Bill No. 15358 Establishes Penalties for Vehicle Noise Violations
On September 16, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed the first reading of Bill No. 15358, which introduces penalties for vehicles that exceed permitted noise levels. The bill received support from 261 members of parliament. It sets fines applicable during both peacetime and martial law, including the suspension of driving privileges for repeat offenders during wartime.
In peacetime, noise violations are penalized as follows:
- 8,500 UAH for a first offense;
- 17,000 UAH for a repeated offense.
Under martial law, these fines are doubled:
- 17,000 UAH for a first offense;
- 34,000 UAH for a repeat offense.
Additionally, repeat offenders during martial law face a driving ban ranging from 3 to 6 months. Authorities highlight that these measures aim to reduce instances where vehicle noise could mimic enemy drone sounds, potentially causing acoustic disorientation among air defense forces and mobile fire units.
Speeding Penalties Vote Falls Short in Parliament
While Bill No. 15358 moves forward, proposals to tighten penalties for speeding were rejected during the September 16 session. The main bill, No. 15348, which proposed new fines for speeding, garnered 225 votes—just one vote shy of approval. An alternative draft, No. 15348-1, received 198 votes.
The proposed speeding fines included:
- 680 UAH for exceeding the speed limit by over 20 km/h;
- 2,040 UAH for exceeding by more than 40 km/h;
- 2,720 UAH for exceeding by more than 60 km/h;
- 3,400 UAH for exceeding by over 80 km/h.
These initiatives form part of Ukraine’s broader efforts to enhance road safety, as reported by Rubryka citing MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak's Telegram channel.
Approving Bill No. 15358 is a significant move toward improving security during martial law, where certain noises could trigger panic or false alarms among military personnel. Increasing fines and penalties for noise violations aims to reduce risks linked to misinterpreting vehicle sounds as threats. Conversely, the failure to pass stricter speeding laws reveals ongoing challenges in achieving consensus among lawmakers on road safety reforms in Ukraine.
While the passage of Bill No. 15358 marks a step towards addressing noise pollution, it comes amid a backdrop of legislative challenges, as evidenced by the recent rejection of stricter speeding penalties. This highlights the ongoing struggle within the Ukrainian Parliament to balance road safety measures with public compliance, especially during these turbulent times.