15.17. Is the driver allowed to stop at this location?
UAЧи дозволено водієві зупинитися в цьому місці?
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning road safety in terms of stopping and parking: where a driver is allowed to temporarily halt movement without creating obstacles for other participants. In the theoretical exam, such situations test the ability to assess the width of the carriageway, the presence of a solid line marking, and the real consequences of stopping for the passage of other vehicles without entering the oncoming lane.
The question tests the section of the Traffic Rules regarding stopping and parking, specifically the requirements of clause 15.9 (f) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. According to this subclause, stopping is prohibited in places where, after stopping, the distance between the vehicle and the solid line marking (or the dividing strip or the opposite edge of the carriageway) is less than 3 meters. The meaning of the rule is practical: there must remain a sufficient corridor for safe passage so that other drivers are not forced to bypass the obstacle with the risk of violating marking 1.1 or causing a traffic jam.
Therefore, the option where stopping is considered allowed is incorrect: under the shown conditions (when the lane is actually 3 meters wide), any stop "takes up" part of the width, and the required minimum of 3 meters is no longer maintained. The correct conclusion is the prohibition of stopping: this directly follows from the traffic rules and corresponds to the logic of safe traffic organization, which is assessed in similar exam tasks.
Clause 15.9 (f) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine
Stopping is prohibited: “in places where the distance between the solid marking line, the dividing strip, or the opposite edge of the carriageway and the stopped vehicle is less than 3 meters.”
In the situation shown, stopping will result in less than 3 meters remaining between the car and the solid marking line (or the opposite edge of the carriageway), and therefore stopping is prohibited.
Clause 1.10 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine (the term “Stopping”)
“Stopping — cessation of movement of a vehicle for up to 5 minutes or more if necessary for boarding (alighting) passengers or loading (unloading) cargo, fulfilling the requirements of these Rules (yielding the right of way, complying with the requirements of a traffic controller, traffic light signals, etc.).”
This definition is needed to distinguish “stopping” (which is prohibited in this place according to clause 15.9 (f)) from other cases of cessation of movement provided for by the Traffic Rules.
Clause 34.1.1 — 34 “Road Markings”, 1 “Horizontal Markings”, marking 1.1
Marking 1.1 — “narrow solid line”, which (in particular) separates traffic flows of opposite directions and/or marks the boundaries of traffic lanes; crossing it is prohibited (except in cases provided for by the Traffic Rules).
In the task, the solid line is the reference point from which, according to clause 15.9 (f), the minimum permissible distance (not less than 3 meters) to the stopped vehicle is measured.
Thus, the correct answer is “Prohibited.”, given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, stopping in a place where less than 3 meters remain between the car and the solid marking line/opposite edge of the carriageway after stopping is directly prohibited by clause 15.9 (f).
First of all, let's recall that according to the Traffic Rules, a stop is the cessation of movement of a vehicle for up to 5 minutes or for a longer period if necessary, for example, for boarding or alighting passengers or loading/unloading. That is, even briefly “stopping for a minute” is already considered a stop and must comply with the requirements of the rules.
In this situation, the key point is clause 15.9 (f) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. It prohibits stopping where, after the vehicle has stopped, there is less than 3 meters between it and the solid line marking (or the dividing strip, or the opposite edge of the carriageway). The meaning of this requirement is simple: other vehicles must have enough space to pass safely without performing dangerous maneuvers.
In the image, the lane is 3 meters wide. If a car stops within this lane, it will actually “take up” part of the width, and the required 3 meters of free space to the solid line will no longer remain. Because of this, other drivers will have to either stop behind or go around by crossing the solid line, which creates an obstacle and increases the risk of a dangerous situation.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since after stopping, the minimum distance of 3 meters to the solid line marking is not ensured, as required by clause 15.9 (f) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine.