52.57. The driver of a vehicle equipped with a tachograph must:
UAВодій транспортного засобу, який обладнано тахографом, повинен:
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This exam question from the Ukrainian Traffic Rules concerns road safety through the control of drivers’ work and rest periods and the technical condition of vehicle equipment. In this context, the tachograph is a monitoring device that helps record driving time, breaks, and other work modes, thus directly affecting the prevention of fatigue and related accidents. That is why the theoretical exam checks not only knowledge of signs or maneuvers, but also the driver’s understanding of their duties regarding onboard equipment.
The question tests Section 2 of the Traffic Rules, specifically “Duties and rights of drivers” (point 2.3), as well as Section 31 “Technical condition of vehicles and their equipment” (point 31.1). The logic here is simple: the driver is required to check the serviceability and completeness of the vehicle before departure and monitor its technical condition while driving, as well as operate the equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and regulatory documentation. For tachographs, these requirements are detailed in the Instruction on their use: the driver must both use the device correctly and ensure proper recording and storage of data.
The analysis of the answer options comes down to the fact that each describes only part of the duties. The first option is correct in content, as it covers proper operation of the tachograph and management of its operating modes, without which the records would be unreliable. The second option is also correct, since tachograph cards or other data carriers must be installed, replaced, filled out, and stored in a timely manner; otherwise, it is impossible to confirm compliance with work and rest periods. Therefore, within the scope of this exam question, the correct logic is: both sets of requirements must be fulfilled simultaneously, not just one of them.
Clause 2.3 (Section 2 "Duties and Rights of Drivers", subclause "a")
"To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: a) before departure, check and ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle."
Driving a vehicle equipped with a tachograph entails the driver’s duty to check the serviceability and completeness of the equipment, which includes the tachograph.
Clause 2.3 (Section 2 "Duties and Rights of Drivers", subclause "b")
"To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: b) be attentive, monitor the road situation, respond appropriately to its changes, monitor the correct placement and securing of cargo, the technical condition of the vehicle, and not be distracted from driving while on the road."
The tachograph is an element for monitoring work/rest regimes and the operation of the vehicle; the duty to monitor the technical condition of the vehicle also covers the proper condition/operation of installed equipment.
Clause 31.1 (Section 31 "Technical Condition of Vehicles and Their Equipment")
"The technical condition of vehicles and their equipment must meet 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."
This clause directly links the operation of equipment (including the tachograph) with the obligation to comply with the manufacturer’s instructions and other regulatory and technical documentation (which includes the special Instruction on tachographs, establishing requirements for tachograph cards/their storage).
Thus, the correct answer is "Both answers are correct.", considering that according to the Traffic Rules, the driver is obliged to ensure the technical serviceability and completeness of the vehicle (including equipment), monitor its technical condition while driving, and comply with the manufacturer’s instructions and regulatory and technical documentation regarding the operation of installed equipment (the tachograph and related tachograph cards).
When a vehicle is equipped with a tachograph, the driver has two interrelated duties: to properly use the device itself and to correctly record and store data on work and rest periods. The tachograph is not an “optional extra”—it is a control device, so both its correct operation and the accuracy of its records are equally important.
Firstly, the driver must ensure the correct operation of the tachograph and manage its modes according to the manufacturer's requirements. In practice, this means that before starting to drive, the driver must make sure the tachograph is working, the correct mode is selected, and during the trip, the modes are not used arbitrarily or incorrectly. For example, if the driver does not switch modes or does so incorrectly, the device will record data inaccurately, which already violates the requirements for using the tachograph.
Secondly, the driver is obliged to timely install, replace, and fill out tachograph cards (or appropriate data carriers), as well as ensure their proper storage. In reality, this means that before departure, the driver installs the tachograph card, replaces it if necessary, enters the required data, and after finishing work does not discard or damage it, but stores it as prescribed. Otherwise, there will be no confirmation of compliance with work and rest regimes, which is the key purpose of using the tachograph.
Both of these requirements directly follow from the Instruction on the Use of Control Devices (Tachographs) in Road Transport (in particular, from the provisions on the driver’s duties regarding the operation of the tachograph and working with tachograph cards). That is, the legislator does not choose between “using the device” or “keeping and storing records”—the driver must do both.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Both answers are correct," since the driver is obliged to both properly operate the tachograph and manage its modes, and timely fill out and store tachograph cards (data) as required.