9.21. You are a driver, driving in a populated area and have decided to make a U-turn. You:
UAВи водій, рухаючись в населеному пункті вирішили здійснити розворот. Ви:
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the safety of maneuvering within a populated area, when a driver makes a sharp change in direction while performing a U-turn. Giving advance warning to other road users about the intention to make a maneuver reduces the risk of collisions, helps drivers behind to correctly assess the situation and react in time, and also encourages disciplined maneuvering in dense urban traffic.
For the theoretical exam, this question tests knowledge of Section 9 of the Traffic Rules, specifically clause 9.4 "Warning Signals." The regulation clearly requires signaling a turn in advance, taking into account speed, but sets a minimum distance specifically for populated areas: not less than 50–100 m before starting the maneuver, and turning off the signal immediately after completion. Therefore, options with 200 m or with the condition "if there are other participants" do not meet the requirements of the Traffic Rules: 200 m is typical for signaling outside populated areas (where a different range of 150–200 m applies), and the requirement to signal does not depend on whether there are "other participants" nearby—the driver is obliged to warn in advance in any case.
Practically, this means: before making a U-turn, you need to timely take the correct position on the roadway, turn on the left indicator at the established distance, and make sure the signal is clear to others. It is important to remember that the warning signal does not give the right of way: the safety of the U-turn is ensured by monitoring the situation, yielding to oncoming traffic and those moving in the lane you are entering. This is a typical situation often checked as an exam question, because it directly affects the safe behavior of a driver in the city.
Clause 9.4 (Section 9 "Warning Signals")
"A signal with turn indicators or by hand must be given in advance before starting the maneuver (taking into account the speed of movement), but not less than 50—100 m in populated areas and 150—200 m outside them, and must be stopped immediately after its completion (a hand signal should be finished immediately before starting the maneuver). It is prohibited to give a signal if it may be misunderstood by other road users. Giving a warning signal does not give the driver priority and does not relieve him of taking precautionary measures."
Application to the question: a U-turn in a populated area is a maneuver, so the driver is obliged to warn other road users in advance by giving a signal not less than 50—100 m before starting the maneuver.
That is, the correct answer is "Obliged to give a signal with turn indicators or by hand not less than 50–100 meters before the maneuver," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, clause 9.4 directly establishes the minimum signaling distance in populated areas (50—100 m) before starting a maneuver.
When planning a U-turn in a populated area, you are essentially performing a complex maneuver that significantly changes your direction of travel and may affect other drivers. Therefore, before making a U-turn, you must not only take the appropriate position on the roadway but also warn other road users of your intention in advance.
Clause 9.4 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine requires you to signal your turn in advance, taking into account your speed, but within a populated area, the minimum signaling distance is clearly set: no less than 50–100 meters before starting the maneuver. This is done so that drivers behind and nearby have enough time to properly assess your action, reduce their speed, or change their position, rather than reacting at the last moment.
In practice, it looks like this: you are driving down the street, you turn on your left turn signal in advance, and approach the place where you will make the U-turn with the signal already on. If the indicators are not working, the signal is given by hand, but also in advance; in this case, the hand signal is stopped immediately before starting the maneuver so that you can control the vehicle. After completing the U-turn, the signal must be turned off immediately.
It is important to remember: simply turning on the indicator does not give you the right of way. It only warns others, and you are responsible for ensuring the safety of the maneuver by making sure the U-turn does not create obstacles or danger.
Therefore, the correct answer is: "You are required to signal with the indicators or by hand no less than 50–100 meters before the maneuver," since in a populated area, clause 9.4 of the Traffic Rules sets the minimum advance signaling distance before a maneuver at 50–100 meters.