35.130. While driving in a traffic jam, you slow down as you approach a cyclist. Drivers behind you are honking, demanding that you move faster and overtake the cyclist. What should you do?
UAРухаючись у заторі Ви сповільнюєте рух, наближаючись до велосипедиста. Водії позаду сигналять, вимагаючи від Вас рухатись швидше та обігнати велосипедиста. Ваші дії:
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine about safety when driving in dense traffic and interacting with vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists. The situation is typical for traffic jams: other drivers may pressure you with horn signals, but this does not cancel the obligation to drive calmly, attentively, and safely. In the theoretical exam, it is checked whether the driver can prioritize safety over "hurry" and avoid making risky decisions under the influence of emotions or external demands.
The question tests sections of the Traffic Rules regarding overtaking and maneuvering, choosing a safe speed, distance and interval, as well as the driver's duty not to create danger (the concept of overtaking, conditions for its execution, maneuver safety, use of sound signals). The logic is as follows: overtaking is allowed only when the driver is sure that the maneuver will not create obstacles or threats, there is enough space and visibility, there are no prohibitions by markings or signs, and the lateral interval with the cyclist can be maintained without "squeezing" within the traffic jam.
The option of accelerating and immediately overtaking is incorrect, because being pressured by horn signals is not a reason to violate the traffic rules or perform a maneuver without confidence in its safety. A complete stop "to let the cyclist go" is also not a universally correct action: in a traffic jam, it can create an obstacle to the flow and provoke dangerous situations behind, if there is no real need to stop. The correct approach for this exam question: remain calm, reduce speed to a safe level, keep your distance, and overtake only when conditions allow you to do so safely and without violating the Traffic Rules of Ukraine.
Clause 1.10 (term "Overtaking")
Overtaking — passing one or more vehicles, involving moving into the oncoming traffic lane.
Explanation: the question directly concerns overtaking a cyclist, i.e., a maneuver that is allowed only under safe conditions and in compliance with the Traffic Rules.
Clause 2.3 (subclauses "b", "d")
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: b) be attentive, monitor the traffic situation, respond appropriately to its changes, monitor the correct placement and securing of cargo, the technical condition of the vehicle, and not be distracted from driving while on the road; f) not create a threat to road safety by their actions.
Explanation: the sound signals from drivers behind are not a reason to "hurry" and perform a maneuver that may create danger for the cyclist and other road users.
Clause 10.1
Before starting to move, changing lanes, turning (U-turn), or stopping, the driver must make sure that it will be safe and will not create obstacles or danger to other road users.
Explanation: overtaking (as a maneuver involving leaving one's lane/trajectory) is allowed only after ensuring the safety of the action, not "under pressure" from signals behind.
Clause 12.1
When choosing a safe speed within the established limits, the driver must take into account the traffic situation, the characteristics of the cargo being transported, and the condition of the vehicle, in order to be able to constantly control its movement and drive it safely.
Explanation: in a traffic jam and when approaching a cyclist, the speed must be safe, even if other drivers demand to go faster.
Clause 12.3
If a danger to traffic or an obstacle arises, which the driver can objectively detect, they must immediately take measures to reduce speed up to stopping the vehicle or safely bypassing the obstacle for other road users.
Explanation: a cyclist ahead in dense traffic actually requires increased caution (reducing speed/being ready to stop), not risky overtaking.
Clause 13.1
Depending on the speed, traffic situation, cargo characteristics, and vehicle condition, the driver must maintain a safe distance and safe lateral interval.
Explanation: when approaching a cyclist, you must maintain a safe distance and lateral interval; if it is not possible to ensure them during overtaking, overtaking is not allowed.
Clause 14.2
Before starting to overtake, the driver must make sure that: 1) the lane they intend to enter is free at a sufficient distance for overtaking and that during overtaking they will not create danger or obstacles for other road users; 2) the vehicle moving behind in this lane has not started overtaking; 3) the driver of the vehicle moving ahead in the same lane has not signaled their intention to turn (change lanes) to the left.
Explanation: the key rule for the answer — overtaking is allowed only after checking all safety conditions, regardless of whether you are being "hurried" by sound signals.
Clause 9.5
Sound signals may be used only: a) to warn other road users of danger; b) outside populated areas to warn the driver being overtaken of the intention to overtake.
Explanation: "honking" to force someone to violate or take risks is not a legitimate reason for your actions; your priority is to comply with safety requirements.
Thus, the correct answer is "Remain calm and overtake the cyclist when it is safe to do so," given that, according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, overtaking is a maneuver allowed only after ensuring its safety (clauses 10.1, 14.2) and subject to maintaining a safe speed, distance, and interval (clauses 12.1, 12.3, 13.1), without creating a threat to other road users (clause 2.3).
In a traffic jam, you are moving slowly and catching up with a cyclist. At this moment, it is important to remember that the driver is obliged to operate the vehicle in such a way that their actions are safe and predictable for other road users. The cyclist is a full participant in road traffic, and therefore your behavior must take their safety into account just as much as the safety of the cars nearby.
When drivers behind you start honking and urging you to overtake, this is not a reason for a risky maneuver. A sound signal does not cancel the requirements of the Rules and does not make overtaking permitted or safe. The driver is expected to show restraint: you make the decision to overtake based on the traffic situation, not under psychological pressure from other drivers.
Overtaking is allowed only when it can be performed without creating danger or obstacles for others. In practice, this means there must be enough space for a safe interval, there must be no prohibitions by markings or signs, and you must clearly see that the maneuver will not force either the cyclist or other drivers to sharply change speed or direction. In a traffic jam, there is often not enough space, and the flow may move unevenly, so trying to "slip past" the cyclist at the demand of those honking creates unnecessary risk.
The correct tactic here is simple: reduce your speed, keep a safe distance from the cyclist, and wait for a moment when there is a real opportunity to overtake without violations and without danger. For example, when the flow provides a sufficient lateral interval, there are no overtaking prohibitions, and you can perform the maneuver smoothly, without squeezing the cyclist or forcing other road users to react urgently.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Remain calm and overtake the cyclist when it is safe to do so," since the decision to overtake is made only under conditions where the maneuver is permitted and does not create danger, and signals from behind are not a reason to violate the traffic rules or take risks.