Traffic laws and road signs in Montenegro are designed to govern various driving scenarios and different types of vehicles, ensuring safe and smooth traffic flow. These regulations cover everything from general conduct and right-of-way rules to specific speed limits, vehicle requirements, and driver obligations.
General Governing Principles
Traffic is defined as the movement of vehicles and persons on roads, with safety and unimpeded progress being key objectives. All individuals participating in traffic must adhere to the regulations. Vehicles must be technically sound, meet prescribed technical conditions, and be registered.
Instructions from authorized persons, such as police officers, take precedence over other traffic signals or rules. Police officers can give signals by hand, body position, light, sound devices, flags, or even from within their vehicle. For example, a police officer gently waving their hand indicates that the driver should reduce speed. A horizontally extended arm from a police officer means that vehicles approaching from their side have the right of way.
Governing Diverse Driving Scenarios
- Intersections:
- Intersections can be regulated by traffic lights (light signals) or vertical traffic signs.
- If traffic lights and horizontal signals are present, the driver must act according to the meaning of the light signals.
- At unregulated intersections, drivers may need to stop due to a STOP sign or proceed with increased attention.
- When vehicles approach an intersection from opposite directions and turn left, they typically pass each other from the right side.
- Right-of-way rules dictate the order of passage, often requiring drivers to give way to vehicles approaching from their right side. Specific scenarios outline which vehicle has priority, for example, vehicle 2 over vehicle 1 in certain situations.
- A yellow light on a traffic light can mean a prohibition of passage through the intersection. A green arrow allows movement in that direction without obstructing other traffic.
- Overtaking and Passing (Preticanje and Mimoilaženje):
- Overtaking (preticanje) is generally performed from the left side of the vehicle being overtaken. However, it must be done from the right side if the vehicle being overtaken has positioned itself and signaled a left turn.
- It is prohibited to overtake where road markings, such as a solid line, forbid it.
- On roads with two or more lanes in the same direction, a vehicle moving faster in one lane than another is not considered overtaking.
- When being overtaken by another vehicle, a driver must not increase their speed.
- Passing (mimoilaženje) refers to passing a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. When passing a pedestrian, drivers are obliged to maintain a safe distance.
- Stopping and Parking:
- A driver must stop at a STOP sign.
- Stopping for more than five minutes, except for traffic-related reasons, is considered parking.
- It is prohibited to stop or park within five meters of a marked pedestrian crossing.
- Stopping or parking is not allowed in an underpass.
- On sidewalks, stopping or parking is permitted only if a traffic sign specifically allows it and a minimum passage of 1.6 meters for pedestrians remains.
- Speed Limits:
- General speed limits apply if no signs are present: 80 km/h on main roads outside settlements and 50 km/h in settlements.
- Special zones have specific limits: "slow traffic zones" and "Zone 30" limit speeds to 10 km/h and 30 km/h respectively.
- The speed of motor vehicles under normal traffic conditions should not be limited by a traffic sign below 40 km/h.
- Drivers are only allowed to make sudden changes in vehicle speed to avoid immediate danger.
- Drivers approaching a pedestrian crossing must adjust their speed to be able to stop safely.
- Maneuvers and Road Markings:
- Arrows on the road (white color) indicate mandatory directions of movement or the purpose of traffic lanes.
- A longitudinal unbroken white line typically indicates a prohibition of crossing or driving on it and divides the roadway into traffic lanes.
- U-turns are generally allowed unless explicitly prohibited by signs, but are not allowed on highways.
- Reversing in conditions of reduced visibility is not allowed. For freight vehicles on a clear section of road, reversing is allowed only on the side they were previously moving and if it does not obstruct other traffic.
Governing Diverse Vehicle Types
- Passenger Vehicles:
- A driver operating a passenger vehicle must carry one reflective vest in the vehicle.
- A first aid kit is also mandatory.
- Children younger than 12 years old and individuals under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances must not be transported in the front seat.
- Freight Vehicles and Buses:
- Freight vehicles and buses must carry two reflective vests and two first aid kits.
- The speed of a freight motor vehicle with a maximum permissible mass up to 7500 kg is limited to 80 km/h.
- A freight vehicle with a trailer has a speed limit of 70 km/h.
- A motor vehicle towing a defective vehicle must not travel faster than 40 km/h.
- Freight vehicles and trailers with a maximum permissible weight exceeding 5 tons must have two wheel chocks.
- The maximum allowed weight for a two-axle cargo vehicle is 18 tons.
- Yellow-red colored plates on the rear of a vehicle indicate heavy vehicles over 7.5 tons.
- The steering device on commercial vehicles can operate only on the front wheels.
- When a passenger vehicle is overtaking, the driver of the truck must not increase their speed.
- Motorcycles, Mopeds, Tricycles, and Quadricycles:
- Driving these vehicles in a manner that reduces stability or obstructs other traffic participants is prohibited.
- It is prohibited to transport someone under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances on these vehicles.
- There are age restrictions for operating bicycles on certain roads: children younger than 16 are forbidden on main and regional roads, and children younger than 14 cannot independently ride on local roads and streets.
- Trams and Rail Vehicles:
- The passage of vehicles through an intersection where a tram is present is often regulated by the priority of the rail vehicle.
- Specific traffic light signals are used to regulate the movement of trams and buses where they share traffic lanes.
- Towed Vehicles:
- A motor vehicle with a defective steering or braking system, or a truck or bus, must not be towed by a rope.
- A motor vehicle with a defective working brake, whose total weight exceeds the towing vehicle's weight, must not be towed by a rigid connection.
- The driver of a towed vehicle must possess the appropriate driver's license for the category of the vehicle being towed.
Driver Obligations and Conduct
- Driver's License: A Category B driver's license can be issued to a person who has reached 18 years of age. Licenses have varying validity periods depending on the category and driver's age (e.g., 10 years for Category B, 5 years for Category C, 3 years for drivers over 67).
- Medical Fitness: Drivers and driving instructors must undergo periodic medical examinations at least every three years to ensure they are medically fit to drive. If found unfit, the Ministry must be informed.
- Impairment: It is strictly prohibited to drive under the influence of alcohol (over 0.3 g/kg for general drivers, lower for young/beginner drivers), psychoactive substances, or when excessively fatigued or ill.
- Seatbelts: In vehicles equipped with seatbelts, both the driver and passengers must wear them while driving.
- Road Safety: Drivers are obliged to immediately remove objects and materials from the roadway that originated from their vehicle. If a driver is on the road outside their vehicle, they must wear a reflective vest.
- Warning Signals: Drivers are required to use an audible warning signal at a distance sufficient to warn other traffic participants, especially when children are near the road not paying attention, or before unlit tunnels or unseen/narrow curves outside settlements. For organized transport of children, the driver must activate all turn signals when stopping for children to enter or exit.
- Fatigue: If a driver feels tired while driving, they must take a break to rest.
- Slow Driving: If a column of vehicles forms behind a slow-moving vehicle, the driver is obliged to, at the first appropriate place, allow vehicles to safely overtake or pass.
- Tachograph Records: Drivers are obliged to present tachograph charts, manually recorded entries, or printouts from digital tachographs, along with their driver's memory card, at the request of an authorized person, for the current day and the previous 21 days (Note: Modern regulations often specify 28 days for digital tachographs, but the source specifies 21 days).
These laws and signs create a comprehensive framework for safe driving practices across various situations and vehicle types in Montenegro.