21.11. When transporting a child under the age of three in a passenger car in the front seat, child restraint systems shall be installed:
UAУ разі перевезення дитини віком до трьох років у легковому автомобілі на місці для сидіння першого ряду, дитячі утримуючі системи встановлюються:
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the safety of transporting children in a passenger car and the correct use of child restraint systems. The topic is directly related to the prevention of injuries in road accidents, as for the youngest passengers, the position of the car seat and interaction with the vehicle’s passive safety elements are critical.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding the transportation of passengers and children, specifically the requirements of clause 21.13. The general rule is: child restraint systems are not installed in the first row of seats. However, the Traffic Rules provide an exception for a child under the age of three: if the child is transported in the first row seat, only the option of installing the restraint system facing against the direction of travel is allowed, and if there is a front airbag at this seat, it must be deactivated. This exception is the key to the correct answer on the theoretical exam.
The option of installing the seat facing the direction of travel does not meet the conditions of the exception in clause 21.13 for the first row, so in the context of this exam question, it is incorrect. Instead, installation against the direction of travel is explicitly provided for by the traffic rules as the only permissible option for a child under 3 years old in the front seat: in this way, the back of the seat better absorbs the load during sudden braking or collision, reducing the risk of dangerous forward movement of the child. It is also important to focus on the wording of the task, as illustrations in tests sometimes do not reflect the exact case being checked by the rules.
Clause 21.13
Child restraint systems are installed on seats other than the first row. When transporting a child under the age of three in a passenger car on a first-row seat, it is allowed to install child restraint systems that are installed against the direction of travel with the mandatory deactivation of the front airbag for that seat (if present).
Explanation of application: the question checks the exception to the general rule regarding the first row — for a child under 3 years old in the front seat, only such a child restraint system is allowed that is installed against the direction of travel (and, if present, with the deactivation of the front airbag).
That is, the correct answer is "Against the direction of travel of the passenger car," given that according to the definition in Clause 21.13 of the Traffic Rules, it is directly permitted to install a child restraint system on a first-row seat for a child under three years old only if it is installed against the direction of travel (and with the deactivation of the front airbag, if present).
As a general rule, child restraint systems in a passenger car are installed on seats other than those in the first row. That is, the front passenger seat is not a “regular” place for installing a child seat.
At the same time, clause 21.13 of the Traffic Rules provides an exception: if a child under the age of three is transported specifically on a first-row seat, this is allowed only under certain conditions. The key requirement of this exception is that the restraint system must be installed facing against the direction of travel of the vehicle.
The logic behind this rule is related to safety: in the event of sudden braking or a collision, the child together with the seat should not “fall” forward under the force of inertia. When the seat is positioned against the direction of travel, the back of the seat absorbs the load, and the child is better held in the correct position. Separately, the Traffic Rules also require that the front airbag at this seat must be deactivated if present, but the question itself specifically checks the direction of installation.
It is also worth remembering that in exam questions, the illustration may sometimes not reflect the exact case described in the text. Therefore, focus on the wording of the question: it concerns a child under three years old and the installation of a restraint system on the front seat, and for this, the Traffic Rules allow only one orientation of the seat.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Against the direction of travel of the passenger car," since for transporting a child under three years old on a first-row seat, the Traffic Rules allow the installation of a restraint system only in the position against the direction of travel.