In recent days, the media have actively disseminated information that in accordance with the amendments to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles”, allegedly adopted in 2020, any changes in their design must be approved by the State Traffic Inspectorate with mandatory certification in specialized laboratories.

So, the authors of the publications state that for the installation of so-called non-standard equipment, in particular towbars, external lighting devices, as well as additional trunks, including those on the roof of cars, vehicle owners will be held administratively liable.

The State Traffic Safety Inspectorate informs that the information presented in the media is not true. Thus, the latest amendments to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” were introduced in 2018, and the procedures for making changes to the vehicle design were not affected.

According to the current provisions of the Technical Regulations, if the trunk is certified and the design of the vehicle assumes its use, then no approval from the State Traffic Inspectorate is required.

If the design of the car does not provide for special places for installing the trunk, then the possibility of such an installation can be assessed as part of the procedure for making changes in the design of the vehicle.

Similar requirements apply to towing devices (towbars). The list of additional external lighting devices installed on the vehicle and the requirements for them are strictly defined by the provisions of the Technical Regulations.

It should be noted that if the installation of, for example, fog lamps is not provided by the manufacturer of a particular vehicle, then the procedure for making changes to the design is mandatory.

Installation of improvised structures on the roof of a car that do not meet safety requirements is a change in the design of the vehicle and entails administrative liability.

In connection with the above, the State Traffic Inspectorate calls on citizens to be skeptical about such fake information “stuffing”. It is strongly recommended that media staff and representatives of the blogosphere verify the data obtained from unofficial sources, and do not allow the dissemination of inaccurate and incorrect information that misleads the audience. When preparing materials about the activities of the police, one should use the information posted on the official Internet resources of the MIA.