Traffic Patrol Day is observed in Russia every year on July 3. This day was officially established in 2009 by Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliyev to commemorate the creation of the traffic patrol as a separate department in the Soviet Union on July 3, 1936. Prior to this, traffic regulation was managed by a unit within the Soviet militsiya. In modern Russia, traffic regulation is carried out by the Main Directorate for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which operates under a Presidential Decree issued in 1998. The traffic patrol is responsible for various functions including traffic regulation, investigation of traffic accidents, vehicle inspections, organization of driving tests, and issuance of driver's licenses.