53.37. What types of tires are there?
UAЯкі бувають типи шин?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the technical condition of wheels and road safety. Understanding the types of pneumatic tires is necessary for the driver to properly operate the vehicle: tires cushion impacts from road irregularities, provide traction, and affect handling and braking distance, and are therefore directly related to safety while driving.
The theoretical exam checks the basic technical classification of tires based on the method of air retention. That is why the correct division here is into tube-type and tubeless tires: in tube-type tires, airtightness is ensured by a separate inner tube with a valve, while in tubeless tires, air is retained by a hermetic layer inside the tire and the tight fit of the beads to the airtight rim. This approach is consistent with the logic of the traffic rules, where the driver is required to check the vehicle's condition before departure (point 2.3), and section 31 sets requirements for tires and prohibitions regarding their compatibility on the same axle (in particular, point 31.4.6).
Other answer options describe not tires, but wheel elements or types of rims: “stamped and cast” usually refers to rims, and “disc and disc-less” refers to wheel design solutions, not the classification of pneumatic tires. In practice, knowing the difference between tube-type and tubeless construction helps to properly assess risks in case of a puncture, choose the appropriate repair and maintenance method, and better understand the requirements of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine regarding tire suitability for use (for example, the minimum tread depth according to point 31.4.5).
Clause 1.10 (section "Terms used in the Rules")
In these Rules, the following terms are used in the following meanings.
This question is "linked" to the Traffic Rules precisely because the Rules use the term "tire/pneumatic tires" in the requirements for technical condition, but there is no separate definition of the terms "tube-type tire" and "tubeless tire" in the Rules (therefore, the exam materials check the general technical classification of tires as a wheel element).
Clause 2.3 (subclause "a")
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged: before departure, to check and ensure the technically sound condition and completeness of the vehicle.
Knowledge of tire types (tube-type/tubeless) belongs to the basic understanding of the technical condition of wheels and tires, which the driver must control before starting to drive and during operation.
Clause 31.4.5
Tires of passenger cars and trucks with a permitted maximum mass up to and including 3.5 t must have a remaining tread depth of at least 1.6 mm, trucks with a permitted maximum mass over 3.5 t — 1.0 mm, buses — 2.0 mm, motorcycles and mopeds — 0.8 mm.
This clause shows that the Rules control the suitability of tires for operation (tread condition, etc.), regardless of whether the tire is tube-type or tubeless.
Clause 31.4.6
It is prohibited to install tires of different sizes, constructions (radial, diagonal), models, with different tread patterns, studded and non-studded tires on the same axle of a vehicle.
This clause directly links the "type/construction" of tires with safety requirements for operation (although the classification specifically as "tube-type/tubeless" is not separately described in the Rules, it is a basic technical feature of pneumatic tires in training courses).
Thus, the correct answer is "Tube-type and tubeless.", given that the Rules set requirements for the operation of pneumatic tires as an element of the technical condition of the vehicle (section 31), and within the basic technical classification, pneumatic tires are divided into tube-type and tubeless.
An automobile tire in motion serves not only as a "shell" of the wheel, but also works as an elastic element: it softens impacts from road irregularities and helps maintain the wheel's contact with the road. Pneumatic tires are used on vehicles, meaning those that bear loads due to air under pressure.
By design, pneumatic tires are divided into two main types: tube-type and tubeless. This is exactly the division referred to in the exam question "What types of tires are there?", because it concerns the principle of retaining air inside the wheel.
A tube-type tire has a separate inner tube with a valve, which holds the air. The tire in such a wheel performs protective and load-bearing functions, while the tube itself ensures airtightness. If the tube is damaged, pressure is usually lost more quickly, which complicates further movement.
A tubeless tire does not have a separate tube: the air is retained inside the tire itself thanks to a hermetic inner layer and the tight fit of the tire beads to the airtight rim of the wheel. The valve in such a wheel is installed directly into the rim and sealed with gaskets. In practice, this means that in the case of a small puncture, the pressure may drop more slowly, which increases safety.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Tube-type and tubeless," since the types of tires in this question are determined by their design, specifically by the presence or absence of a tube that holds the air.