5.4. Is it permitted for passengers to use running boards and projections of the vehicle for riding while the vehicle is in motion?
UAЧи дозволено пасажирам під час руху на транспортному засобі використовувати для їзди підніжки і виступи транспортного засобу?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the safety of passenger transportation and typical risks of injury while the vehicle is in motion: falling from the vehicle, getting under the wheels, or creating a hazardous situation for other road users. Such situations most often occur during sudden braking, turning, driving over bumps, or when the doors are not fully closed, which is why the traffic rules clearly regulate where a passenger may be located during a trip.
The question tests Section 5 of the Traffic Rules, "Rights and Responsibilities of Passengers," specifically clauses 5.3 (c) and 5.2 (a). Clause 5.3 (c) directly prohibits the use of footboards and any body protrusions for riding while the vehicle is moving, as these are not designated places for transportation. Instead, 5.2 (a) emphasizes the correct model of behavior: the passenger must be in the structurally designated places inside the cabin and hold onto handrails or other intended equipment to maintain balance and avoid danger.
During the theoretical exam, it is important to be able to dismiss "conditional permissions" that may sound logical but contradict the rules: the option about accompanying cargo does not cancel the passenger prohibition, and "driver's permission" has no legal force if the Traffic Rules establish a direct prohibition. Additionally, this aligns with the driver's safety responsibilities (clause 2.3 (b)): the driver must not start moving if passengers are positioned unsafely or are actually outside the protected area of the cabin.
Clause 5.3 (c) (Section 5 "Rights and Responsibilities of Passengers")
Passengers are prohibited from: c) using footboards and protrusions of the vehicle for riding while the vehicle is in motion.
Clause 5.2 (a) (Section 5 "Rights and Responsibilities of Passengers")
Passengers must: a) hold onto handrails and other equipment intended for this purpose while the vehicle is in motion.
Brief application: this obligation requires the passenger to be located in areas structurally intended for transportation (the cabin, seats/standing places with handrails), and not on external elements (footboards, protrusions).
Clause 2.3 (b) (Section 2 "Duties and Rights of Drivers of Motor Vehicles")
To ensure road safety, the driver must: b) before starting to move, changing lanes, turning, making a U-turn, stopping, or parking, make sure that it will be safe and will not create obstacles or danger to other road users.
Brief application: the driver must not start moving if passengers are positioned unsafely (in particular, on footboards/protrusions), as this creates a danger.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, passengers are directly prohibited from using footboards and protrusions of the vehicle for riding while the vehicle is in motion (clause 5.3 c).
While the vehicle is in motion, a passenger must be only in places provided by the vehicle’s design: in a seat, and in certain cases, in the passenger compartment in a standing area with the ability to hold onto handrails or other specially designed equipment. This is done so that a person can safely maintain balance during acceleration, braking, and turns.
Footboards and various body protrusions are not places for transporting passengers. They may only be used during boarding or alighting. If a passenger tries to ride standing on a footboard, holding onto body elements, or is positioned on any external protrusion, they are effectively outside the protected area of the passenger compartment. In the event of a sudden maneuver, pothole, or emergency braking, there is a high risk of falling onto the roadway and sustaining serious injuries, as well as creating danger for other road users.
The rules also state that the driver is not allowed to start moving if the doors are not closed or if passengers are positioned unsafely, in particular on footboards or protrusions. This directly follows from the safety requirements for passenger transportation, as set out in points 5.2 a) and 5.3 c) of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine: passengers must act in a way that does not create danger, and actions that may lead to injury are not permitted while the vehicle is moving.
For example: even in route transport, where standing is allowed, the passenger must be inside the passenger compartment and hold onto the handrails. Riding "on the footboard," on an external step, on the bumper, tow bar, or any protrusion is not an allowed method of transportation and does not provide any level of protection.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since footboards and protrusions are not places for transporting passengers, such a trip creates a hazardous situation and contradicts the safety requirements of the Traffic Rules (p. 5.2 a), p. 5.3 c)).