14.24. Is the driver of the car allowed to overtake the motorcyclist at this intersection?
UAЧи дозволяється водієві автомобіля виконати обгін мотоцикліста на цьому перехресті?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the safety of maneuvering in a high-risk area, where the traffic situation can change instantly. Intersections are dangerous because vehicle trajectories from different directions cross here simultaneously, turns are possible, pedestrians may appear suddenly, and visibility may be limited by other vehicles. That is why the traffic rules establish the strictest restrictions for such places regarding maneuvers involving entering the oncoming lane.
The question tests Section 14 "Overtaking" and the ability to distinguish overtaking from passing in the theoretical exam. According to the definition in the Traffic Rules, overtaking is passing with entry into the oncoming lane, and clause 14.6 (a) directly prohibits performing it at an intersection. Therefore, the option "allowed if safety measures are observed" is not suitable: even maximum caution does not override the direct prohibition by the rules. Similarly, the option regarding the motorcyclist's speed is incorrect: the restriction "less than 30 km/h" does not create an exception to clause 14.6 (a), since the prohibition applies regardless of the speed and type of vehicle.
The practical meaning of this rule is important for every driver: at an intersection, any entry into the oncoming lane while overtaking sharply increases the risk of a head-on collision or conflict with vehicles exiting from an adjacent road or making a turn. In such situations, a safe alternative is not to begin overtaking within the intersection and to plan maneuvers so that they are completed before entering it, or to perform passing without entering the oncoming lane, if road conditions permit.
Clause 14.6 a) (Section 14 "Overtaking")
Overtaking is prohibited: a) at an intersection.
Application: if to overtake the motorcyclist the driver needs to enter the oncoming traffic lane and the maneuver occurs within the intersection, such overtaking is directly prohibited.
Clause 1.10 (term "Overtaking")
Overtaking — passing one or more vehicles involving entering the oncoming traffic lane.
Application: the question specifically checks for "overtaking" (not just "passing"), i.e., a maneuver involving entering the oncoming lane.
Clause 1.10 (term "Intersection")
Intersection — a place where roads cross, adjoin, or branch at the same level, the boundary of which is the imaginary lines between the beginning of the rounding of the edges of the carriageway of each road. A place where an exit from an adjacent territory adjoins the road is not considered an intersection.
Application: according to this definition, the place shown is an intersection, and therefore a direct prohibition on overtaking applies.
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited," given that overtaking (passing with entering the oncoming traffic lane) at an intersection is directly prohibited by clause 14.6 a) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine.
To answer this question correctly, let's first determine whether the intended maneuver is actually overtaking. According to the definition in the Traffic Rules, overtaking is passing another vehicle by moving into the oncoming traffic lane. In the given situation, the car must move into the oncoming lane to pass the motorcyclist, so this is indeed overtaking, not just passing within the same lane.
Next, it is important to identify the location where the maneuver is performed. An intersection, according to the Traffic Rules, is an area where roads cross or join at the same level, and its boundaries are conventionally marked between the beginnings of the curves of the carriageway edges. In the diagram, the car begins or continues overtaking within the intersection, that is, directly in this hazardous area.
According to clause 14.6 (a) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, overtaking at intersections is prohibited. The logic behind this prohibition is simple: at intersections, the traffic situation can change suddenly due to vehicles entering from other directions, as well as the possible appearance of pedestrians. In addition, during overtaking, the driver is temporarily focused on passing and is in the oncoming lane, which significantly increases the risk of conflict with other road users precisely where such conflicts are most likely.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since this is overtaking with entry into the oncoming lane, and clause 14.6 (a) of the Traffic Rules directly forbids overtaking at intersections.