55.11. Before starting to move from a stop after boarding passengers onto the bus, the bus driver must make sure the maneuver is safe:
UAПерш ніж почати рух від зупинки після посадки в автобус пасажирів, водій автобуса повинен переконатися в безпеці маневру:
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns safety when starting the movement of a route vehicle after stopping to pick up passengers. In real conditions, a bus pulling out from a stop is always associated with increased risk: passengers and pedestrians may remain nearby, and on the other side, there is moving traffic. That is why the traffic rules require the driver to be as attentive as possible and to monitor the situation before any maneuver.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules on starting movement and changing direction (point 10.1), as well as the general duties of the driver regarding observation of the road situation (point 2.3). The practical meaning is that safe departure from a stop cannot be assessed by looking in only one direction: on the right, you need to make sure there are no people in the danger zone near the doors and side of the bus, and on the left, that there are no vehicles in the lane that would be obstructed or endangered. Even considering the rule that in populated areas drivers must yield to a bus starting to move (point 17.4), the bus driver in the theoretical exam must demonstrate understanding: the responsibility for a safe start of movement still remains with them.
The analysis of the answer options comes down to the completeness of risk zone control. Looking only through the right exterior mirror does not provide information about the situation in the flow on the left, where the bus actually merges into the lane. Looking only through the left mirror ignores the most vulnerable area near the stop, where passengers and pedestrians may be next to the bus. The interior mirror is primarily intended for monitoring passengers, not the road situation outside, and therefore does not provide the necessary check before departure. Thus, the correct approach for the exam question and for real practice is to monitor the situation on both sides through both exterior rear-view mirrors.
Clause 10.1
Before starting to move, changing lanes, or making any change in the direction of movement, the driver must make sure that it will be safe and will not create obstacles or danger to other road users.
Application to the question: when starting to move from a stop after passengers have boarded, the bus driver is performing a “start of movement,” and is therefore obliged to check in advance whether this will create danger/obstacles. In practice, this is ensured by checking the situation on both sides of the bus using both external rear-view mirrors (on the right — pedestrians/passengers near the doors and side, on the left — vehicles in the traffic lane).
Clause 2.3 (subclause “b”)
To ensure road safety, the driver is obliged to: 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.
Application to the question: the obligation to “monitor the road situation” before starting to move from a stop means checking risk zones on both sides of the bus; that is why it is necessary to look through both external mirrors.
Clause 17.4
In populated areas, drivers must yield to route vehicles starting to move from a designated stop, provided they signal with a turn indicator.
Application to the question: although other drivers are obliged to “yield” to the bus, this does not cancel the safety requirements for the bus driver (clause 10.1) — before starting to move, he/she still must make sure that the maneuver will be safe, monitoring the situation on the left and right through the external mirrors.
That is, the correct answer is “Through both external rear-view mirrors,” given that according to the Traffic Rules, the driver must make sure the maneuver is safe and constantly monitor the road situation before starting to move, and for a bus after passengers have boarded, this requires checking the situation on both sides of the vehicle.
After stopping to pick up passengers, the bus is usually parked near the curb, and before starting to move, the driver is essentially performing a maneuver to exit the stop into traffic. According to the requirements of the Traffic Rules, before starting to move or making any change in direction, the driver must make sure that it is safe and will not create obstacles or danger for other road users.
In this situation, there are risks on both sides, so checking only one direction is not enough. To the right of the bus, there may be pedestrians, passengers still moving away from the doors, or other people near the stop. Checking the right external mirror allows the driver to make sure that when starting to move, the bus body will not hit anyone, and that there are no people nearby who could be put in danger.
On the left is the traffic lane into which the bus will be entering. At this moment, cars, motorcycles, or cyclists moving in the same direction may be approaching from behind or from the side. Looking through the left external mirror is necessary to assess the situation in the traffic flow: whether there are vehicles to which the bus could create an obstacle or force them to brake sharply when exiting the stop.
That is why, before starting to move after picking up passengers, the bus driver must simultaneously monitor both the safety of people on the right side and the traffic situation on the left. This is the most reliable way to fulfill the Traffic Rules requirement for a safe start and to avoid creating danger.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Through both external rearview mirrors," since the driver must check on the right for the absence of people in the danger zone, and on the left for the absence of vehicles that could be obstructed or endangered when exiting the stop.