Sanctions, Old Cars, and a Surge in Road Deaths: Russia's Looming Crisis

2023 has clearly shown that road safety in Russia is purely theoretical. Experts say it’s a matter of sanctions. However, the worst months are yet to come.

According to data from the Russian "traffic police", 2023 is one of the worst accidents. There were 132,500 incidents on Russian roads, resulting in 14,508 fatalities (in 2022, respectively: 126,700 accidents and 14,172 victims) – reports the service polon.pl.

The Russian service Kommiersant claims that the reason for these tragic results is sanctions. Freight traffic has been redirected from the west to the east, where road infrastructure is significantly worse. Moreover, Russians are vacationing within the country, thus using their means of transport. Finally, there has been an increase in the number of cars imported from Japan, where left-hand traffic is in place, and the steering wheels are on the right side.

Indeed, during the first quarter of 2024, the results slightly improved—there was a 2.2 percent decrease in fatalities. However, Peter Szkumatow, a safety expert, states that decreases are within the margin of error, and the downward trend may disappear in the coming months. The highest number of accidents in Russia is recorded from summer to winter.

The technical condition of vehicles is also significant: nearly 70 percent of vehicles in Russia are over 10 years old. Interestingly, in February and March, the most commonly chosen used vehicle in the east was the Lada 2107, which was purchased in 11,500 units. The second in line was the Lada 2114 (Samara), with 10,800 sold units.