35.154. Is it permitted for passengers to open the doors of a vehicle before it has stopped?
UAЧи дозволено пасажирам відчиняти двері транспортного засобу до його зупинки?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests the basic principles of safety during passenger boarding and alighting. Premature opening of doors creates a direct risk of a traffic accident: the doors may end up in the path of other vehicles, motorcycles, or cyclists, and the passenger may step onto the roadway before the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
According to the traffic rules, section "Duties and rights of passengers," clause 5.3 (b), a passenger is prohibited from opening the doors until they have ensured that the vehicle has stopped in a safe place for disembarkation (near a sidewalk, boarding platform, edge of the roadway, or on the shoulder). This requirement is the basis for the correct answer on the theoretical exam: first, a complete stop in a permitted place, and only then may the doors be opened and the passenger exit.
The analysis of the options in the ticket is simple: the prohibition is a direct rule of the traffic code, so it is correct. The wording "allowed if there are no other vehicles nearby" does not comply with the rule, because the passenger should not rely on a subjective assessment of "none/there are," but on the fact of a complete stop in a safe place. Permission "in any case" also contradicts the requirements of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine and ignores the risks to other road users, so in theory such an answer should be immediately rejected.
Clause 5.3 (b)
Passengers are prohibited from: opening the doors of the vehicle without making sure that it has stopped near the sidewalk, boarding platform, edge of the carriageway, or on the roadside.
Explanation of application: the requirement "making sure that it has stopped" means that opening the doors while the vehicle is moving or before it comes to a complete stop is not allowed.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, a passenger does not have the right to open the doors until they are sure the vehicle has stopped in a permitted place (near the sidewalk/boarding platform/edge of the carriageway/on the roadside).
During the trip, the passenger is just as responsible for safe behavior as the driver. One of the basic requirements is not to create danger for other road users by your actions inside the vehicle and when exiting it.
According to clause 5.3 [b], the passenger is not allowed to open the door until they have made sure that the vehicle has stopped in a safe place for disembarking: near the sidewalk, a boarding platform, the edge of the carriageway, or on the shoulder. The logic is simple: if the car is still rolling or just braking, the situation around is constantly changing, and an open door can immediately end up in the path of other vehicles or pedestrians.
In practice, this looks like the following: while approaching a stop or the edge of the road, a passenger who opens the door prematurely may hit a cyclist, motorcyclist, or a passing car. It is equally dangerous to open the door when the car is not yet close to the curb: the passenger may step directly onto the roadway or into an area where others are moving.
Therefore, the rule comes down to a clear requirement: first, a complete stop in a safe place, and only then opening the door and exiting.
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since the passenger has the right to open the door only after the vehicle has stopped in a safe place, so as not to create a threat to other road users.