8.1.64. Is the driver of the red car allowed in this situation to overtake the truck on the left side?
UAЧи дозволено водієві червоного автомобіля в даній ситуації виконати випередження вантажного автомобіля з лівого боку?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety on roads with reversible lanes, where the direction of traffic can change. Such sections are especially dangerous during maneuvers, particularly overtaking, because a mistake in choosing a lane can lead to entering oncoming traffic. That is why situations requiring correct interpretation of reversible traffic light signals and road markings are often included in the theoretical exam.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding traffic light signals, specifically clause 8.7.4 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. The logic is simple: the reversible traffic light controls movement on the lane above which it is installed. If a red X-shaped signal is lit above the lane, movement in that direction on this lane is prohibited, regardless of the driver's intentions for entering it.
Therefore, the option suggesting that the maneuver is allowed provided the driver returns to their lane is incorrect: overtaking on the left requires entering the reversible lane, and when a prohibitive signal is displayed, this is already a violation of the traffic rules. The correct option is prohibition, since the red X on the reversible traffic light directly blocks any movement on the lane, and therefore its use for overtaking.
Clause 8.7.4
To regulate the movement of vehicles on streets, roads, or on lanes of the carriageway where the direction of movement can be changed to the opposite, reversible traffic lights with a red X-shaped signal and a green signal in the form of a downward arrow are used. These signals prohibit or allow movement on the lane above which they are located. The main signals of the reversible traffic light may be supplemented by a yellow signal in the form of an arrow slanting diagonally down to the right, the activation of which prohibits movement on the lane marked on both sides by road marking 1.9, and informs about the change of the reversible traffic light signal and the need to switch to the right-hand lane. When the signals of the reversible traffic light located above the lane marked on both sides by road marking 1.9 are off, entry to this lane is prohibited.
In this situation, the reversible traffic light above the left lane is showing a red X-shaped signal, which prohibits movement on the lane above which it is located. Overtaking the truck on the left would require entering this lane, and therefore is prohibited.
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", considering that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, the red X-shaped signal of the reversible traffic light prohibits movement on the lane above which it is installed, and overtaking on the left requires entering such a lane.
In this situation, to the left of the red car's lane there is a reversible lane. This means its direction can change, and the right to enter it is determined not by the 'general overtaking rule,' but by the signals of the reversible traffic light above this lane.
According to clause 8.7.4 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine, the reversible traffic light controls movement specifically on the lane above which it is installed: a green downward arrow allows movement, while a red X-shaped signal prohibits movement on this lane. In the illustration, the red X is on, so entry into the reversible lane is currently prohibited in our direction.
Overtaking the truck on the left in this situation is impossible without entering this reversible lane. And since the reversible traffic light signal prohibits movement on it, any reason for entering (including for overtaking) does not change the prohibition.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," because overtaking on the left requires entering the reversible lane, and when the red X-shaped signal of the reversible traffic light is on, movement on this lane is prohibited.