48.37. In which direction is it permitted for the driver of a goods vehicle with a maximum permitted mass of over 3.5 t to proceed at the intersection?
UAУ якому напрямку дозволено рух на перехресті водієві вантажного автомобіля з дозволеною максимальною масою понад 3,5 т?
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning the safe choice of lane and direction before an intersection for freight vehicles. Such situations often occur on multi-lane roads both in cities and outside them, and making a mistake in lane selection can create a conflict with the traffic flow, an obstacle for other drivers, or lead to a traffic rules violation.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding the positioning of vehicles on the carriageway, specifically the requirements of point 11.6. For trucks with a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 tons on roads where there are three or more lanes in one direction, the far left lane has a special purpose: it may only be used for making a left turn or a U-turn (the exception regarding stopping on the left applies to certain cases on one-way streets within populated areas). That is why the "straight ahead" direction for such a truck from the far left lane is not considered permitted in this task.
If you compare the options, those answers that include going straight contradict point 11.6, as it restricts the use of the far left lane for trucks over 3.5 tons to only "left turn/U-turn." The option that allows only a left turn and U-turn fully complies with the requirements of the Traffic Rules and the logic of preparing for the theoretical exam: the student should not just "guess" the direction, but recognize the restrictions for heavy freight vehicles by permitted maximum mass and correctly apply the rule at the intersection.
Clause 11.6
On roads with three or more lanes in one direction, trucks with a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 t, tractors, self-propelled machines and mechanisms are allowed to enter the far left lane only for turning left or making a U-turn, and in populated areas on one-way roads, in addition to this, — for stopping on the left in permitted cases for the purpose of loading or unloading.
Brief application: if a truck (over 3.5 t) is moving/is on the far left lane on a road with three or more lanes in one direction, it is not allowed to continue straight from this lane — this lane is permitted for it only for turning left or making a U-turn (except for the specially indicated case on a one-way road in a populated area for stopping on the left).
Clause 1.10 (term "Truck")
Truck — a vehicle which, by its design and equipment, is intended for the carriage of goods.
Clause 1.10 (term "Permitted maximum mass")
Permitted maximum mass — the mass of the equipped vehicle with cargo, driver, and passengers, which is established by the technical specification of the vehicle as the maximum allowable.
That is, the correct answer is "Left and U-turn", given that according to clause 11.6, trucks with a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 t are allowed to enter the far left lane only for turning left or making a U-turn.
In this task, it is important to consider two points: what type of vehicle it is and which lane it is in before the intersection. According to the definition in the Traffic Rules, a truck is a vehicle structurally designed for transporting goods, and the permitted maximum mass is the maximum weight set by the manufacturer for the equipped vehicle together with cargo, driver, and passengers. The question specifically states that the truck has a permitted maximum mass of over 3.5 tons, so special restrictions on lane usage apply to it.
According to clause 11.6 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, on a road with three or more lanes in one direction, trucks over 3.5 tons are allowed to enter the far left lane only for a specific purpose: to make a left turn or a U-turn. That is, the very presence of such a truck in the far left lane already means that other movement options from this lane are not provided for it.
Therefore, at the intersection, the driver of this truck, being in the far left lane, cannot choose to go straight or to the right like a regular passenger car. For this vehicle, the far left lane on such roads is intended specifically for left-turn maneuvers, and the Traffic Rules allow its use only for turning left or making a U-turn.
Thus, the correct answer is "To the left and for a U-turn," since clause 11.6 of the Traffic Rules allows a truck over 3.5 tons to move from the far left lane on a road with three or more lanes in one direction only to turn left or make a U-turn.