5.1. Is it permitted for passengers to board (alight) from the side of the adjacent traffic lane?
UAЧи дозволено пасажирам виконувати посадку (висадку) з боку суміжної смуги руху?
Question without image
This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning safety during the stopping of a vehicle and the behavior of passengers at the moment when the risk of an accident sharply increases due to open doors and a person exiting directly into the traffic zone. The traffic rules consider such situations as potentially the most dangerous, since a passenger may find themselves in the flow of vehicles or create an obstacle, forcing other drivers to make sudden maneuvers.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules that regulates the duties and procedures for passengers during boarding and alighting, as well as understanding of the terms "passenger," "traffic lane," and "carriageway" (points 1.10 and 5.1). In the theoretical exam, it is important to clearly remember the logic of point 5.1: boarding/alighting is allowed from the safe side after a complete stop—first from a boarding platform, then from the sidewalk or roadside, and only if this is impossible—from the outermost lane of the carriageway where the vehicle is stopped. Exiting towards the adjacent lane, where other vehicles may be moving, is strictly prohibited.
The analysis of answer options in this exam question comes down to the norm of the Traffic Rules: the statement about prohibition is correct, because point 5.1 explicitly excludes boarding/alighting "from the side of the adjacent traffic lane." On the other hand, the option about the possibility provided "no obstacles are created" sounds logical but contradicts the Rules: even if it seems that there are no obstacles, the very act from the side of the adjacent lane is prohibited as such, since it creates an unacceptable risk of being hit and collision with open doors. In practice, this means passengers must exit onto the sidewalk/roadside or to the safe side, and not towards the flow of traffic in the adjacent lane.
Clause 5.1
Boarding (alighting) is allowed for passengers only after the vehicle has stopped, and only from a boarding platform, or if there is no such platform — from the sidewalk or roadside, and if this is not possible, then from the outermost lane of the carriageway (but not from the side of the adjacent lane for traffic), provided that it is safe and does not create obstacles for other road users.
Brief application: this clause directly prohibits boarding/alighting "from the side of the adjacent lane for traffic", that is, from the side of the neighboring lane where vehicles are moving.
Clause 1.10 (term "Passenger")
Passenger — a person who uses a vehicle and is in it, but is not involved in driving it.
Brief application: the question concerns the actions of passengers specifically, so it checks the understanding of who is considered a passenger in the Traffic Rules.
Clause 1.10 (term "Traffic lane")
Traffic lane — a longitudinal strip on the carriageway at least 2.75 m wide, which may be marked or unmarked by road markings and is intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles.
Brief application: to understand the wording "adjacent lane" you need to know what a "traffic lane" is.
Clause 1.10 (term "Carriageway")
Carriageway — an element of the road intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles.
Brief application: clause 5.1 operates with the concepts of "outermost lane of the carriageway" and "adjacent lane", which exist precisely within the carriageway.
That is, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that according to the definition in clause 5.1 of the Traffic Rules, boarding/alighting is allowed from the sidewalk/roadside or (as an exception) from the outermost lane, but not from the side of the adjacent lane for traffic.
A passenger, as defined by the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, is a person who is in a vehicle and uses it but does not drive it. The Rules specifically establish a separate procedure for the safe boarding and alighting of passengers to minimize the risk of being hit.
Clause 5.1 of the Traffic Rules is directly aimed at safety: passengers must board or alight only after the vehicle has come to a complete stop, and only from the side where there is a safe place designated for this purpose. Primarily, this is a boarding platform, and if there is none—a sidewalk or shoulder. That is, the passenger should immediately find themselves in an area without a flow of vehicles nearby.
If there is no sidewalk or shoulder, or it is impossible to use them, the Traffic Rules allow boarding (alighting) from the outermost lane of the carriageway where the vehicle is stopped. However, the principle remains unchanged: the passenger must not exit towards the adjacent lane where other vehicles are moving. This adjacent lane is precisely the neighboring lane of traffic, and exiting towards it creates the greatest danger—a person may immediately end up in front of oncoming traffic or open the door into the path of an approaching vehicle.
In practice, it looks like this: the vehicle stops near the right edge of the carriageway. It is correct when passengers exit to the right—onto the sidewalk or shoulder. It is incorrect and dangerous when a passenger tries to exit to the left, towards the neighboring lane where vehicles may be moving: this is exactly boarding/alighting from the side of the adjacent lane, which the Rules prohibit.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since passengers are not allowed to board or alight from the side of the adjacent lane of traffic—this creates a direct risk of entering the traffic flow, and the Traffic Rules require exiting only from the safe side (sidewalk, shoulder, or the outermost lane where the vehicle is stopped).