48.68. The variable driving period of a driver, except for drivers of vehicles carrying heavy and/or oversized and/or dangerous goods, including overtime work, must not exceed:
UAЗмінний період керування водія, за винятком водіїв транспортних засобів, що здійснюють перевезення великовагових і (або) великогабаритних і (або) небезпечних вантажів, включно з надурочними роботами, не повинен перевищувати:
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This exam question concerns road safety through the control of driver fatigue: the longer a person spends behind the wheel, both continuously and in total, the higher the risks of mistakes, reduced attention, and accidents. The theoretical exam often includes not only basic traffic rules but also related requirements for the organization of drivers’ work, which directly affect safe driving.
The topic being tested lies at the intersection of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine and special regulatory acts on the work and rest regime of drivers. It is important to understand that the traffic rules themselves do not contain a direct provision on the maximum duration of a “shift driving period” in hours; instead, this standard is established by the specialized Regulation on working time and rest time for drivers of wheeled vehicles (clause 3.1, Order of the Ministry of Transport and Communications No. 340). For drivers who do not transport heavy, oversized, or dangerous goods, the driving limit during a shift, including overtime, is set at 9 hours.
When comparing the options, 8 hours may seem like a “cautious” assumption, but it does not correspond to the established limit for this category of drivers. 10 hours may be associated with other work regimes or a mistaken generalization, but within the framework of this rule, it is not permitted to exceed the established limit even with overtime. In practice, this means: an employer may add tasks at the end of a shift, but the total actual driving time is still limited, and this knowledge helps to answer such exam questions correctly and better understand the logic of safety regulations.
Traffic Rules of Ukraine — there is no direct provision regarding the duration of the “shift driving period” (9 hours)
The Traffic Rules of Ukraine do not contain clauses that establish a specific maximum duration of a driver’s shift driving period (specifically “9 hours”) or the working/rest time of drivers in the form presented in the exam question. Therefore, this question does not directly test knowledge of a specific clause of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine.
The “9 hours” rule is established not by the Traffic Rules, but by clause 3.1 of the “Regulation on Working Time and Rest Time of Drivers of Wheeled Vehicles,” approved by the Order of the Ministry of Transport and Communications No. 340 dated 07.06.2010.
Thus, the correct answer is “9 hours,” given that the Traffic Rules of Ukraine do not contain a provision on the duration of the shift driving period, and the corresponding restriction is directly established by the special “Regulation…” (clause 3.1).
When preparing for the exam, it is important to distinguish between the concepts of “shift driving period” and total working time. This question concerns specifically the duration of driving a vehicle during a shift, that is, how many hours a driver may actually be behind the wheel within a single working day.
The regulation on the maximum duration of such driving is established by the Regulation on Working Time and Rest Time for Drivers of Wheeled Vehicles (Order of the Ministry of Transport and Communications No. 340). For most drivers (i.e., those who are not transporting overweight, oversized, or dangerous goods), a restriction is set: even if a driver is engaged in overtime work, the total driving time per shift cannot exceed the defined limit.
This is done for practical reasons: driving while fatigued directly increases the risk of a traffic accident. For example, if a driver makes several trips during the day and the employer requests “one more run,” the extra hours may be recorded as overtime, but the shift driving limit still does not allow increasing time behind the wheel beyond the established norm.
At the same time, the question explicitly states an exception for drivers transporting overweight, oversized, or dangerous goods. Separate, more specific requirements apply to them, but here we are considering the general rule for other drivers.
Therefore, the correct answer is "9 hours," since according to the norms of Regulation No. 340, the shift driving period for a driver (except for the transportation of overweight/oversized/dangerous goods), even taking overtime into account, cannot exceed 9 hours.