35.135. When you see elderly people on the road or near it, you must:
UAКоли Ви бачите людей похилого віку на дорозі або біля неї, Вам необхідно:
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety and the correct driver response to the appearance of vulnerable road users. In real-life situations, elderly pedestrians may move slowly, make unexpected steps toward the roadway, or misjudge the speed of a vehicle, so the main goal of the driver is to reduce the risk of collision in advance and have enough time to brake.
The question tests knowledge of the general requirements and duties of road users according to the traffic rules, in particular point 1.7 (special caution regarding children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities) and the logic of point 12.3 (when a danger is detected, it is necessary to immediately reduce speed up to a complete stop). For the theoretical exam, it is important to understand that "special caution" means not just formal attentiveness, but real actions: reducing speed, controlling distance, and being ready to bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
The analysis of the answer options shows why a comprehensive approach is correct. The advice to reduce speed by only 5–10 km/h is conditional and does not guarantee safety, because the required speed depends on the situation, visibility, and the pedestrian's behavior. Ignoring elderly people contradicts the requirements of the traffic rules and increases the likelihood of an accident. Instead, caution with early speed reduction and readiness for a complete stop best matches the content of the rules and practical road safety.
Clause 1.7
Drivers are required to be especially attentive to such categories of road users as cyclists, persons moving in wheelchairs, and pedestrians. All road users must be especially cautious towards children, elderly people, and persons with obvious signs of disability.
Application: the appearance of elderly people on or near the roadway requires the driver to exercise increased attention and caution due to the possible unpredictability of their actions.
Clause 12.3
In the event of a traffic hazard or 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.
Application: elderly people on or near the road are a potential traffic hazard, so the driver must reduce speed and be prepared to stop.
That is, the correct answer is: "You must be cautious, reduce your speed, and be ready to bring the vehicle to a complete stop," considering that according to the Traffic Rules, road users must be especially cautious towards elderly people (clause 1.7), and when a hazard appears, the driver is required to reduce speed up to a complete stop (clause 12.3).
When a driver sees elderly people on the roadway or near it, they must immediately assess the situation as potentially dangerous. Such pedestrians may move more slowly, make short stops, suddenly change direction, or begin to cross the road without making sure it is safe. In addition, due to possible age-related vision, hearing, and reaction characteristics, they may not notice a vehicle in time or may misjudge its speed.
The Traffic Rules in point 1.7 require all road users to be especially cautious regarding elderly people. For the driver, this means not just “looking more attentively,” but actually changing their behavior: increasing readiness to brake, choosing a safer driving mode, and not relying on predictable actions from the pedestrian.
In practice, this looks as follows: if an elderly person is standing at the edge of the road or approaching a crossing, the driver should reduce speed in advance so that, in case the pedestrian steps onto the roadway, it is possible to stop safely. Even if the pedestrian is not yet on the road, the very fact of their close presence is a signal of a possible change in the situation in the next few seconds.
It is also important to remember the general requirement: when there is a danger to traffic that the driver is able to detect, they must immediately take measures to reduce speed, up to a complete stop. An elderly person near the roadway creates just such a foreseeable danger, so the correct action for the driver is to prepare for a complete stop, not to “rush through” at an unchanged speed.
Therefore, the correct answer is: "You must be cautious, reduce speed, and be prepared to bring the vehicle to a complete stop," since the Traffic Rules require special caution regarding elderly people, and when there is potential danger, the driver must reduce speed up to a complete stop to avoid a collision.