52.46. The normal duration of a driver's working time must not exceed:
UAНормальна тривалість робочого часу водія не повинна перевищувати:
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety through the control of driver fatigue. The work and rest schedule directly affects attentiveness, reaction speed, and the ability to timely assess the road situation. That is why the traffic rules prohibit driving in a fatigued state (paragraph 2.9) and require the driver to be attentive and not to be distracted while driving (paragraph 2.3), which forms the basis for safe driving.
The theoretical exam often includes questions where it is necessary to distinguish between the norms of the Traffic Rules and the requirements of special regulatory acts. Here, understanding of the topic "Duties and Prohibitions of the Driver" (section 2 of the traffic rules) is tested in conjunction with the document that regulates drivers' working hours: the Regulation on Working Hours and Rest Time of Drivers of Wheeled Vehicles (Order of the Ministry of Transport and Communications No. 340). It is this act that establishes the normal weekly duration of work, which corresponds to the generally accepted standard and cannot be exceeded.
When comparing the options, the values of 50 and 45 hours per week are not the norm for the "usual" (normal) working regime of a driver, so in the context of this exam question they are chosen as distractors. Instead, 40 hours per week corresponds to the defined normal duration of working time according to the relevant regulation, and in practice this usually aligns with a schedule of 5 days of 8 hours each. Understanding this norm helps to answer the questions correctly and to realize why exceeding working hours increases the risk of driving in a fatigued state, which contradicts the requirements of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine.
Clause 2.9 (subclause "b" — prohibitions for the driver)
The driver is prohibited from: operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants, or under the influence of medicinal products that reduce attention and reaction speed, as well as in a sick or fatigued state.
This clause of the Traffic Rules is indirectly related to the topic of work/rest regime: working time restrictions are established, in particular, to prevent driving in a fatigued state, which is directly prohibited by the Traffic Rules.
Clause 2.3 (subclause "b" — driver’s duties)
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: be attentive, monitor the road situation, respond appropriately to its changes, monitor the proper placement and securing of cargo, the technical condition of the vehicle, and not be distracted from driving while on the road.
This clause is also indirectly related to the topic: overfatigue reduces attention and reaction speed, which contradicts the driver’s duty to be attentive.
Thus, the correct answer is "40 hours per week," given that the Traffic Rules of Ukraine do not establish a numerical standard for the driver’s working time, but only require attentiveness and prohibit driving in a fatigued state (clauses 2.3 and 2.9), while the specific limit of "40 hours per week" is defined by a special regulatory act (Regulation approved by Order No. 340).
When the exam asks about the normal duration of a driver's working time, it refers to the total amount of working hours per week under standard working conditions. This is important for traffic safety, as driver fatigue directly affects attention, reaction speed, and the risk of mistakes on the road.
The standard for the duration of drivers' working hours is set by a specialized document that regulates the working and rest time of drivers of wheeled vehicles (approved by Order of the Ministry of Transport and Communications No. 340). It specifically defines the limit of normal weekly duration: it must not exceed the established standard.
In practice, this means that if a driver works five days a week, a typical schedule might be, for example, 8 hours each day: 5 days × 8 hours = 40 hours per week. If, by the end of the week, the total exceeds the allowed norm, this no longer meets the requirements for normal working time duration.
Therefore, the correct answer is "40 hours per week," since the regulatory rules for drivers' working time establish that the normal weekly duration of work cannot exceed 40 hours.