15.40. Which of the drivers is allowed to park their vehicle on the left side of the road after passing these road signs?
UAКому з водіїв дозволено поставити свій транспортний засіб на лівому боці дороги, після проїзду цих дорожніх знаків?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests the driver's ability to correctly identify the boundaries of a populated area using informational signs and to apply the rules of stopping and parking depending on where the vehicle is located. In real traffic, such a situation is important for safety, as improper stopping on the "wrong" side of the road creates a risk of head-on conflicts and impairs visibility, especially on narrow sections.
According to the content of the task, it is necessary to understand that one driver, after passing the post with the signs, is already driving within the boundaries of a populated area (sign 5.49 "Beginning of a populated area"), while the other is already outside it (sign 5.50 "End of a populated area" on the reverse side). This is exactly what the theoretical exam checks: knowledge of Section 33 "Road Signs" and Section 15 "Stopping and Parking." Then, clause 15.3 is applied: in populated areas, stopping and parking on the left side of the road are allowed provided there is one lane in each direction, there are no tram tracks in the middle, and there is no solid line marking 1.1; in the task, the marking is dashed (1.5), so crossing is not prohibited.
As a result, the correct option is the one where the right to park the car on the left side belongs to the driver who, after passing the signs, finds themselves in the populated area: they fall under the provisions of clause 15.3. The option about the blue car is incorrect, because after the "End of a populated area" sign, the general requirement of clause 15.1 applies—stopping and parking are mainly on the right, and "both drivers" is not suitable, since the conditions for left-side parking are met only for the one who is actually already within the populated area.
Clause 15.1
Stopping and parking of vehicles must be carried out on the right side of the road on the shoulder, and in its absence or when stopping or parking on the shoulder is impossible — near the right edge of the carriageway.
Clause 15.3
In populated areas, stopping and parking of vehicles are allowed on the left side of the road, which has one lane in each direction (without tram tracks in the middle) and is not divided by marking 1.1, as well as on the left side of a one-way road.
Clause 33.5.49 — 33 "Road signs", 5 "Information and direction signs", sign 5.49 "Beginning of a populated area"
Indicates the beginning of a populated area, in which the requirements of these Rules apply, determining the order of movement in populated areas.
Clause 33.5.50 — 33 "Road signs", 5 "Information and direction signs", sign 5.50 "End of a populated area"
Indicates the end of a populated area, in which the requirements of these Rules apply, determining the order of movement in populated areas.
Clause 34.1.1 — 34 "Road markings", 1 "Horizontal markings", marking 1.1
A narrow solid line that separates traffic flows of opposite directions and marks the boundaries of traffic lanes in dangerous places on roads; crossing it is prohibited.
Clause 34.1.5 — 34 "Road markings", 1 "Horizontal markings", marking 1.5
A broken line that separates traffic flows of opposite directions on roads with two or three traffic lanes; crossing it is allowed from either side.
That is, the correct answer is "To the driver of the green car.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, after sign 5.49 he is driving within a populated area, where according to clause 15.3 (if the conditions regarding lanes and absence of marking 1.1 are met) stopping/parking on the left side of the road is allowed, whereas the driver of the blue car after sign 5.50 is outside the populated area and must follow the general requirement of clause 15.1 to stop/park on the right side.
After passing these signs, it is important to correctly determine where each driver will end up. For the green car, sign 5.49 means that it has entered a populated area, and from this moment the rules for driving in populated areas apply to it. For the blue car, on the other side of this same post, there will be sign 5.50, that is, it is, on the contrary, leaving the populated area and after passing the signs is already moving outside its limits.
Next, we apply clause 15.3 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. It allows stopping and parking on the left side of the road specifically in populated areas, but only under certain conditions: the road must have one lane in each direction, there are no tram tracks in the middle, and there is no solid line marking 1.1 that separates traffic flows and which is prohibited to cross. In this task, these conditions are met: the marking is not solid, so there is no technical prohibition for entering/exiting the left side.
The key point in the wording of the task is “after passing these road signs.” After passing them, the green car will already be within the populated area, so it can take advantage of the permission from clause 15.3 and park on the left side of the road. The blue car, after passing the signs, will already be outside the populated area, where such permission does not apply, so stopping or parking on the left for it will be incorrect.
Therefore, the correct answer is "The driver of the green car," because after passing the signs, he will be in a populated area where, according to clause 15.3, stopping and parking on the left is allowed under the given conditions, whereas the blue car will already be outside the populated area.