33.1.42. Which of the following road signs indicates the direction of a turn?
UAЯкий з наведених дорожніх знаків вказує напрямок повороту?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests the understanding of warning road signs and the ability to distinguish signs that only warn of danger from those that clearly indicate the trajectory of movement. In real conditions, this directly affects safety: correctly reading the “direction of turn” helps to choose the lane in advance, reduce speed, and perform the maneuver smoothly, especially on turns, near obstacles, or when approaching intersections.
In terms of content, this question belongs to section 33 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine “Road Signs”, subsection 1 “Warning Signs”, and specifically tests knowledge of the purpose of sign 1.4.1 “Direction of Turn”. In the theoretical exam, it is important to remember: triangular warning signs (such as “Dangerous Turn” or “Multiple Turns”) notify about a dangerous section ahead, but do not serve as an indicator of exactly where the road “leads” at a specific point. In contrast, sign 1.4.1 precisely shows the direction of the road’s turn (or the direction to bypass an obstacle or central island at a roundabout), that is, it corresponds to the essence of the phrase “direction of turn”.
When analyzing the answer options, it is worth thinking according to the purpose of the signs: sign 1.2 “Dangerous Left Turn” warns of a curve with a small radius or limited visibility; sign 1.3.2 “Multiple Turns” warns of a series of dangerous turns with the first to the left; sign 1.40 “End of Road with Improved Surface” refers to a change in the type of road surface. The only sign that not only warns but also clearly indicates the direction of deviation of the trajectory of movement is 1.4.1 “Direction of Turn”, so the correct answer in this ticket is the option with the corresponding image.
Clause 33.1 — 33 "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs" (general requirements for installation)
Warning road signs, except for signs 1.4.1–1.4.7, 1.29, 1.30, 1.31.1–1.31.6, are installed outside populated areas at a distance of 150–300 m, and within populated areas at a distance of 50–100 m before the start of a dangerous section. If necessary, the signs may be installed at a different distance, which is indicated on plate 7.1.1 "Distance to the object".
Clause 33.1 — 33 "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs", sign 1.4.1 "Direction of turn"
Sign 1.4.1 "Direction of turn" (movement to the right) indicates the direction of the road turn, marked by signs 1.1 "Dangerous right turn", the direction of bypassing an obstacle on the road, and, in addition, the direction of bypassing the center of a roundabout. On turns with a radius of less than 1000 m outside populated areas and less than 250 m within populated areas, it is allowed to use a sign that represents a part of sign 1.4.1 (a single arrow). In this case, it must be repeated along the turn at a distance from 3 m to 85 m depending on the radius of the turn.
Short application: this sign does not "warn about a dangerous turn", but "shows the direction of the turn/bypass", that is, it serves as a direction indicator.
Clause 33.1 — 33 "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs", sign 1.2 "Dangerous left turn"
Sign 1.2 "Dangerous left turn" warns about a road curve with a radius of less than 500 m outside populated areas and less than 150 m within populated areas, or about a curve with limited visibility. The sign is installed outside populated areas at a distance of 150–300 m, and within populated areas at a distance of 50–100 m before the start of a dangerous section. If necessary, the sign may be installed at a different distance, which is indicated on plate 7.1.1 "Distance to the object".
Short application: this is a warning sign about a dangerous curve, not a direction indicator for the turn.
Clause 33.1 — 33 "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs", sign 1.3.2 "Multiple turns"
Sign 1.3.2 "Multiple turns" marks a section of road with two or more consecutive dangerous turns, with the first turn to the left. The sign is installed outside populated areas at a distance of 150–300 m, and within populated areas at a distance of 50–100 m before the start of a dangerous section. If necessary, the sign may be installed at a different distance, which is indicated on plate 7.1.1 "Distance to the object". If there are three or more consecutive turns, plate 7.10 "Number of turns" is used together with the sign, indicating the number of turns; it is also allowed to indicate the number of turns on the sign itself.
Short application: the sign warns about a series of dangerous turns, but does not show the direction of the turn as an indicator.
Clause 33.1 — 33 "Road signs", 1 "Warning signs", sign 1.40 "End of improved road surface"
Sign 1.40 "End of improved road surface" informs about the transition from an improved road surface to a gravel or dirt road.
Short application: the sign concerns the type of road surface, not a turn/direction of turn.
Thus, the correct answer is "Sign 3.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, it is sign 1.4.1 "Direction of turn" that shows the direction of the road turn (direction of bypass), while the other signs listed only warn about the danger of turns or inform about a change in road surface.
The key word in the question is specifically “direction of the turn.” That is, you need to find the sign that not only warns about a turn or a series of turns, but directly shows where the road turns or how to bypass an obstacle.
Signs that are shaped like a triangle with a red border (for example, “dangerous turn” or “several turns”) serve a different purpose: they only warn about danger ahead. They inform you that there will soon be a curve in the road or several consecutive turns, but they are not signs that “indicate the direction of the turn” as a specific requirement in their name and purpose.
According to section 33 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, sign 1.4.1 “Direction of the turn” is used specifically to indicate the direction in which the road turns (in this case, to the right), as well as to indicate the direction for bypassing an obstacle or passing around a central island at a roundabout. That is, its purpose is not to warn about a curve, but to clearly show which way the trajectory of movement should deviate.
Therefore, the correct answer is “Sign 3.”, because it is sign 1.4.1 “Direction of the turn” and directly shows which way the road turns (or how to perform the bypass).