Clause 14.2 (Section 14 “Overtaking”)

Before starting to overtake, the driver must make sure that: a) none of the drivers of vehicles moving behind him, for whom an obstacle may be created, has started overtaking; b) the driver of the vehicle moving ahead in the same lane has not signaled an intention to turn (change lanes) to the left; c) the oncoming lane, onto which he will move out, is free of vehicles at a sufficient distance for overtaking; d) after overtaking, he will be able to return to the occupied lane without creating obstacles for the vehicle being overtaken.

In this exam question (under the condition “in the absence of oncoming vehicles and vehicles moving behind”), the requirement of subparagraph d) is directly checked — the driver’s obligation before starting to overtake to assess the possibility of safely returning to the occupied lane without creating obstacles for the overtaken vehicle.

Clause 1.10 (term “Overtaking”)

Overtaking — passing one or more vehicles involving moving onto the oncoming lane.

Clause 1.10 (term “Traffic lane”)

Traffic lane — a longitudinal strip on the carriageway at least 2.75 m wide, which is marked or unmarked with road markings and intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles.

That is, the correct answer is: “That after overtaking, he will be able to return to the occupied lane without creating an obstacle for the vehicle being overtaken,” given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, before starting to overtake, the driver is obliged to fulfill the requirement of clause 14.2 d) regarding the safe return to the occupied lane without creating obstacles for the overtaken vehicle.

When a driver plans to overtake, even if there are no oncoming vehicles visible ahead and no one is approaching from behind, the maneuver itself does not automatically become safe. During overtaking, the driver temporarily changes lanes and must assess in advance not only the possibility of pulling out to overtake, but also the ability to safely complete the maneuver.

Clause 14.2 (c) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine leads to a key requirement: before starting to overtake, the driver must realistically understand that after overtaking, they will be able to return to their lane without interfering with the vehicle being overtaken. That is, it is necessary to assess whether there is enough distance and time to complete the overtaking, whether there is a sufficient “margin” ahead, and whether it will be necessary to sharply cut in front of the overtaken vehicle when returning.

Imagine a situation: you start overtaking a slower vehicle, but ahead of it (which was not initially visible) there is another vehicle, or the vehicle being overtaken suddenly increases its speed. Then returning to your lane may require sudden braking or dangerous lane changing directly in front of the overtaken vehicle. This is exactly what the Traffic Rules do not allow: the completion of overtaking must be such that the overtaken vehicle does not have to change speed or direction because of your maneuver.

Therefore, in this question, the emphasis is not on the mere absence of oncoming or rear vehicles, but on the driver’s mandatory control of the final phase of overtaking: the ability to return to their lane without creating an obstacle for the vehicle being overtaken.

Thus, the correct answer is: "That after overtaking, they will be able to return to the occupied lane without creating an obstacle for the vehicle being overtaken," since clause 14.2 (c) of the Traffic Rules requires assessing not only the start of the maneuver before overtaking, but also its guaranteed safe completion without hindering the overtaken vehicle.