Violations of the rules for transporting children under 12 currently carry a fine of 5,000 drams with no penalty points. A new draft proposes raising the fine to 10,000 drams and introducing 1 penalty point. The point could have more serious consequences, as accumulating 13 points results in a six-month suspension of driving rights.
Under the current regulation, violations of the rules for transporting people by vehicles are subject to a fine of five times the minimum wage. The calculation base is 1,000 drams, so the fine amounts to 5,000 drams, and no points are applied for this violation.
The draft provides for a fine of ten times the minimum wage—10,000 drams—and 1 penalty point for violating the rules for transporting children under 12. The justification for the change states that the goal is to prevent child trauma resulting from road accidents.
The justification notes that in 2025, 11,198 violations of the rules for transporting children were recorded, a 105 percent increase compared to the previous year. In the same year, 404 accidents involving children under 12 occurred, resulting in the deaths of 11 children and injuries to 487.
A driver is granted 13 points from the day they receive their driver's license for one year, or 6 points in the case of a probationary period. A new 13 points is granted the following year, and the previous year's balance is not carried over. When a violation is recorded, the corresponding points are deducted automatically.
If, during the given year, the points already applied together with the point provided for a subsequent violation total 13 or more, driving rights are suspended for six months. If the same occurs within one year after the suspension, deprivation of rights for one year is envisaged, and for a driver in the probationary period, the threshold of 6 points can lead to deprivation of rights for one year.
The draft also proposes points for other violations: failure to comply with the requirement of the "No Entry" sign—10,000 drams and 2 points; parking in the second row—10,000 drams and 1 point; and stopping at a public transport stop or parking non-parallel to the edge of the roadway—10,000 drams and 1 point.
The changes are still in the discussion stage. Until the law is adopted and enters into force, the current regulation applies—a 5,000 dram fine with no penalty point.
The impact of the proposed change is not limited to the size of the fine alone; for drivers, the significance of the new point is tied to the overall threshold of points accumulated throughout the year. Therefore, the same violation can have different consequences depending on how many points the given driver has already received during the year.
At the same time, the figures cited in the justification of the draft show what problem the change is trying to address. The increase in violations of the rules for transporting children in 2025 and the accidents recorded involving children under 12 are precisely the data on which the proposal to tighten liability is based. However, for now this is not yet the current rule, and the final regulation depends on the adoption of the law and the timing of its entry into force.
