16.2.35. How should the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection where there are no priority signs, and it is impossible to determine the presence of road surfacing due to weather or other conditions, act?
UAЯк повинен чинити водій транспортного засобу, що наближається до перехрестя, на якому немає знаків пріоритету, а наявність покриття на дорозі неможливо визначити у зв'язку з погодними або іншими умовами?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests the driver's attentiveness at uncontrolled intersections under difficult visibility and traction conditions. Such situations (snow, mud, nighttime) most often create conflicts of priority, so the correct interpretation of traffic rules directly affects safety and the prevention of accidents both during the theoretical exam and in real driving.
The question belongs to Section 16 "Passing Intersections," specifically to the requirement of clause 16.15, and also relies on the definition of the term "Main Road" from clause 1.10. The logic of the rule is simple: if there are no priority signs and it is impossible to determine the type of road surface, the driver has no right to make optimistic assumptions about having the right of way. On the contrary, the Traffic Rules of Ukraine require choosing a safe model of behavior and considering your road as less prioritized, so as not to create danger for those who may reasonably consider their road to be the main one (for example, due to a hard surface hidden by snow).
Analysis of the options in this exam question shows typical mistakes. Assuming that the driver is on the main road is risky and contradicts clause 16.15, because the absence of signs does not automatically make the intersection equivalent. The option about "yielding only when turning left" is also incorrect: the obligation to yield is determined not by the direction of the turn, but by the status of the road and the requirements for passing intersections; acting as if on a secondary road, the driver follows the general rules of priority (taking into account clause 16.12) and is ready to yield to vehicles approaching on a road that may be the main one.
Practically, this means: when approaching such an intersection, you should reduce speed in advance, assess the situation, be ready to stop and yield, choosing the most cautious tactic. This approach in the traffic rules is laid down as a preventive mechanism and is key for successfully passing the theoretical exam and for safe driving in conditions of uncertain priority.
Clause 16.15 (Section 16 "Passing Intersections")
If there are no priority signs at the intersection, and the driver, due to weather or other conditions, cannot determine the presence of a road surface (dark time of day, dirt, snow, etc.), he must consider himself to be on a secondary road.
Clause 1.10 (term "Main Road")
Main road — a road marked with priority signs, or a road with an improved (hard) surface relative to a dirt road; the presence of a road surface is one of the criteria for determining which road is the main one.
Clause 16.12 (Section 16 "Passing Intersections")
At uncontrolled intersections of roads of unequal importance, the driver of a vehicle moving on a secondary road must yield to vehicles approaching the intersection on the main road, regardless of their further direction of movement.
That is, the correct answer is "Consider that he is on a secondary road," given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, when it is impossible to determine road priority due to the absence of signs and the inability to determine the road surface, the driver is obliged to apply the requirement of clause 16.15 and act as a driver on a secondary road (with further yielding in accordance with clause 16.12).
When approaching an uncontrolled intersection without priority signs, the driver usually determines which road is the main one and which is secondary by the characteristics of the “main road.” One such characteristic can be the difference in the road surface (for example, a paved road compared to a dirt road).
However, in conditions of snow, mud, darkness, or other circumstances, it may be impossible to reliably determine what kind of surface each road has. In such a situation, the absence of priority signs does not automatically mean that the roads are equal, since the actual “priority” may depend on the surface, which simply cannot be seen.
That is why paragraph 16.15 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine establishes a precautionary approach: if it is impossible to determine the presence of a surface and there are no priority signs, the driver must act with maximum caution and assume that their road is less prioritized. This reduces the risk of conflict with other road users who may reasonably consider their road to be the main one (for example, they know the area well or the surface is actually different, but hidden by weather conditions).
In practice, this means: when approaching such an intersection, you should reduce your speed in advance, be ready to stop, and yield to vehicles approaching from other directions, as if you were entering from a secondary road.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Assume that you are on a secondary road," because according to paragraph 16.15 of the Traffic Rules, in the absence of priority signs and the inability to determine the surface, you should make the safe assumption that your road is secondary and yield accordingly.