44.5. When driving at night, the driver of a motor vehicle, regardless of the degree of road illumination, must switch on the following external lighting devices:
UAРухаючись у темну пору доби, водій механічного транспортного засобу незалежно від ступеня освітлення дороги повинен ввімкнути такі зовнішні світлові пристрої:
Question without image
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety during nighttime and the correct use of external lighting devices. At night, even a well-lit street does not guarantee that a car will be noticed in time by other road users, nor that the driver will have sufficient visibility of the road. That is why the traffic rules pay special attention to mandatory lighting while driving, and such nuances are often checked in the theoretical exam.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding the use of external lighting devices (point 19.1 a), as well as understanding of the term "nighttime" from point 1.10. The logic is simple: from sunset to sunrise, when driving a motor vehicle, low beam or high beam headlights must be turned on regardless of the degree of road illumination, meaning city lighting does not cancel this requirement. In practice, the choice between low and high beams depends on the situation: high beams provide better visibility on an empty road, while low beams are needed to avoid dazzling others.
The explanation of the options in this exam question is based on their function. Position lights increase the visibility of the car but do not provide adequate illumination of the roadway, so by themselves they do not meet the requirements of the Traffic Rules at night. Fog lights and the rear fog lamp are intended for conditions of poor visibility (fog, heavy rain, snow) and are not a substitute for the main headlights during normal night driving. That is why, according to the logic of the traffic rules, the correct answer is the use of low or high beam headlights when driving at night.
Clause 19.1 (a)
During the hours of darkness and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of the degree of road illumination, as well as in tunnels, the following lighting devices must be switched on in a moving vehicle: a) on a motor vehicle — dipped (high) beam headlights.
This clause directly establishes the obligation to switch on either the dipped or high beam headlights while driving during the hours of darkness, regardless of road lighting (even if there are streetlights).
Clause 1.10 (term “Hours of darkness”)
Hours of darkness — the period from sunset to sunrise.
This definition is necessary to correctly determine the moment from which the requirement of clause 19.1 regarding the mandatory switching on of headlights comes into effect.
Thus, the correct answer is "Dipped or high beam headlights," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, during the hours of darkness, when driving a motor vehicle, the dipped (high) beam headlights must be switched on regardless of the degree of road illumination.
When driving at night, the main purpose of a vehicle's external lighting is to make the vehicle visible to others and to provide the driver with sufficient visibility of the road ahead. That is why the Rules establish a mandatory requirement to turn on the headlights, even if the road appears to be well lit.
According to paragraph 19.1 (a) of the Traffic Rules, at night, regardless of the degree of road illumination, a moving vehicle must have its dipped beam or main beam headlights turned on. In other words, the presence of street lamps, illuminated billboards, or general city lighting does not cancel this obligation.
In practice, the driver chooses between dipped and main beam headlights depending on the traffic situation. When you are driving without other road users ahead or oncoming, you may use the main beam for better visibility. However, if there is a risk of dazzling other drivers, you must switch to dipped beam. Position lights alone do not provide illumination of the carriageway, and fog lights are not a substitute for main headlights under normal nighttime conditions.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Dipped beam or main beam headlights," since at night the Traffic Rules require these headlights to be turned on while driving, regardless of how well the road is lit.