35.129. A friend lends you a vehicle that seats ten people including the driver. Is a category B driving license sufficient for you to drive such a vehicle?
UAДруг позичає вам транспортний засіб, який вміщує десять осіб разом з водієм. Чи достатньо Вам посвідчення на право керування транспортним засобом категорії B, щоб керувати таким транспортним засобом?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety and the legality of operating a vehicle: a driver is allowed to drive only those vehicle categories that match the technical specifications of the car. In the theoretical exam, such tasks test attentiveness to formal criteria (number of seats, weight, purpose of the vehicle), since a mistake in the license category is equivalent to driving without the proper authorization.
The question checks the section of the Traffic Rules regarding vehicle categories and driver's licenses, specifically point 2.13 (category "B"). Category B allows you to drive cars with no more than eight seats, excluding the driver's seat, that is, a maximum of 9 seats including the driver. If the vehicle is designed for 10 people including the driver, this means 9 passenger seats, and thus it exceeds the limits of "B" and, by the number of seats, corresponds at least to category D1 (passenger vehicles up to 16 seats, excluding the driver).
The explanation of the answer options comes down to a simple rule: it would be "sufficient" only if the documents and design provide for no more than 8 passenger seats. The option "insufficient" is correct, because the key criterion in the traffic rules is precisely the number of seats according to the technical data, not the actual number of people in the cabin; even a trip without passengers does not change the category requirement. In practice, this helps to avoid fines and risks to insurance coverage and confirms that the driver has the necessary training to operate a minibus/bus.
Clause 2.13 (category "B")
"B" — cars with a maximum permitted mass not exceeding 3,500 kilograms (7,700 pounds), and the number of seats, excluding the driver's seat, is eight; combinations of vehicles with a category B tractor and a trailer with a total mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.
Explanation of application: if the vehicle has 10 seats including the driver, this means 9 seats excluding the driver’s seat, which exceeds "eight" for category "B", therefore "B" is not suitable by the criterion of the number of seats.
Clause 2.13 (category "D1")
"D1" — buses designed for the carriage of passengers, in which the number of seats, excluding the driver's seat, does not exceed 16; combinations of vehicles with a category D1 tractor and a trailer with a total mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.
Explanation of application: a vehicle with 10 seats (including the driver) by the number of seats corresponds to category "D1" (up to 16 seats, excluding the driver), and not to category "B".
That is, the correct answer is "Not sufficient.", given that by the definition of the Traffic Rules, category "B" is limited to 8 seats (excluding the driver), and a vehicle for 10 persons (including the driver) has 9 such seats and belongs at least to "D1".
When someone lends you a car, the required license category depends not on "how many people can theoretically fit," but on how many seats are specified in the vehicle’s documents and design. This number determines the category of the vehicle.
According to clause 2.13 [B] of the Traffic Rules, category B allows you to drive vehicles with no more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat. That is, the maximum for category B is 8 passenger seats plus the driver’s seat, totaling 9 seats.
The question states that the vehicle accommodates ten people including the driver, meaning there are 10 seats including the driver’s. This is already more than allowed for category B. Such vehicles are classified as passenger vehicles (minibuses/buses) and require a different category, specifically D1 (when there are up to 16 seats in addition to the driver’s seat).
It is important to understand: even if you drive such a vehicle alone, without passengers, the license category requirement is still determined by the number of seats in the vehicle, not by the actual number of people in the cabin.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Not sufficient," because category B only allows you to drive vehicles with up to 9 seats including the driver, and a 10-seat vehicle already requires category D1 (or D).