Russian courts are increasingly prosecuting drivers for dangerous driving, including drifting, racing, and driving on the wrong side of the road. Article 267.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, addressing actions threatening the safe operation of vehicles, is now being actively applied, leading to fines of up to 300,000 rubles or imprisonment for up to two years.

The first case involved a Porsche Cayenne driver fined 180,000 rubles for wrong-way driving in Kaspiysk. Since early 2025, similar sentences have been issued in regions such as Moscow, Primorye, and St. Petersburg.

Experts hold diverging views on this trend. Some support the stricter measures, while others deem them excessive, suggesting that administrative fines for dangerous driving should be introduced first.

Starting in 2026, the penalties under Article 267.1 will be further intensified, with the addition of forced labor alongside existing fines and imprisonment.