16.2.70. Must the driver of the white car give way to pedestrians crossing the carriageway at the intersection along the line of continuation of the sidewalk?
UAЧи повинен водій білого автомобіля дати дорогу пішоходам, які переходять проїзну частину на перехресті по лінії продовження тротуару?
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine about safety at intersections and pedestrian priority during turning maneuvers. The theoretical test often includes situations where drivers confuse the advantage of the “main road” with the obligation to ensure a safe crossing for people. The traffic rules separately protect pedestrians in places where they have the legal right to cross the roadway, even if there is no “zebra” marking.
The question checks the section of the Traffic Rules on passing intersections and the application of clause 16.2: at regulated and unregulated intersections, a driver turning right or left is required to yield to pedestrians crossing the roadway onto which the driver is turning. An important nuance from the Traffic Rules terminology (clause 1.10): in the absence of signs or markings, a pedestrian crossing at an intersection is defined by the imaginary continuation of the lines of sidewalks or road edges, meaning a crossing “along the line of continuation of the sidewalk” is considered a pedestrian crossing for the driver.
The option that the driver is “not required” is incorrect, as it ignores the provision of clause 16.2 and mixes up the priority between vehicles with the priority of pedestrians. Instead, the correct logic is: the driver must act according to the requirement to “yield” (not force pedestrians to change speed or direction), and only then follow priority signs when interacting with other vehicles; sign 2.3 “Main Road” determines the order of passage only between vehicles and does not cancel the obligation to yield to pedestrians.
Clause 16.2
At regulated and unregulated intersections, the driver, when turning right or left, must give way to pedestrians crossing the roadway onto which he is turning, as well as to cyclists crossing it on a bicycle path.
Brief application: if pedestrians are crossing the roadway at an intersection along the line of continuation of the sidewalk (i.e., at the location of a pedestrian crossing), the driver making the turn is obliged to yield to them regardless of priority signs.
Clause 1.10 (term “Pedestrian crossing”)
Pedestrian crossing — a section of the roadway (or engineering structure) intended for pedestrian movement across the road, which is marked by road signs and/or road markings, and in their absence — is determined by the imaginary continuation of the lines of sidewalks or road shoulders at the intersection.
Brief application: the “line of continuation of the sidewalk” at an intersection, according to the Traffic Rules, is considered a pedestrian crossing even without markings/signs.
Clause 1.10 (term “Give way (do not create obstacles)”)
Give way (do not create obstacles) — a requirement for a road user not to continue or resume movement or perform any maneuver if this may force other road users who have priority to change their direction or speed.
Brief application: the driver must stop or reduce speed enough so that pedestrians do not have to change their speed/trajectory while crossing.
Clause 33.2.3 — 33 “Road signs”, 2 “Priority signs”, sign 2.3 “Main road”
Sign 2.3 “Main road” — a road that grants the right of priority passage through unregulated intersections.
Brief application: this sign determines priority between vehicles at the intersection, but does not cancel the driver’s obligation to yield to pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing (including along the imaginary continuation of the sidewalk).
That is, the correct answer is “Must always,” given that by the definition of the Traffic Rules, crossing along the line of continuation of the sidewalk is a pedestrian crossing, and according to clause 16.2, the driver when turning at an intersection is obliged to give way to pedestrians crossing it.
At an intersection, pedestrians may cross the carriageway not only at a marked zebra crossing. If they are walking along the line extending the sidewalk or shoulder across the carriageway, for the driver this also indicates a crossing area where pedestrians have the right of way.
When the white car is turning right or left, it crosses the path of pedestrians who are crossing the road onto which it is turning. It is in this situation that the requirement of paragraph 16.2 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine applies: the driver who is turning must yield to pedestrians crossing the carriageway.
It is important to understand that priority signs (for example, main road signs) regulate the order of passage between vehicles. They do not cancel the obligation to yield to pedestrians who are crossing the carriageway at the intersection along the line extending the sidewalk.
Therefore, the correct course of action for the driver of the white car is as follows: first yield to pedestrians crossing along the line extending the sidewalk, and only after that continue driving, following the intersection rules regarding other vehicles.
Thus, the correct answer is "Must always," since according to paragraph 16.2 of the Traffic Rules, when turning at an intersection, the driver is required to yield to pedestrians crossing the carriageway along the line extending the sidewalk (shoulder), regardless of the presence of priority signs.