14.25. How should the driver of the black car, who intends to overtake, act in this situation?
UAЯк повинен діяти водій чорного автомобіля, що збирається виконувати обгін, в даній ситуації?
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine about the safe execution of overtaking and the interaction of drivers on a two-lane road with oncoming traffic. The topic directly affects road safety, as it is during overtaking that critical situations most often arise due to incorrect assessment of the situation or improper behavior of the driver being overtaken.
The question tests the section of the Traffic Rules that regulates maneuvering, in particular overtaking (points 14.2 and 14.3, as well as understanding the term "overtaking" from point 1.10). The logic is as follows: if the vehicle behind has already moved into the oncoming lane, it has in fact started overtaking, and therefore the driver in front must, firstly, before starting their own overtaking, make sure that overtaking from behind has not begun (requirement of point 14.2), and secondly, as the vehicle being overtaken, does not have the right to interfere with the completion of the maneuver (prohibition of point 14.3).
The analysis of the options in this theoretical exam comes down to the fact that two formulations describe the same correct behavior from different perspectives. The action "allow yourself to be overtaken" essentially means not starting your own maneuver and allowing the other driver to complete overtaking without a conflict of trajectories, while "not interfering with overtaking by increasing speed" specifies the prohibition of creating obstacles by actions or acceleration. In practice, this means: do not "accelerate," do not shorten the distance to the car in front, and wait until overtaking is completed, and only then reassess the conditions for overtaking according to point 14.2.
Clause 1.10 (term "Overtaking")
Overtaking is the passing of one or more vehicles involving entry into the oncoming traffic lane.
In this situation, the white car is already overtaking (is on the oncoming lane), and therefore the black car has special duties both before starting its own overtaking and as a vehicle being overtaken.
Clause 14.2
Before starting to overtake, the driver must make sure that: a) none of the drivers of vehicles moving behind him, who may be obstructed, 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 he will enter is free of vehicles at a sufficient distance for overtaking; d) after overtaking, he will be able to return to his lane without creating obstacles for the vehicle being overtaken.
Application: before starting to overtake, the driver of the black car is obliged to check whether a vehicle behind (in this case — the white car), which he may obstruct, has already started overtaking (subparagraph "a").
Clause 14.3
The driver of a vehicle being overtaken is prohibited from obstructing overtaking by increasing speed or by other actions.
Application: since the white car is already overtaking, the black car is "the one being overtaken" and must allow itself to be overtaken and not obstruct the overtaking (in particular, not increase speed and not perform actions that complicate the completion of overtaking by the white car).
That is, the correct answer is "Perform both actions," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, overtaking involves entering the oncoming lane (clause 1.10), before starting to overtake the driver must make sure that no overtaking has started behind (clause 14.2 "a"), and the driver being overtaken is prohibited from obstructing overtaking (clause 14.3).
In this situation, the key point is to correctly determine who is currently overtaking. According to the Traffic Rules, overtaking is an advancement that involves moving into the oncoming traffic lane. In the diagram, the white car has already entered the oncoming lane, meaning it has started overtaking the vehicles ahead, including the black car.
Before starting their own overtaking maneuver, the driver of the black car is required to comply with the requirements of clause 14.2 of the Traffic Rules. One of these directly applies to this situation: the driver must make sure that none of the vehicles behind, for whom an obstacle could be created, has already started overtaking. Since the white car is already overtaking, the black car does not have the right to begin its own overtaking at this moment, as this would create a danger and an obstacle for the vehicle already performing the maneuver.
Next, clause 14.3 of the Traffic Rules applies, which regulates the behavior of the vehicle being overtaken. The driver of the vehicle being overtaken is prohibited from hindering the overtaking, including by increasing speed or by other actions. That is, the black car must behave in such a way that the white car can safely complete the maneuver: not "accelerate," not reduce the distance to the car in front, and not create a situation where the white car has nowhere to return to its lane.
Practically, this means: the driver of the black car must allow the white car to complete the overtaking and at the same time not hinder it by any actions. After the white car returns to its lane and the situation becomes safe, the black car can again assess the conditions according to clause 14.2 and then perform the overtaking.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Perform both actions," since the white car has already started overtaking, and the driver of the black car is obliged both not to begin overtaking, creating an obstacle (clause 14.2), and not to hinder the overtaking by their actions or by increasing speed (clause 14.3).