54.36. What should the bus driver do if, as a result of a road traffic accident, the bus doors are found to be blocked?
UAЯк має вчинити водій автобуса, якщо в результаті дорожньо-транспортної пригоди двері автобуса виявилися заблокованими?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the safety of passenger transportation and the correct actions of the driver after a traffic accident when there is a risk of evacuation delay. In a real situation, blocked doors can lead to panic and additional injuries, so the driver should not simply wait for help, but organize a controlled exit of people through alternative routes and provide priority assistance to those who are most vulnerable.
The question tests knowledge of Section 2 of the Traffic Rules, specifically item 2.10 “Duties and rights of drivers” regarding actions in case of involvement in a traffic accident: taking possible measures to provide first aid, calling emergency services, and overall organization of rescue. In the context of a bus, this means that if the regular exit through the doors is unavailable, passengers should be directed to emergency exits in the windows or through the roof hatch, while also using the help of uninjured people to support the wounded, children, and people with disabilities.
Analysis of the answer options shows that waiting only for technical assistance is insufficient, as it does not fulfill the main duty of the driver to immediately reduce the consequences of the accident and ensure passenger safety. The instruction to simply exit through emergency exits is correct but incomplete without organizing assistance for those who cannot evacuate on their own. Focusing only on the injured also does not solve the problem of blocked doors without an established exit route. That is why, in the theoretical exam, the correct answer is considered to be a combination of two actions: organized evacuation through emergency exits and assistance to vulnerable passengers with the participation of those who are uninjured.
Clause 2.10 (Section 2 "Duties and Rights of Drivers", actions of the driver in case of involvement in a traffic accident — providing assistance to victims)
"In case of involvement in a traffic accident, the driver is obliged to: ... take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to the victims, call for emergency medical assistance, and also report the incident to the relevant unit of the National Police."
Explanation of application: this very duty includes organizing the safe evacuation of passengers from the bus cabin (including through emergency exits, if the doors are blocked) and involving uninjured passengers to help the wounded, children, and persons with disabilities, in order to provide assistance to the victims and prevent worsening of the accident's consequences.
Clause 2.10 (Section 2 "Duties and Rights of Drivers", actions of the driver in case of involvement in a traffic accident — transporting the victim to a healthcare facility)
"In case of involvement in a traffic accident, the driver is obliged to: ... if it is impossible to perform the actions specified in this clause, transport the victim to the nearest healthcare facility in their own vehicle, having first recorded the location of the accident traces as well as the position of the vehicle after it has stopped; after transporting the victim, return to the scene of the traffic accident."
Explanation of application: the driver's duty to provide assistance to victims also includes actions to safely remove/carry them out of the bus (if the regular doors do not open), so that further pre-medical assistance can be provided and/or transportation to a medical facility can be organized.
That is, the correct answer is "Perform the actions listed in items 2 and 3," given that according to the Traffic Rules, a driver involved in a traffic accident is obliged to take possible measures to provide pre-medical assistance to victims and ensure their rescue/evacuation (including through emergency exits, if the bus doors are blocked) and, if necessary, organize the transportation of victims to a healthcare facility.
After a road traffic accident, the bus driver is responsible not only for their own safety but also for the organized actions of the passengers. If the bus doors are blocked, the usual evacuation route becomes impossible, so the main task of the driver is to ensure a quick and safe exit from the cabin by other means provided by the design and to prevent panic.
In such a situation, the driver must clearly instruct the passengers: ask them to remain calm and exit not through the doors, but through the emergency exits provided on the bus. These include emergency exits in the windows and, if available, a hatch (exit) on the roof. For example, if after a collision the bus is pressed against an obstacle and the doors do not open, the driver organizes the exit through an emergency window: passengers leave the cabin one by one, avoiding a crush.
At the same time, the driver must take care of those who cannot evacuate quickly on their own. With the help of uninjured passengers, he organizes assistance for the injured, persons with disabilities, and children, so that they can safely leave the bus first or under supervision, depending on the situation. This is important because with blocked doors, the risk of injury during evacuation increases, and without organized assistance, vulnerable passengers may be in danger.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Perform the actions listed in points 2 and 3," since when the doors are blocked, the driver must organize evacuation through emergency exits and ensure assistance to the injured, children, and persons with disabilities with the help of uninjured passengers.