33.3.61. Is the tractor driver allowed to overtake in the depicted situation if the vehicle ahead is moving at a speed of less than 30 km/h?
UAЧи дозволено водієві трактора виконати обгін у зображеній ситуації, якщо автомобіль, що їде попереду, рухається зі швидкістю менш ніж 30 км/год.?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests knowledge of safe maneuvering on the road and the ability to correctly interpret prohibitory road signs. Such situations are especially important for the theoretical exam, as overtaking is one of the most risky actions: it involves entering the oncoming lane and requires a clear understanding of when the traffic rules allow or prohibit the maneuver.
According to the content of the ticket, the key section is Section 33 of the Traffic Rules, "Road Signs," specifically sign 3.27 "No overtaking for trucks." An important detail: this sign sets different restrictions for different types of vehicles. For trucks over 3.5 tons, there is an exception for "single" vehicles moving slower than 30 km/h, but for tractors the rule is different: they are prohibited from overtaking vehicles except for single bicycles and horse-drawn carts (sledges). Therefore, the speed of the car ahead does not change the conclusion: for a tractor, overtaking a motor vehicle within the area of this sign is not allowed.
The analysis of answer options in such tasks comes down to checking whether the exceptions are correctly applied. The "allowed" option may seem attractive due to the mention of a speed less than 30 km/h, but this exception does not apply to tractors. Instead, the "prohibited" option corresponds to the direct wording of sign 3.27 in the traffic rules and helps avoid common mistakes in practice, when drivers confuse overtaking with simple passing and misinterpret restrictions for different categories of vehicles.
Clause 1.10 (term “Overtaking”)
Overtaking is the passing of one or more vehicles involving entry into the oncoming traffic lane.
Brief application: the question specifically concerns the “overtaking” maneuver, so it is important to understand that this is not just passing, but passing with entry into the oncoming traffic lane (where separate prohibitions apply, including by signs).
Clause 33.3.27 — 33 “Road signs”, 3 “Prohibitory signs”, sign 3.27 “Overtaking by trucks prohibited”
Sign 3.27 “Overtaking by trucks prohibited” forbids trucks with a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 t from overtaking any vehicles (except for single vehicles moving at less than 30 km/h). Tractors are prohibited from overtaking any vehicles except for single bicycles and horse-drawn carts (sledges).
The area of effect of the sign is from the place of installation to the nearest intersection beyond it, and in populated areas where there are no intersections, up to the end of the populated area. The effect of the sign is not interrupted at places where roads from adjacent territories join the road, or at intersections (junctions) with field, forest, and other unpaved roads where no priority signs are installed. The area of effect of the sign may be reduced by installing sign 3.28 “End of overtaking prohibition for trucks” at the end of the area.
Brief application: the exception “it is allowed to overtake single vehicles moving at less than 30 km/h” applies to trucks (>3.5 t), but for tractors, this sign directly establishes a separate prohibition — overtaking of all vehicles except for single bicycles and horse-drawn carts (sledges). A passenger car does not fall under these exceptions for a tractor, regardless of its speed (even if it is less than 30 km/h).
Therefore, the correct answer is “Prohibited.”, considering that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, within the area of effect of sign 3.27, tractors are prohibited from overtaking motor vehicles (including passenger cars), and the “< 30 km/h” exception does not apply to tractors.
In the depicted situation, the tractor is moving behind a passenger car and plans to overtake. At the same time, a prohibitory sign 3.27 "Overtaking by trucks is prohibited" (section 33 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine) is installed on this section, and it is this sign that determines whether overtaking is allowed.
The peculiarity of this sign is that it contains separate rules for different types of vehicles. For trucks with a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 tons, there is an exception: they are allowed to overtake a single vehicle moving at a speed of less than 30 km/h. It is this exception that is often noted in the question.
But for tractors, the Traffic Rules establish a different restriction: in the area of sign 3.27, tractors are prohibited from overtaking vehicles, except for single bicycles and animal-drawn carts (sledges). A passenger car does not fall under these exceptions, so overtaking by the tractor is not allowed here regardless of the speed of the vehicle ahead, even if it is less than 30 km/h.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since in the area of sign 3.27, tractors are not allowed to overtake passenger cars, and the exception regarding speeds below 30 km/h applies not to tractors, but to trucks over 3.5 tons.