52.56. In case of malfunction or damage of the tachograph, the driver of the vehicle must:
UAУ разі несправності або пошкодження тахографа водій транспортного засобу повинен:
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety and the lawful control of drivers’ work and rest periods during transportation. The tachograph records driving time, breaks, and rest, and this data is important both for the carrier and for roadside inspections. Therefore, even when the device fails, record-keeping cannot “stop,” since driver fatigue directly affects the risk of road accidents.
The question tests knowledge of the traffic rules requirements regarding the driver’s duties and the technical condition of the vehicle’s equipment: the general obligation to comply with traffic rules (para. 1.3), to check serviceability before departure (para. 2.3 “b”), and to ensure the technical condition meets standards and instructions (para. 31.1). Additionally, the specialized Instruction on the use of tachographs applies: in case of malfunction or damage, the driver must ensure the continuity of record-keeping by manually entering records of work and rest periods, so that the data remains verifiable.
The analysis of the answer options is straightforward from the theoretical exam perspective: inaction until repair is incorrect, as it breaks the continuity of record-keeping and contradicts the requirements for equipment operation and documenting the regime. The statement that the use of a tachograph is not mandatory is also incorrect, since for the relevant categories of transportation and vehicles, the tachograph is a required piece of equipment, and its failure does not cancel the obligation to record the regime. The correct course of action in this situation, both according to the traffic rules and for exam questions, is the same: temporarily replace automatic recording with manual data entry (for example, on a tachograph card or in the prescribed form) until the device is restored.
Clause 1.3
Road users are required to know and strictly comply with the requirements of these Rules, as well as to be mutually courteous.
Explanation: this clause checks the basic obligation of the driver to comply with the established rules and requirements related to the organization of safe and lawful driving (including requirements arising from mandatory regulatory provisions for carriers/drivers regarding work and rest regimes).
Clause 2.3 (subclause "b")
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged: before departure, to check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle.
Explanation: the question about the malfunction/damage of the tachograph is linked to the general duty of the driver to monitor the serviceability of the vehicle's equipment and to act correctly in case of its failure (in particular, to ensure proper data recording if the device is not working).
Clause 31.1
The technical condition of vehicles and their equipment must comply with the requirements of standards related to road safety and environmental protection, as well as the rules of technical operation, instructions of manufacturers, and other regulatory and technical documentation.
Explanation: the tachograph is an element of equipment, and the procedure for the driver's actions in case of its malfunction is established by the relevant regulatory and technical documentation (profile instruction). Therefore, in case of tachograph failure, the requirement to properly document the work and rest regime in a manner permitted by regulations applies.
That is, the correct answer is "Record by hand the data on work and rest regime," given that, according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, the driver is obliged to ensure the serviceability and proper operation of the vehicle's equipment and comply with the requirements of regulatory and technical documentation regarding such equipment.
The tachograph is designed to record the driver's work and rest schedule. This is important not only for monitoring by the carrier, but also for confirming compliance with established regulations during roadside inspections. Therefore, even in the event of a technical issue, the recording of this schedule does not stop.
If the tachograph is faulty or damaged, automatic data recording becomes impossible or unreliable. In such a situation, the tachograph usage instructions require the driver to ensure the continuity of record-keeping by another verifiable method. That is why manual entry of information about work and rest is provided for.
In practice, this means that the driver independently records the time spent driving, other work, breaks, and rest in written form (for an analog tachograph, this is usually done by making an entry on the tachograph card in the designated area). For example: if the tachograph stops recording data during a trip, the driver notes the time they were driving, when they took a break, when they finished their shift, and when they started resting, in order to maintain a complete record of the daily schedule.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Record work and rest schedule data by hand," since in the event of a tachograph malfunction or damage, the driver is required to ensure continuous record-keeping of work and rest periods through manual entries for subsequent inspection.