14.2. In which case did the driver of the white car correctly perform an overtaking maneuver before a railway crossing?
UAУ якому випадку водій білого автомобіля правильно виконав обгін перед залізничним переїздом?
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning the safe execution of overtaking in a high-risk area — before a railway crossing. Such sections require maximum predictability of the driver's actions, as any entry into the oncoming lane near the tracks sharply increases the risk of an accident and leaves no time buffer to complete the maneuver.
The task tests knowledge of Section 14 "Overtaking" of the traffic rules, specifically clause 14.6 (b), which clearly states: overtaking is prohibited on railway crossings and closer than 100 meters before them. For the theoretical exam, it is important to understand the practical logic of this rule: what matters is not only where the overtaking begins, but also where the driver actually returns to their lane — if the completion occurs closer than 100 meters, this is already a violation.
That is why the option of completing the overtaking "before the crossing" is too vague and does not guarantee compliance with the 100-meter limit, and completion at 50 meters clearly falls within the prohibited zone. The only option that meets the requirements of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine is to complete the maneuver so that at least 100 meters remain before the crossing: then the driver is not in the oncoming lane within the restricted area, and thus complies with the traffic rules.
Clause 14.6 b) (Section 14 "Overtaking")
Overtaking is prohibited: b) at railway crossings and closer than 100 m before them.
Clause 1.10 (term "Overtaking")
Overtaking — passing one or more vehicles, involving entry into the oncoming traffic lane.
Clause 1.10 (term "Railway crossing")
Railway crossing — an intersection of a road with railway tracks at the same level.
Clause 33 — "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs", sign 1.28 "Railway crossing without a barrier"
The sign warns of approaching a railway crossing without a barrier.
That is, the correct answer is "If the overtaking was completed 100 m before the crossing," considering that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, overtaking is prohibited closer than 100 m before a railway crossing, and therefore it is correct only if the maneuver is completed not closer than 100 m before the crossing.
When preparing for such questions, it is important to remember: overtaking is not allowed everywhere, and there are especially strict restrictions near a railway crossing, as this is a high-risk area with limited time for maneuvers.
According to clause 14.6 (b) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, overtaking is prohibited directly on a railway crossing and within 100 meters before it. That is, the decisive factor is not when the driver started overtaking, but where they finished it: if the maneuver is completed within these 100 meters, it is already considered a violation.
Practically, this means the following: the driver may start overtaking earlier, but must actually manage to return to their lane before there are 100 meters left to the crossing. If the driver continues driving in the oncoming lane closer than 100 meters to the crossing, or completes overtaking in this zone, it is prohibited.
In such test situations, the illustration may not provide the exact distance to the crossing (sometimes warning signs are already "out of frame"), so the guideline is the rule itself and the condition in the answer option: the correct answer is only the one that guarantees the maneuver is completed before the 100-meter limit.
Therefore, the correct answer is "If the overtaking was completed 100 meters before the crossing," since overtaking is prohibited closer than 100 meters before a railway crossing, and completing the maneuver before this limit means the requirement of clause 14.6 (b) is met.