10.7. How will the vehicles pass each other on a forest road?
UAЯк роз'їдуться транспортні засоби на лісовій дорозі?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests the ability to safely pass each other in areas where there are no signs, markings, or regulated priority. In real-life conditions, such situations often occur on forest and dirt roads, in courtyards, in parking lots, or in places with limited visibility. Therefore, correctly determining the order of passage directly affects road safety and reduces the risk of traffic accidents.
In terms of content, this task belongs to the section of the Traffic Rules concerning maneuvering and mutual passing, specifically the application of clause 10.11 of the Traffic Rules. It states: if the trajectories of vehicles intersect and the priority is not determined by other rules, the advantage is given to the one approaching from the right (the so-called "right-hand rule"). In this situation, the white car approaches the blue one from the right side, so the blue car must "give way" as defined in clause 1.10, without forcing the vehicle with priority to change speed or direction.
Therefore, the option where the white car passes first complies with the requirements of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine: it has the advantage, and the blue car is obliged to yield. The alternative option, where the blue car moves first, is incorrect because it ignores the rule for intersecting trajectories without established priority, which is a typical trap on the theoretical exam and an important skill for everyday driving.
Clause 10.11
If the paths of vehicles intersect and the order of passage is not determined by these Rules, the driver to whom a vehicle is approaching from the right must yield.
Brief application: on a forest road (in the absence of signs/markings and specially established order), the “right-hand rule” applies — priority is given to the one approaching from the right; therefore, the blue must yield to the white.
Clause 1.10 (term “Yield (do not create an obstruction)”)
Yield (do not create an obstruction) — a requirement for a road user not to continue or resume movement, or perform any maneuver, if this may force other road users who have priority to change their direction or speed.
Brief application: “yield” in this situation means the blue car must refrain from continuing to move so as not to force the white car to change speed/direction.
Clause 1.10 (term “Priority”)
Priority — the right to move first in relation to other road users.
Brief application: the white car has priority as it is approaching from the right to the blue car at the intersection of paths.
That is, the correct answer is: “The white car will go first, the blue second,” given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, when paths intersect without an established order, the driver is obliged to yield to the vehicle approaching from the right.
In this situation, the vehicles are moving along a forest road where there are no signs, markings, or other indications that would determine the order of passage. That is, the order of passing must be established according to the general rule, which applies when the paths of vehicles intersect and the right of way is not determined by other traffic regulations.
According to paragraph 10.11 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, in such a case, the driver is required to yield to the vehicle approaching from their right. This rule is often called the “right-hand obstacle rule” and it applies in similar areas without priorities: on dirt roads, in courtyards, in parking lots, at construction sites, etc.
In the diagram, the white car is approaching the blue car from the right. Therefore, it is the blue driver who must yield, allowing the white car to pass first, and only then continue driving. The width or “main” status of the forest road does not matter here, because the priority is determined precisely by the relative positions of the vehicles.
Therefore, the correct answer is: “The white car will go first, the blue one second,” since according to paragraph 10.11 of the Traffic Rules, when paths intersect without a defined order, the vehicle approaching from the right has priority, and for the blue car, that is the white one.