35.52. Must you finish signaling with the direction indicator immediately while performing the turning maneuver?
UAВи повинні закінчити подавання сигналу світловим покажчиком повороту безпосередньо під час виконання маневру повороту?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety and proper communication between drivers during maneuvers. Turn signals are not just a formality; they are needed so that other road users can clearly understand your intentions in real time, especially at intersections, when changing lanes, or making a U-turn. Incorrectly turning off the indicator can create the false impression that the driver has changed their mind about performing the maneuver, and may provoke dangerous actions from others.
The question tests the section of the traffic rules regarding warning signals, specifically the requirements of point 9.4. For the theoretical exam, it is important to remember the logic: the turn signal should be activated in advance before starting the maneuver (approximately 50–100 m in populated areas and 150–200 m outside them), and turned off immediately after completing the maneuver. That is, during the turn itself, the indicator must remain on so as not to mislead others.
The option that involves stopping the signal directly during the turn is incorrect, as it contradicts the requirement to "stop immediately after completing the maneuver" and reduces the predictability of your actions for those around you. The correct approach is for the signal to operate until the maneuver is completed, and the exception regarding ending the signal just before the maneuver applies only to hand signals (when indicators are faulty), not to light signaling.
Clause 9.4
The signal with turn indicators or by hand should be given in advance before starting the maneuver (taking into account the speed of movement), but not less than 50–100 m in populated areas and 150–200 m outside them, and should be stopped immediately after its completion (the hand signal should be finished directly before starting the maneuver).
Explanation of application: the turn indicator is switched off not during the turn, but immediately after completing the maneuver, so as not to mislead other road users about the driver's intentions.
That is, the correct answer is "No," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, the turn signal is stopped immediately after completing the maneuver, not directly during its execution.
The turn signal is not just a formality; it is needed so that other road users can always understand your intentions. Therefore, it is important not only to turn it on in time, but also to turn it off correctly, so as not to create a false impression about your further actions.
According to clause 9.4 of the Traffic Rules, the turn signal must be given in advance before starting the maneuver, taking into account the speed of movement (approximately at least 50–100 m in populated areas and 150–200 m outside them). The signal must be stopped immediately after completing the maneuver. This means that during the turn itself, the indicator must remain on, and you must not turn it off "in the middle" of the turn.
Imagine you are turning right at an intersection and turn off the indicator before you have actually made the turn. The driver behind or a pedestrian may decide that you have changed your mind and will go straight, and will act based on this mistaken assumption. That is why turning off the indicator during the maneuver can mislead others and create danger.
At the same time, the Traffic Rules make an exception only for hand signals: if the indicators are faulty and you are signaling with your hand, you must finish the signal immediately before starting the maneuver, so that you can control the vehicle properly. But the question concerns the light indicator, for which the rule is different: it must operate until the end of the maneuver.
Therefore, the correct answer is "No," because the turn signal is turned off immediately after completing the maneuver, not during its execution, so as not to mislead other road users.