Cheap violations costing 340 UAH cost lives: how traffic fines became an ineffective control mechanism on the roads

In Ukraine, responsibility for traffic violations is regulated by the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of Ukraine. However, the current response model increasingly demonstrates its ineffectiveness in cases of systematic violations.

According to the Patrol Police of Ukraine, in 2025, 25,934 road traffic accidents with casualties were registered across the country, resulting in 3,249 deaths and 31,898 injuries.

Among the key factors that led to accidents with casualties were:

• exceeding safe and established speed limits — 40.8% of all accidents with severe consequences;
• violations of rules when crossing uncontrolled pedestrian crossings;
• violations of rules when changing direction;
• failure to maintain a safe distance;
• violations of rules when crossing uncontrolled intersections.

Administrative responsibility does not equal effectiveness

Since the beginning of 2026, over 20,000 rulings under Article 122 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (violations of traffic rules, including speeding and other traffic-related violations) have been recorded in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions. At the same time, about 2,500 proceedings were closed due to the expiration of the terms for bringing to responsibility as provided by Article 38 of the Code. More than 6,000 cases were closed due to the absence of an administrative offense. Additionally, some materials, including over 3,000 cases, were consolidated into a single proceeding. Some materials were also returned by courts for revision and correction of deficiencies in protocols and rulings.

This practice indicates that a significant portion of cases undergo additional procedural stages — from returning materials to reprocessing. As a result, this often affects the review timelines and may lead to the loss of the opportunity to hold a person accountable due to expiration of terms.

At the same time, fines for traffic violations in Ukraine are established by the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses and vary depending on the type and severity of the violation.

Overall, administrative sanctions for traffic violations range from 340 UAH to 51,000 UAH.

Minimum fines are applied for basic violations, including the technical condition of the vehicle or certain minor traffic rule violations. In contrast, maximum sanctions are provided, among others, for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and repeated offenses, which may be accompanied by additional restrictions, including deprivation of the right to drive vehicles.

The Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses provides administrative responsibility as a preventive tool aimed at preventing more serious consequences. However, in practice, fines of 340 UAH for certain traffic violations may not have a sufficient deterrent effect.

Moreover, criminal liability is provided for traffic violations that caused the death of people — up to 10 years of imprisonment.

Recall, as reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", in Kyiv, a Mercedes driver was moving at high speed, lost control, and drove into a pedestrian zone in an underground passage. As a result of the accident, four people died on the spot, and three others were injured. The driver's actions were qualified under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is also known that the driver had been held administratively liable 39 times for traffic violations according to the Patrol Police.

Specifically, in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions (USRCD) regarding Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of traffic safety rules causing an accident), thousands of court decisions of various instances, including guilty verdicts, are recorded in 2026.

In view of this, the current legislation requires significant updating to increase fines for traffic violations.

Recall, the Government is working on a package of decisions aimed at reducing road accidents. It is planned to strengthen responsibility for systematic traffic violations, including exceeding established speed limits, introduce stricter sanctions for drivers who regularly ignore them, and improve both automatic and non-automatic violation recording systems.

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