1.74. Which of the following categories of persons are not equated to pedestrians?
UAЯка із наведених категорій осіб не прирівнюється до пішоходів?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety and the correct identification of the status of road users. Whether someone is considered a pedestrian or a driver (in particular, a cyclist) determines which traffic rules must be followed: where movement is allowed, how to cross the roadway, and what obligations apply at pedestrian crossings. Such nuances are regularly tested in the theoretical exam because they directly affect common mistakes in the city.
The question tests knowledge of the terms and definitions from the General Provisions section of the Traffic Rules (point 1.10), in particular the concepts of “pedestrian,” “cyclist,” and “bicycle.” The logic is simple: a pedestrian is a person outside of vehicles, and a bicycle is a vehicle, so a person riding a bicycle has the status of a cyclist and is not equated to a pedestrian. On the other hand, someone who is walking a bicycle alongside (pushing it) is considered a pedestrian, because they are essentially moving as a pedestrian and are not operating a vehicle in motion.
Analyzing the answer options helps avoid confusion regarding statuses. Persons in wheelchairs without an engine are directly equated to pedestrians by the Traffic Rules, as are those pushing a cart or a baby stroller—they participate in traffic outside of a vehicle. However, the option involving riding a bicycle does not fit the definition of a pedestrian, because while riding, the person is operating a vehicle and must comply with the requirements for cyclists, not the rules for pedestrians. In practice, this means that, for example, you can cross the road “as a pedestrian” only by getting off the bicycle and walking it alongside you, not by riding across the crossing while seated.
Clause 1.10 (term “Pedestrian”)
Pedestrian — a person who participates in road traffic outside of vehicles and does not perform any work on the road. Persons who move in wheelchairs without an engine, push a bicycle, moped, motorcycle, pull a sled, cart, baby carriage, or wheelchair are also considered pedestrians.
Explanation of application: the definition directly implies that those who are pushing a bicycle (alongside) are considered pedestrians, but not those who are riding it.
Clause 1.10 (term “Cyclist”)
Cyclist — a person who rides a bicycle.
Explanation of application: a person who is riding a bicycle has the status of a cyclist, not a pedestrian (unlike a person who is pushing a bicycle, who is directly equated to a pedestrian according to the term “pedestrian”).
Clause 1.10 (term “Bicycle”)
Bicycle — a vehicle, except for a wheelchair, that is propelled by the muscular power of a person who is on it.
Explanation of application: since a bicycle is a vehicle, riding it means participating in road traffic not “outside of vehicles,” but as a driver (cyclist).
Therefore, the correct answer is “Persons who are riding bicycles,” given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, a pedestrian is a person outside of vehicles (or pushing a bicycle), whereas someone who is riding a bicycle is a cyclist and is not considered a pedestrian.
According to the Traffic Rules, a pedestrian is considered to be a person who participates in road traffic not in a vehicle and at the same time is not performing work on the road. That is, it is someone who moves "on foot" or actually behaves like a pedestrian.
The rules specifically clarify who else can be equated to pedestrians. For example, this includes a person riding in a wheelchair without an engine, or someone moving on roller skates, a scooter, a skateboard, skis, or ice skates. Likewise, a person who is not riding but is walking a bicycle, moped, or motorcycle alongside—i.e., pushing it by hand and moving with "pedestrian" logic—is also considered a pedestrian.
The key difference is this: when you are walking a bicycle alongside you, you are not operating it as a vehicle, but simply moving it as an object. But when you get on the bicycle and start riding, you are already operating a vehicle. At that moment, your status changes: you become a cyclist, and the rules for bicycle drivers apply to you, not those for pedestrians.
For example, a person who gets off a bicycle and pushes it across a pedestrian crossing is considered a pedestrian under the rules. But a person who rides across the same crossing on a bicycle is not a pedestrian, because they are moving on a vehicle.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Persons riding bicycles," since while riding a bicycle, a person is operating a vehicle and has the status of a cyclist, not a pedestrian.