35.132. When driving past children playing near the edge of the road, you should:
UAПроїжджаючи поруч з дітьми, які граються біля краю дороги, Вам слід:
Question without image
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine about road safety in high-risk situations when children are present near the roadway. Such situations are among the most dangerous in cities and residential areas because children's behavior is often unpredictable: they may suddenly run out after a ball, change direction, or fail to assess the actual speed of a vehicle. For the theoretical exam, it is important to understand that the driver must act proactively, creating extra time and distance to avoid a collision.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding speed, safe driving, and hazard response, specifically the requirements of point 12.3. According to this point, if there is a danger to traffic that the driver can objectively detect, they are required to immediately take measures to reduce speed up to a complete stop. Children near the edge of the road are precisely such a "source of danger" in the understanding of the Traffic Rules, so the correct action for the driver is to reduce speed in advance and be ready to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
The analysis of the answer options is logical: a sound signal alone does not guarantee safety and may frighten the child and provoke chaotic movement, so it is not a fundamentally correct solution. Increasing speed directly contradicts the requirements of safe speed and vehicle control, as it reduces reaction time and braking distance. On the other hand, reducing speed and being ready to stop completely complies with the traffic rules and real driving practice: it allows for an immediate response if a child suddenly steps onto the roadway.
Clause 12.3
In case of a danger to traffic or an obstacle that the driver can objectively detect, he must immediately take measures to reduce speed up to stopping the vehicle or safely bypassing the obstacle for other road users.
Brief application: children playing near the edge of the road are an objectively visible source of possible danger (they may suddenly run onto the roadway), so the driver must reduce speed in advance and be ready to stop.
Clause 12.1
When choosing a safe driving speed within the established limits, the driver must take into account the road situation, as well as 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.
Brief application: in an area where children are near the roadway, the safe speed should be lower than under normal conditions to ensure control and the ability to stop immediately.
Clause 2.3 (subclause "b")
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: be attentive, monitor the road 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.
Brief application: upon seeing children near the edge of the road, the driver must increase vigilance and be prepared for their unpredictable actions.
Clause 1.10 (term "Danger to traffic")
Danger to traffic — a change in the road situation (including the appearance of a moving object approaching the lane of the vehicle or that may enter it), which threatens road safety and forces the driver to reduce speed up to stopping the vehicle or to make another maneuver to ensure road safety.
Brief application: children near the edge of the road meet the criteria of an object that may suddenly enter the lane, i.e., they constitute a "danger to traffic" as defined by the Traffic Rules.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Reduce speed and be ready to completely stop the vehicle," given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, the appearance/presence near the roadway of an object that may suddenly enter the lane (children) is a danger to traffic, and the driver is obliged to immediately reduce speed up to stopping and choose a safe speed taking the situation into account.
When you approach children playing near the edge of the road, the situation immediately becomes potentially dangerous. Children may suddenly change direction, run out onto the roadway after a ball, or stop right by the traffic lane without assessing the speed of the vehicle. Therefore, the main task for the driver is to create in advance a margin of time and distance for a safe reaction.
Clause 12.3 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine requires: if there is a danger to traffic or an obstacle that the driver can objectively detect, he must immediately take measures to reduce speed up to a complete stop of the vehicle or to safely bypass the obstacle. Children near the edge of the road are exactly the kind of danger that a driver is able to notice in advance, and therefore is obliged to act proactively, not wait until someone actually runs out in front of the car.
In practice, the correct behavior looks like this: upon seeing children near the road, you reduce speed in advance, monitor their movements, keep the situation under constant attention, and drive the car in such a way that at any moment you have the ability to come to a complete stop. It is precisely the readiness for a full stop that is key, because if a child suddenly runs out, there may not be time for a "smooth" reaction.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Reduce speed and be ready to bring the vehicle to a complete stop," since according to clause 12.3, the driver, in the presence of an obvious danger (children near the roadway), is obliged to immediately reduce speed up to stopping in order to prevent a collision in case of their sudden actions.