Traffic police of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs in terms of control and supervision over road safety in the 1960s-1980s

Based on the historical and legal experience, the research discusses the legal and outreach activities of traffic police authorities regarding control and supervision over road safety in the 1960s-1980s. Besides, the paper analyzes laws and statutory instruments having regulated law enforcement agencies in the above-mentioned period. The history of legal regulation on road safety demonstrates that the 20th-century situation is similar to the modern one. At that time, there was a rapid increase in the number of vehicles, the road network did not meet the population’s needs, the ineffective measures taken by the government to ensure road safety did not lead to a decrease in accident rates and road traffic injuries. The analysis of positive and negative practices in the field of traffic control and supervision makes it possible to recommend applying this experience in modern social and economic context to improve the efficiency of the road safety system.