31.3. Is it permitted to drive to the place of repair or parking at night with malfunctioning headlights and rear position lamps?
UAЧи дозволяється рух до місця ремонту або стоянки в темний час доби з несправними фарами і задніми габаритними вогнями?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety at night and the visibility of a vehicle on the road. Working headlights and rear position lights are needed not only so the driver can see the road, but also so that other road users can notice the vehicle ahead and behind in time. That is why the traffic rules pay special attention to this topic: faulty lighting equipment at night sharply increases the risk of collision and rear-end accidents.
This checks the section of the Traffic Rules regarding the technical condition and operation of vehicles, specifically clauses 31.4.6, 31.5, and 31.6. The logic is as follows: in general, the rules allow movement by the shortest route to a place of parking or repair in case of certain malfunctions (clause 31.5), but there are exceptions when further movement is strictly prohibited. These include situations when, at night or in conditions of insufficient visibility, the headlights or rear position lights do not work (clause 31.6), and the concept of nighttime is defined in clause 1.10.
The answer option that prohibits movement only on roads without artificial lighting is incorrect because the prohibition in clause 31.6 is not tied to the presence of streetlights along the road: what matters is the very fact of driving at night or in poor visibility without working headlights or position lights. The option that allows movement contradicts the direct rule of the Traffic Rules, since "driving to repair" in this case is not allowed due to the exception in clause 31.5. In the theoretical exam, it is important to remember the practical conclusion: in such a malfunction at night, you must stop moving and ensure the vehicle is delivered to repair or parking without creating danger for others.
Clause 31.6
Further movement of vehicles is prohibited if: a) the service braking system or steering does not allow the driver to stop the vehicle or make a maneuver while driving at minimum speed; b) at night or in conditions of insufficient visibility, the headlamps or rear position lamps are not lit; c) during rain or snowfall, the wiper on the driver's side does not work; d) the coupling device of the road train is damaged.
Application: if at night the headlamps or rear position lamps do not work, "further movement" is strictly prohibited, regardless of the purpose of the trip (even to the place of repair or parking).
Clause 31.5
If malfunctions specified in clause 31.4 of these Rules occur on the road, the driver must take measures to eliminate them, and if this is not possible — proceed by the shortest route to the place of parking or repair, observing safety measures, except for the cases provided for in clause 31.6 of these Rules.
Application: in general, the Traffic Rules allow movement "to the place of repair or parking" in case of malfunctions from clause 31.4, but make an exception — in cases under clause 31.6 (in particular, when at night the headlamps/rear position lamps are not lit) movement is prohibited.
Clause 31.4.6
External lighting devices (headlamps, rear position lamps, etc.) must be in good working order and comply with the requirements of the Rules; the presence of malfunctions of external lighting devices is considered a technical malfunction for which the operation of the vehicle is prohibited (taking into account the restrictions of clauses 31.5–31.6).
Application: malfunction of the headlamps and rear position lamps is classified as a technical malfunction, and the possibility/impossibility of "driving to repair" is determined by clause 31.5 and the direct prohibition of clause 31.6(b) at night.
Clause 1.10 (term "Night time")
Night time — the part of the day from sunset to sunrise.
Application: the condition of the question ("at night") directly falls under the definition of the Traffic Rules, and therefore the prohibition from clause 31.6(b) applies.
That is, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, at night further movement with such malfunctions (headlamps or rear position lamps are not lit) is directly prohibited by clause 31.6(b), and the exception "to the place of repair or parking" from clause 31.5 does not apply to these cases.
At night, that is, from sunset to sunrise, a vehicle must be clearly visible to other road users and at the same time must illuminate the road ahead. This is exactly what headlights and rear position lights are for: they make your vehicle visible on the road and allow you to safely assess the situation.
Clause 31.4.6 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine classifies malfunctions of external lighting devices at night as those under which further movement is not allowed. That is, if at night the headlights or rear position lights do not work, this is no longer a situation of “you may carefully drive to the place of repair,” but a reason for prohibiting movement.
The logic of this prohibition is simple and related to safety. Without headlights, the driver sees the road, pedestrians, obstacles, and markings worse, and without rear position lights, other drivers from behind may notice the car too late and collide with it. For example, at night on an unlit section of the road, a car without rear position lights is perceived as an “invisible” obstacle, and the risk of a rear-end collision increases sharply.
In such a situation, the correct decision is not to continue driving on your own, but to ensure the vehicle is delivered to the place of repair or parking by other means, so as not to create a danger on the road.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," because at night faulty headlights or rear position lights are a dangerous malfunction, under which the Traffic Rules do not allow further movement even to the place of repair or parking.