9.50. Where exactly is it required to switch on daytime running lights, and if they are not provided in the vehicle's design – low beam headlights on all motor vehicles during daylight hours?
UAДе саме необхідно вмикати денні ходові вогні, а в разі їх відсутності в конструкції транспортного засобу – ближнє світло фар на всіх механічних транспортних засобах під час руху в світлу пору доби?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns road safety by increasing the visibility of vehicles during the daytime. In daylight hours, a car can "blend" with the background, and on rural routes, speeds are higher and reaction time is shorter, so the use of daytime running lights or low beam headlights reduces risks during overtaking, exiting secondary roads, and at intersections outside the city.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the traffic rules regarding the use of external lighting devices, specifically the requirement of paragraph 9.8 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. This is where the rule is established: when driving mechanical vehicles during daylight hours outside populated areas, daytime running lights must be turned on, and if they are not provided by the vehicle's design, then low beam headlights should be used. This is a typical topic for the theoretical exam, as people often confuse the area of application of the rule (outside/within populated areas) and the type of road.
The analysis of the options in this exam question is straightforward: limiting it only to motorways or roads for automobiles is incorrect, since paragraph 9.8 applies to all roads outside populated areas, regardless of their category. The option about all roads both within and outside populated areas also does not correspond to the wording of the Traffic Rules, because the obligation is specifically tied to driving outside populated areas; in the city during the day, this is not a general requirement (although turning on such lights additionally is not prohibited).
In practice, correct application of this rule means: as soon as you leave the boundaries of a populated area during daylight hours, make sure that the daytime running lights are on, and if they are not provided in the vehicle's design—turn on the low beam headlights. This traffic rule directly affects visibility and reduces the likelihood of dangerous close encounters on rural roads throughout the year.
Clause 9.8
While driving mechanical vehicles during daylight hours outside populated areas, daytime running lights must be switched on, and in the absence of such lights in the vehicle's design, low beam headlights must be used.
Clause 1.10 (the term "Daytime Running Lights")
Daytime running lights are external white lighting devices provided by the vehicle's design, installed at the front of the vehicle, and intended to improve the visibility of the vehicle while it is moving during daylight hours.
Therefore, the correct answer is "On all roads outside populated areas," considering that, according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, this requirement (switching on daytime running lights or, in their absence, low beam headlights) is directly established for driving mechanical vehicles during daylight hours specifically outside populated areas.
While driving during daylight hours, the driver must ensure that their vehicle is visible to other road users. For this purpose, many vehicles are equipped with daytime running lights—front white lighting devices specifically designed to increase the vehicle's visibility during the day.
Clause 9.8 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine sets a clear requirement: when a motor vehicle is moving during the day, the driver must turn on the daytime running lights, and if they are not provided by the vehicle's design, turn on the low beam headlights. Importantly, this requirement is linked not to the season or weather, but to the location of travel.
The logic of the rule is simple: outside populated areas, speeds are usually higher, closing distances are shorter, and there is less time to react. Even on a sunny day, an approaching vehicle is easier and quicker to notice if the daytime running lights or low beam headlights are on at the front. This reduces the risk of dangerous situations during overtaking, exiting from secondary roads, or crossing intersections outside the city.
Pay attention to the wording “on all roads” outside populated areas: the rule applies equally to international highways, regional roads, and ordinary rural roads—the main criterion is only one: you are driving outside a populated area.
Therefore, the correct answer is “On all roads outside populated areas,” since clause 9.8 of the Traffic Rules requires that during the day, while driving outside populated areas, daytime running lights must be turned on, and if they are absent, the low beam headlights should be used to increase the vehicle's visibility.