1.55. Are drivers required to be especially attentive to cyclists?
UAЧи зобов’язані водії бути особливо уважними до велосипедистів?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns overall road safety and interaction with vulnerable road users. A cyclist on the roadway is less protected, may lose balance due to potholes, manholes, or gusts of wind, and any careless maneuver by a car creates a much higher risk of injury for them than for a driver in a car.
The question tests knowledge of the “General Provisions” section of the traffic rules, primarily clause 1.7, which directly establishes the obligation for drivers to be especially attentive to cyclists (as well as to pedestrians and persons in wheelchairs). In the context of the theoretical exam, this means understanding not only the wording of the rule but also its practical meaning: anticipating the actions of a cyclist, reducing speed in advance if necessary, maintaining a safe lateral distance, avoiding “squeezing” them toward the curb, and not making abrupt maneuvers near them.
The analysis of the answer options in the ticket is straightforward: the statement about the existence of such an obligation corresponds to the current version of clause 1.7 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, where cyclists are highlighted as a separate category to whom drivers must show increased attentiveness. Denying this obligation contradicts the Rules and can lead to typical dangerous situations during overtaking, passing, turning right, or braking in front of a bicycle, where a driver’s mistake often has serious consequences for the unprotected road user.
Clause 1.7
Drivers are required to be especially attentive to such categories of road users as cyclists, persons moving in wheelchairs, and pedestrians. All road users must be especially cautious towards children, elderly people, and persons with obvious signs of disability.
Clause 1.10 (term "Cyclist")
Cyclist — a person who rides a bicycle.
Clause 1.10 (term "Bicycle")
Bicycle — a vehicle, except wheelchairs, that has two or more wheels and is propelled by the muscular power of a person on it, or by an electric motor with a power of up to 0.25 kW, which automatically switches off (ceases to operate) when pedaling stops and/or when a speed of 25 km/h is reached.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Yes, they are required to," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, clause 1.7 directly establishes the obligation for drivers to be especially attentive to cyclists as a separate category of road users.
Imagine a typical city trip: a cyclist is moving along the right side of the road or in a designated lane. For a car driver, this is not just “another road user,” but a vulnerable category who may suddenly change trajectory due to road unevenness, a manhole cover, a gust of wind, an obstacle, or a misjudgment of distance.
That is why clause 1.7 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine directly states: drivers are required to be especially attentive to cyclists (as well as to pedestrians and persons moving in wheelchairs). “Especially attentive” means not just looking, but anticipating their possible actions and avoiding danger in advance: reducing speed, increasing the gap, being ready to brake, and not creating situations where the cyclist would have to make a sudden maneuver.
In practice, this is seen in typical situations. When overtaking or passing a cyclist, the driver must leave enough lateral space and not “squeeze” them toward the curb. When turning right, you must remember that a cyclist may be moving straight nearby, and your maneuver could cross their path. And if you are driving ahead, sudden braking without necessity is especially dangerous: it is harder for a cyclist to stop quickly, and they have almost no protection in case of a fall or collision.
Therefore, the correct answer is “Yes, they are required to,” because clause 1.7 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine directly obliges drivers to be especially attentive to cyclists as vulnerable road users and to act in advance so as not to create danger for them.