The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic - how it originated and what regulates

From the moment of distribution of cars each country began to establish own rules of traffic. Such an abundance of different rules made it very difficult to carry out freight and passenger road transport. Therefore, the European countries decided to standardize the order of locating on the road all over the world and to bring the national road rules to a common denominator. The result of this painstaking work was the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, thanks to which the general rules of the road became uniform and binding.

What is the Vienna Convention?

This international treaty was concluded in 1968. The main goal of this agreement was to take the measures necessary to improve traffic safety in all countries of the world. The treaty itself was presented at a UNESCO conference held in autumn 1968 in Vienna. It also adopted the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which standardizes the use of road signs, markings and other signs that would facilitate the movement of roads in various countries. In 1971, in Geneva, final amendments were made to this treaty, according to which, each state recognizes the driver's license issued in the territory of another country to foreign citizens, without mandatory confirmation of these rights by the national authorities. Thanks to the convention, any traveler can freely cross the borders of member countries without worrying about whether or not the driver's license is valid.

Vienna Convention and Driving License

States that have ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, 1968, recognize Russian driving license without having to retake the exam and obtain an international uniform certificate. In 2006, the form of the internal driving license was changed according to international standards. The countries of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic have pledged to bring their internal certificates to an international uniform format for five years. In Russia, certificates of a new pattern have been in force since March 2011. Old driver's licenses are still valid, but for traveling abroad they should be replaced with documents of international standard.

How does the procedure for the adoption of the Convention

In total, according to the organization of the United Nations, 82 states joined the convention. Later it was signed by 38 more states. Eight new countries joined the common rules of the road after the collapse of previous states. But for the entry into the convention one signature under the contract is not enough. It is necessary that the parliament of each state approve (ratify) this document. Only after that the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic will become mandatory for implementation in the territory of the country. A country that has signed the convention but has not ratified it has the right not to recognize foreign driving permits on the territory of its own state.

Do Russia's rights abroad

In Internet publications, you can find information that the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic obliges all member states to recognize the driver's license issued by these states. This statement is not entirely correct. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, 1968, recommends that all rights of participating countries be brought to the same international standard. Thus, the mandatory requisite for international rights is the certification of the driver for the approved category (A, B, C, etc.) and the Latin transliteration of the driver's name.

Can foreigners use their rights in Russia

According to the Resolution of 1999, all foreign citizens who are temporarily on the territory of our state can drive vehicles with the rights to drive an international model. But such persons do not have the right to take part in economic transactions or to work for hire with the involvement of vehicles. In other words, you can move around by car only for personal or tourist purposes. Work on a car with foreign rights is prohibited. In order to carry out economic activities, you must confirm your ability to drive a vehicle by passing the qualification exam.

If a Russian citizen has the right to drive in another state, he has no right to operate the car on the territory of our country. According to the Vienna agreements, member countries are not obliged to recognize foreign rights granted to their own citizens. Therefore, Russian citizens should repeatedly take the qualification test for driving in order to obtain the rights of the Russian model.

The value of the

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic significantly simplified the process of crossing borders. Now the goods could be delivered by one machine in the specified direction - so the cost of logistics services for end-users became much lower. Significantly simplified and the rules of the road - unified road signs, road markings, traffic regulators - now these parameters have become common for all participating countries. As a result, the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic has become another factor in the integration of national economies into a single world system.