2.18. What is the driver required to do before setting off?
UAЩо зобов'язаний зробити водій перед виїздом?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine checks the driver’s basic pre-trip responsibility and road safety: before starting to drive, it is necessary to make sure that the vehicle will not pose a danger to other road users. Such a check reduces the risk of accidents due to technical malfunctions, improper equipment, or incorrectly secured cargo, which may shift, fall onto the road, or impair handling.
The question belongs to Section 2 of the Traffic Rules, specifically to item 2.3 (a) “Duties and rights of drivers of motor vehicles.” This rule is often included in the theoretical exam because it directly establishes that before departure, the driver must check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, emergency stop sign/light), as well as the correct placement and securing of cargo. In other words, this is not a formality, but a duty to ensure the proper functioning of key systems (brakes, steering, tires, absence of leaks) and the safe transportation of items.
The analysis of the answer options comes down to the fact that the correct one is the one that fully reproduces the requirement of item 2.3 (a) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine: to check serviceability, completeness, and cargo. The option about a pump and tow rope seems logical as a recommendation, but in this exam wording, it is not a complete answer to the duty defined by the traffic rules and does not replace the list established in the Rules. Therefore, the option “all of the above” is also not suitable: it ties correctness to the item about the pump and rope, which is not a mandatory component of the answer under 2.3 (a).
Clause 2.3 a)
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: a) before departure, check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle, as well as the correct placement and securing of the cargo.
This subclause directly establishes the driver's obligation, specifically before starting to drive (before departure), to check the serviceability and completeness of the vehicle, as well as the correct placement and securing of the cargo.
That is, the correct answer is "To check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle, the correct placement and securing of the cargo," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, clause 2.3 a) directly obliges the driver to perform these actions before departure to ensure road safety.
Before setting off, the driver assumes responsibility for traffic safety, since a vehicle is a source of increased danger. Therefore, the Rules require not just to “get in and drive,” but to make sure that the car will not pose a risk to the driver, passengers, or other road users.
Clause 2.3 (a) of the Traffic Rules directly states the driver’s duty to check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle before departure. In practice, this means that the driver must at least visually make sure that the brakes and steering are in good working order, the tires are in normal condition, and there are no leaks of operating fluids. If there are obvious signs of malfunction, it is not allowed to drive until the problem is fixed.
The Rules separately emphasize the “completeness” of the vehicle. That is, before the trip, the driver must check for the presence of mandatory items, in particular a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and emergency stop sign (or lamp). This is not a formality: in a real situation, these items may be needed immediately, and their absence creates additional danger and violates the requirements of the Traffic Rules.
If the car is carrying cargo, the driver’s duty before departure also includes checking the correct placement and secure fastening of the load. The cargo must not shift during movement, fall onto the road, obstruct visibility, affect the stability of the car, or cover the lights. For example, an insecurely fastened item in a roof trunk may shift during braking or turning and create an emergency situation.
Therefore, the correct answer is “Check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle, as well as the correct placement and fastening of the cargo,” since this is exactly what clause 2.3 (a) of the Traffic Rules directly requires before starting to drive: the driver must make sure the car is in good working order, has the required equipment, and that cargo is transported safely.