Safety

It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle after you have consumed any amount of alcohol and this is stringently enforced. A traffic cop who suspects you of having consumed even token amounts of booze will be hard to convince otherwise and he does have the right to impound your car in the interests of safety. Safety belt use is mandatory and GIBDD (formerly known as GAI) guys (see below) can use the lack of a seat belt as a reason for pulling you over. In response, most Russians place the belt across their shoulder without buckling it. So there.

Driving out of town at night can be dangerous for many reasons. Not only are road signs hard to see, but the roads to Tallinn and Vyborg are frequented by highwaymen intent on robbery and/or carjacking. Late night stops at expensive petrol stations can be dangerous as well.