Ukrainian drivers are issued a fine for a crack in their windshield: do they need to pay it?

In Ukraine, there have been more and more cases when patrol officers issue fines to drivers for having a crack in the windshield of a car, especially in the wiper zone. The police, referring to the requirements of DSTU 3649:2010, consider this a violation of technical standards and impose a fine of 340 hryvnias. The question of whether this fine should be paid has become a topic of discussion online, in particular on the website "Your Car".

According to lawyers, although a crack in the windshield may indeed violate state standards, the traffic rules do not define it as a technical malfunction. In particular, paragraphs 31.1, 31.3 and 31.4 of the traffic rules do not mention cracks in the glass as a basis for declaring a car defective. Therefore, the qualification of this violation by the police is incorrect.

If the patrol officer tries to prove that a crack in the windshield is grounds for administrative liability, drivers have the right to ask which specific section of the traffic rules states such a rule. This can be an important argument for appealing the fine.

Lawyers advise not to rush to pay a fine without checking the legality of the police's actions. If it turns out that the offense was incorrectly classified, the fine can be appealed in court.