. And if it comes to deprivation of rights, hire a good lawyer.

1. First of all, let's decide whether you have standard xenon or not. If your car is a Zhiguli, then in principle you can immediately move on to the next point. Xenon headlights were not available for Lada cars. Never. And I haven’t seen factory-made “tuning” options. If you have a foreign car, then go to your headlight and begin to carefully study it. On new cars, xenon is required to be produced with a headlight washer (xenon lamps greatly lose efficiency due to dirty glass) and an automatic corrector. It's automatic, not electric. The corrector must itself adjust the height of the light depending on the vehicle load. You can check for its presence by rocking the car or see how the car behaves when starting. Please note Special attention, that the currently valid GOST R 51709-2001 was amended on June 23, 2009, namely, the requirement for an automatic corrector was excluded (clause 4.3.2.2.) This means that they do not have the right to require it. But if it is there, then this is an indicator that xenon is definitely installed by the manufacturer. If we have not found an automatic headlight leveler and headlight washer on our car, then perhaps the xenon was not supplied by the manufacturer, but this does not mean that it does not meet the requirements. First of all, you need to check the matching of the headlight and lamp. In other words, if you have a xenon lamp, then the headlight must match. Markings on headlights are made according to international standards, so we will look for this very marking. By the way, I think since you are reading these instructions, you have a xenon headlight, so we will look for the markings specifically for xenon. To begin with, we take a very close look at the headlight glass itself. The marking can be anywhere and not immediately noticeable. If we don’t find it on the glass, then open the hood and look on the headlight housing. There must be a marking somewhere. If the headlight is fully marked, then it should also have the letter E in a circle next to the type of headlight. We're looking for something with a D in it. It could be DC or DCR, but it could also be something else. For example D2R or D2S. The first letter D means that it is a xenon lamp, and the rest are its type. Well, for example, DC is only low beam, and DCR is both low and high beam. But this is no longer important, because the main thing is that the headlight is designed for a xenon lamp and there should be no complaints from the traffic police. But since the inspector may not have read our instructions and may not know how to correctly distinguish the lamps, it is better to read the instructions completely.
If we find the HRC or any other marking with the letter H on the lamp, this means that the headlight is intended for halogen lamp and it is prohibited to install xenon in this headlight. Markings are also possible simply C, R and CR - for ordinary incandescent lamps, but I have not seen such ones. Apparently these are very old cars.
Separately, I would like to say about those headlights that have several different markings. This is one of two options. Or (and this is allowed by international standards) all types of headlights from the manufacturer are marked on the headlight, and a specific type will already be in the form of a sticker on the headlight. Or the headlight actually allows the installation of different lamps (although science people from the traffic police claim that this is not possible), the lamps are simply installed by the manufacturer with different “fillings” (reflectors, lenses, etc.). In both of these cases, in my opinion, it is not possible to reliably prove the driver’s guilt and Article 1.5 should apply. about irremovable doubts about his guilt.
If we are convinced that our lamp does not meet the requirements, then move on to the next point in the instructions.

2. If you have headlights for ordinary lamps, and you stuffed xenon lamps inside (or not you, but the previous owner of the car), then in this case I strongly recommend putting your car in order (putting back those lamps that should be on the car ). Even if you are a genius at hiding from traffic police inspectors and cleverly tricking them into thinking, I think when passing the GTO you will still have to change the lamps, because increased control is inevitable. And it’s simply not worth the risk, because according to the traffic police, the punishment should be deprivation of the right to drive a car for a period of six months to a year. But judicial practice is different. (there are already cases of deprivation, but there are also vice versa - they will re-qualify a fine of 100 rubles under the first part of the same article). If for some reason you did not listen to my advice and did not put the headlights in order, then read the instructions further. But then, as they say, don’t say that I didn’t warn you about the possible consequences.

3. If an inspector stops you, then he needs to somehow “detect” a xenon lamp, and ordinary ones can be increased brightness and shine and dazzle in a way that not every xenon can. In order to detect it, you need to conduct an inspection, and if the driver refuses and the markings are not visible from the outside, then you need to conduct an inspection. The search is carried out with the drawing up of a protocol and in the presence of two witnesses. The main point I'm trying to convey to you now is that the inspector has ways to legally look under your hood, even if you don't want it. And there is no need to interfere with this, so as not to be accused of failure to comply with a lawful request of a police officer. It’s true that you don’t have any obligation to know how to open the hood. You may not know how this is done. The main thing is that you do not interfere with the inspector in any way.

4. Let’s say the inspector nevertheless discovered that you have the letter H on your headlight and the letter D on your lamp. After this, a violation report is drawn up. I think it would not be amiss to repeat that I consider this a violation of Part 1. Article 12.5. (a fine of 100 rubles), but the traffic police considers this a violation of the operating regime, which already entails punishment in the form of deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of six months to a year under Part 3 of Article 12.5. It is difficult to predict exactly what the court will decide, because practice varies. Next we consider the case when you are accused precisely under the 3rd part of Article 12.5. After all, I think you can cope with paying a fine of 100 rubles even without a memo. True, one cannot rely on such “kindness” from the inspector. I don’t think there’s any need to explain, but just in case, I’ll clarify anyway - you can, of course, admit to a violation, but if you agree with the violation, then why didn’t you listen to me at step 2 of the instructions and change the lamps? So we write in the explanations that “I do not agree with the violation. The color and operating mode of the lighting devices comply with the requirements of current legislation.”

5. The inspector needs to receive light bulbs as evidence, and in order to receive them, they also have “weapons” - measures to ensure proceedings in cases of administrative offenses. To begin with, do not forget that the article is “deprived” and under it the driver’s license is confiscated, in return they are issued a temporary permit. The second security measure that the inspector can apply is a “prohibition of operation” - Article 27.13. Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. In common parlance this is “removing numbers”. The car's license plates will be removed until the reason for the detention is eliminated (in other words, until the light bulbs are removed). With removed license plates, you can only move for a day, so the rest of the time before the trial, the driver will have to be a pedestrian. By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the driver later manages to prove his case in court, and then a lawsuit will follow to recover damages from the illegal actions of the inspector. Well, the driver will most likely have to make a difficult decision. Either help the inspector get proof (give him the light bulbs yourself) or be left without numbers. A very interesting point - I was able to look at different sets of xenon lamps in different stores. So on the Chinese and cheap ones (which are usually installed by Lada owners and against which the main “war” began) I did not see any markings indicating what type of lamp it is. Apparently the Chinese simply don’t care about all the international requirements and don’t want to label the lamps. How in this case they will prove in court that the lamp is xenon, I don’t know. In such cases, an examination must be carried out, but the costs are then borne by the state, and it is customary to save public money. So I don’t know how they will prove that it is xenon. And all the doubts (Administrative Code Art. 1.5.) are in favor of the driver.

6. So we gradually reached the point where the inspector somehow has to pick up the light bulbs. And for this he must arrest things - in in this case light bulbs. This is done on the basis of Article 27.14. Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. I recommend reading this text yourself to gain additional knowledge. By the way, if the inspector cannot seize the light bulbs, then he can also seize the car. I asked the traffic police how they were going to do this and where they planned to store the cars. They want to leave the cars to the owners for safekeeping. It would seem that it would be forbidden to put it anywhere and it would be necessary to monitor its safety. True, the procedure is so unclear and unclear, I don’t see any difficulties in selling the car or doing anything else with it. Well, the “lever” for influencing the driver is not bad - you can scare him with the fact that the car will be taken away. And many will be scared.

7. Then the case goes to court and here you have to prove to the judge that you are not a violator. And what is the responsibility under Part 3. Article 12.5. you shouldn't have it. If you are sure that your lamps are installed without violations, and the traffic police are simply mistaken (for example, on the headlight you have a marking in the form of the letter D, but the inspector did not listen to your arguments, being mistaken or deliberately ignoring the requirements of the law), then you need to take care of evidence of your innocence, so as not to “get caught.” When drawing up protocols and inspecting a car, seizing light bulbs, record everything on a photo or video camera (at least in mobile phone). Draw the attention of witnesses and witnesses to the markings of lamps and headlights. They can then testify in court. The judge is unlikely to go to your garage to look at the headlights, and it will be difficult to convince you that he didn’t “change everything before the trial.” So record the evidence right away. Then it may be too late. If there is no marking on the light bulb or the marking is, for example, not a xenon lamp, then record this in the same way. I would like to believe in the honesty of the inspectors, but suddenly they replace the lamps and it’s not yours who come to court.

8. In any case, you can try in court to refer to the currently valid GOST R 51709-2001, which describes the operating modes of lighting devices as “low beam” and “high beam”. Changing the lamp to a xenon one did not change the operating mode. You can try to refer to the decision of the Supreme Court of Tatarstan (namely, where the “xenon war” first began) 4a-833m dated July 20, 2009. http://kzpa.ru/?page=photo®ion=1&album=7 Of course, we do not have case law, but the judge will be pleased to know that such judicial practice already exists. You can also try to refer to the fact that the operating mode of the headlights is “continuous”. This, of course, is not confirmed so beautifully by GOST, but in essence it is correct. The punishment was initially introduced specifically for fans of stroboscopes in standard lamps. Good luck to you in court.

9. Separately, I would like to warn legal entities about the “danger”:
Those who install such lamps, whose operating mode does not correspond, may also have problems - a fine of up to 500,000 rubles. (up to half a million) for legal entities.
Also, if I were the management of taxi and vehicle fleets, I would be very concerned about additional control of my cars for possible modifications, because if you provide services to the public and the services do not meet safety requirements, then there may even be criminal liability.

10. Well, in conclusion. Despite the fact that I wrote a memo and in every possible way defend those motorists who, in my opinion, do not quite legally want to be deprived of their driver’s licenses, I join the request of a huge army of motorists who are blinded by the headlights of oncoming cars. Dear motorists, think not only about yourself, but also about the oncoming cars that you blind. Bring your machines into compliance with legal requirements. If you manage to avoid administrative punishment for xenon, then think about the fact that the oncoming car you blinded may also drive into you. Good luck on the roads!