15.79. Are stopping and parking allowed near dividing strips or boulevards?
UAЧи дозволені зупинка і стоянка біля розділювальних смуг або бульварів?
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This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine about safety when stopping in urban conditions: where a driver can safely stop or leave a car without creating obstacles to traffic flow or causing dangerous situations. A common mistake occurs on avenues and wide streets with a central boulevard: drivers perceive the space next to it as a 'conditional edge of the road,' although the traffic rules treat such places differently.
The question tests knowledge of Section 15 "Stopping and Parking," specifically clause 15.3 of the Traffic Rules, which directly prohibits stopping near boulevards and dividing strips. The definition from clause 1.10 also clarifies the logic: a dividing strip is not intended for driving or parking, and stopping 'next to it' actually happens not on the shoulder, but in an area where vehicles are supposed to move freely. That is why this rule is often included in the theoretical exam as an exception, even in cases where stopping on the left may generally be allowed in populated areas under certain conditions.
The analysis of answer options is straightforward: the statement that stopping and parking are allowed contradicts the direct rule of the second paragraph of clause 15.3, and is therefore incorrect even in the absence of prohibitory signs. The option "allowed for boarding or alighting passengers" is also incorrect, because the Traffic Rules prohibit both stopping (up to 5 minutes or for boarding/alighting) and parking in this place; that is, a short stop for a passenger is not an exception. The correct logic for practice and for passing the theoretical exam: you should stop and park near the right edge of the carriageway or in permitted places, and not near the dividing strip or boulevard.
Clause 15.3 (Section 15 "Stopping and Parking")
In populated areas, stopping and parking of vehicles are allowed on the left side of the road: 1) on one-way roads; 2) on two-way roads that have one lane in each direction, provided there are no tram tracks or solid road markings in the middle.
If the road has a boulevard or a median strip, stopping and parking of vehicles near them are prohibited.
Explanation of application: it is the second paragraph of this clause that directly establishes the prohibition of stopping and parking near a median strip or boulevard (even within populated areas and even on roads where stopping/parking on the left is generally allowed under the conditions of the first paragraph of clause 15.3).
Clause 1.10 (term "Median strip")
Median strip — a structurally designated element of a road or one marked by solid road lines, which separates adjacent carriageways. The median strip is not intended for the movement or parking of vehicles. If there is a sidewalk on the median strip, pedestrians are allowed to walk on it.
Explanation of application: the term emphasizes that the median strip is a separate element of the road and is not a place for movement/parking; and clause 15.3 additionally prohibits stopping/parking specifically near it.
Clause 1.10 (terms "Stopping" and "Parking")
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, or signals from a traffic controller.
Parking — cessation of movement of a vehicle for more than 5 minutes for reasons not related to fulfilling the requirements of these Rules, boarding (alighting) passengers, or loading (unloading) cargo.
Explanation of application: the exam question concerns both modes of "cessation of movement" — both short-term stopping and longer-term parking; clause 15.3 prohibits both actions near boulevards/median strips.
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, stopping and parking near boulevards or median strips are directly prohibited (clause 15.3).
When there is a median strip or boulevard on the road, drivers sometimes mistakenly perceive the space next to them as the 'conditional edge of the carriageway' and try to stop there. However, the Traffic Rules consider such elements as those that separate adjacent carriageways and are not intended for stopping or parking vehicles.
Clause 15.3 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine explicitly states: if the road has a median strip or boulevard, stopping and parking next to them is prohibited. That is, the prohibition applies precisely because of the presence of this road element, even if there are no additional road signs or markings specifically prohibiting stopping.
The logic of the rule is simple: in our country, traffic is on the right, and the median strip is usually located to the left of the lanes in your direction. Stopping 'right up against' it actually means stopping not at the roadside, but in an area where vehicles should move freely. As a result, the car creates an obstacle to the flow and increases the risk of accidents, especially on multi-lane roads.
Example: on an avenue with a boulevard in the center (lawn, curb, fence), a driver is moving in the right direction and wants to drop off a passenger 'on the left, near the boulevard.' Even a brief stop for drop-off will be a violation, because it is a stop next to the boulevard/median strip, which clause 15.3 prohibits.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since clause 15.3 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine prohibits stopping and parking vehicles near median strips or boulevards regardless of the presence of signs.