Day and night emergency commissioners patrol the roads operated by the Russian Highways State Company, eager to improve the safety and comfort of all road users. They promptly come to the aid of motorists in emergency situations. The roadnet grows, and so does the number of emergency crews. Today there are 164 of them.
In 2025, emergency commissioners have had 178.5 thousand call-outs. When something goes wrong on the road – for instance, a vehicle stops in an unpermitted area – emergency commissioners arrive to help and make the situation safe for everyone. They position their vehicle to block the incident scene, deploy warning cones, and activate a bright flashing arrow atop their van's roof. This way other drivers see the danger in advance, being able react in time.
Statistics show that the majority of call-outs – 57% – are for vehicle breakdowns. Emergency commissioners tow disabled cars, provide equipment and a versatile set of tools for tire inflation and replacement, jump-starting a vehicle, and even for minor repairs.
The service remains most in demand along the M-4 "Don" highway, where crews have assisted motorists more than 90 thousand times. Due to technical malfunctions of vehicles, emergency crews were called 55.500 times over there. The M-11 "Neva" ranks second for service calls. On this route, assistance was provided to motorists over 43 thousand times, of which 21.2 thousand cases were due to vehicle breakdowns. A substantial number of requests were also registered down the M-12 "Vostok" and the Central Ring Road – over 34 thousand, including 19,500 for various vehicle problems.
The second most common reason for call-outs is running out of gas. In 2025, such cases amounted to 16% of the total number of call-outs. This issue most commonly affects drivers setting out on long journeys without considering the distances between fuel stations. Down the M-11 "Neva" alone, the emergency crews helped with refueling 8.6 thousand times.
Another 9% of service requests pertained to incidents where motorists stopped in unauthorized locations. In such a case crews secure the scene, alert other drivers to the hazard, and escort the stranded motorists to the nearest rest areas. Remember, pulling over on a highway shoulder is extremely risky and is only permitted in specially designated areas.
Crews were also dispatched to road accident scenes – accounting for 6% of calls. At crash scenes, emergency commissioners secured the area, notified other emergency services, and administered first aid as required.
Not only do the service crews respond to calls, but also patrol the areas entrusted to them. They provide assistance in the event of debris on the travel lanes, report any hazardous road defects they find, and handle a wide range of other issues.
At times the emercom crews have to deal with unusual situations. As an illustrative case, at one of the rest areas on the M-4 "Don" highway in Voronezh Oblast, a scheduled bus departed, inadvertently leaving a passenger behind who immediately turned to an emergency commissioner for help. The response team immediately headed off in pursuit. With the assistance of a Traffic Control Center operator, the bus was stopped at the nearest exit. The passenger continued his trip safely and thanked the service staff for their kind assistance.
The service of emergency commissioners operates all across the expressways under the Russian Highways State Company. One can call an emergency crew by dialing *2323. Assistance is provided around the clock and free of charge, and the average time of arrival of emergency commissioners is 15 minutes.
