27.11. Is it permitted for vehicles to make a U-turn on a motorway?
UAЧи дозволяється транспортним засобам виконувати розворот на автомагістралі?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety on high-speed roads, where any maneuvers involving sudden changes of direction or speed create critical risks. A motorway is designed for uninterrupted movement at increased speed with a minimal number of conflict points, so the traffic rules set special restrictions for it, which are important to know for the theoretical exam.
The question tests knowledge of Section 27 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, Motorways and Roads for Motor Vehicles, specifically clause 27.2 (d), which directly prohibits U-turns and reversing on motorways. The beginning of these special requirements is indicated by sign 5.1 Motorway (Section 33 Road Signs), so on any section marked with this sign, U-turns are not allowed even in technological breaks in the median strip.
Options suggesting that the maneuver is possible under conditions of good visibility or without additional conditions are incorrect, as they contradict the direct rule of the Traffic Rules and ignore the real risks of high-speed traffic. On a motorway, making a U-turn requires taking a left position, reducing speed, and crossing traffic trajectories, and in high-speed conditions, this sharply increases the likelihood of rear-end or side collisions. In practice, the correct action if you miss the required exit is to continue driving to the nearest interchange or a permitted place to change direction outside the motorway.
Clause 27.2 (d) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine
On motorways, it is prohibited to: (d) make a U-turn and drive in reverse.
Explanation of application: if a section of the road is a motorway (marked with the appropriate sign), any U-turn on it is prohibited, including in the technological gaps of the median strip.
Clause 33.5.1 — 33 "Road signs", 5 "Informational and guiding signs", sign 5.1 "Motorway"
"Motorway" — a road on which special traffic conditions established by Section 27 of these Rules apply.
Explanation of application: it is sign 5.1 that determines the beginning of the section where the special prohibitions of Section 27 apply, in particular the prohibition of U-turns according to clause 27.2 (d).
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that U-turns are expressly prohibited on motorways by clause 27.2 (d) of the Traffic Rules, and the effect of these requirements is determined by sign 5.1 "Motorway".
A motorway is designed for continuous movement at increased speed and with a minimum number of conflict points. Therefore, any maneuvers that require a sharp reduction in speed, lane crossing, or a change in the direction of movement are extremely dangerous on it.
U-turns belong precisely to such maneuvers: the driver must take the leftmost position, reduce speed, and change the direction of movement to the opposite. On a motorway, the far left lane is a high-speed lane, and vehicles approach quickly from behind. In such a situation, a vehicle starting a U-turn creates a speed difference and the risk of a rear-end collision, as well as the danger of a side collision when crossing lanes.
Sometimes drivers mistakenly believe that it is possible to make a U-turn in a technological gap in the median strip. But such gaps are not intended for U-turns by regular vehicles, and the mere presence of a gap does not make the maneuver permitted. That is why the Traffic Rules directly establish a prohibition: according to paragraph 27.2 (d), U-turns on a motorway are not allowed.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since paragraph 27.2 (d) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine directly prohibits U-turns on a motorway due to the increased danger of such a maneuver under high-speed traffic conditions.