In Ukraine the legislation requires all drivers to have a first aid kid in the vehicle. If you were to drive to Ukraine, could you be fined for not having one in your car?
Yes, Ukrainians are being fined for not having a first aid kit in the car
Although there is no penalty under the law for not having a first aid kit in the automobile, the police officers often give tickets to drivers who fail to comply with this important safety measure.
As reported by “the road lawyer” on a Facebook page, a trip without a first-aid box in a passenger car should be qualified according to Article 125 Administrative Offences Code of Ukraine, which would only get the driver a warning.
However, in the absence of the kit, police officers typically accuse the driver of violation of the requirements of the paragraph 31.4.7 “є” of traffic rules. They are guided by Part 1 of Article 121 of the Ukrainian Code of Administrative Offences which establishes responsibility for driving a car with a technical malfunction, which is prohibited. It is subject to a fine of 340 hryvnia (about USD 13).
Such qualification of the offence is incorrect, as not having a medical kit in the vehicle doesn’t create a hazard for others on the road, so cannot be viewed as a technical malfunction, Ukrainian lawyers insist.
Commercial vehicles get larger fines for the same offence
A different set of rules works for commercial carriers of passengers, where the same offence would rightfully attract a fine of 680 hryvnia ($26).
Moreover, if the driver commits another violation of the Article 121 within a year (various faults of the car, re-equipment violation, lack of technical checkups, etc.), then he would risk disqualification for 3-6 months.
Lesson: Have a first aid kit in the car in Ukraine if you intend to drive there to visit your Ukrainian sweetheart! Moreover, your kit should match the type of the vehicle you drive.
The fines, however, aren’t too prohibitive. In any case, it’s good to know about it!
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