37.14. A tourniquet must be tightened on a limb:
UAКровоспинний джгут треба затягувати на кінцівці:
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety through the lens of first aid after a traffic accident. At the scene, the driver may be the first person capable of influencing the victim's survival, and severe bleeding from a limb is one of the most dangerous situations, requiring quick and correct actions using the first aid kit.
This question is included in the theoretical exam as a check of knowledge related to the driver's duties under the traffic rules: clause 2.10 requires taking possible measures to provide first aid, and clause 31.4 emphasizes the necessity of having a medical first aid kit in the vehicle. Although the Traffic Rules of Ukraine do not describe the detailed technique for applying a tourniquet, the logic of the test is simple: the driver must understand what practical result indicates the effectiveness of the action.
The correct approach to tightening a tourniquet is assessed by the result, not by subjective sensations. The guideline is the actual cessation of bleeding and signs of sufficient vessel compression: paleness of tissues below the application site and absence of peripheral pulse. The option "until pain appears" is not a reliable criterion, as pain may occur differently and does not guarantee the bleeding has stopped; "as hard as possible" is also incorrect, since maximum force is not required, but rather a controlled effect to stop blood loss. In practice, it is also important to remember the time limits for applying a tourniquet: in winter up to 1 hour, in summer up to 2 hours, and during prolonged transportation, the tourniquet is sometimes briefly loosened to allow a small, controlled blood loss.
Clause 2.10 (driver's duties in case of involvement in a road traffic accident)
"In case of involvement in a road traffic accident, the driver is obliged to: ... take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to the victims, call (if necessary) emergency medical services..."
This exam question checks the component of "pre-medical assistance" within the driver's duty to take possible measures to save the victims, in particular — stopping critical bleeding as a priority action.
Clause 31.4 (requirements for vehicle equipment)
The Traffic Rules establish the mandatory presence in the vehicle, in particular, of a medical first aid kit (as an element of mandatory equipment).
This clause is related to the question in that the presence of a first aid kit implies the driver's practical readiness to use it within the scope of pre-medical assistance (in particular, means for temporary bleeding control).
The Traffic Rules of Ukraine do not contain a separate clause regulating the technique of applying/tightening a tourniquet (hemostatic tourniquet) "to what exactly", but the assessment of such knowledge follows from the driver's duty to provide pre-medical assistance under clause 2.10.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Until the bleeding stops.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, the driver is obliged to take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to the victims, and the effectiveness of the tourniquet is assessed precisely by the cessation of bleeding.
A tourniquet is used in situations where there is severe, life-threatening bleeding from a limb and it cannot be reliably stopped by simpler methods. The purpose of the tourniquet is simple: to mechanically compress the vessels in such a way as to stop the loss of blood.
Therefore, the tourniquet should not be tightened “for prevention” or “until noticeable compression,” but just enough so that the bleeding actually stops. This is the practical criterion for correct action: if blood continues to flow after the tourniquet is tightened, it means the tourniquet has been applied or tightened insufficiently and is not fulfilling its function.
Signs that the tourniquet is tightened correctly include cessation of bleeding, paling of the tissues below the application site, and absence of a pulse in the periphery of the limb. These signs confirm that the vessels are compressed sufficiently, and that is why the bleeding has stopped.
Thus, the correct answer is "Until the bleeding stops," because the tourniquet must be tightened until actual cessation of blood loss, which is the main sign of its proper application.