1. General provisions

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. These Rules, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Road Traffic", establish a uniform procedure for road traffic throughout the territory of Ukraine. Other regulatory acts concerning specific aspects of road traffic (transportation of special cargo, operation of certain types of vehicles, traffic in closed areas, etc.) must be based on the requirements of these Rules.

1.2. In Ukraine, right-hand traffic for vehicles is established.

1.3. Road users are obliged to know and strictly comply with the requirements of these Rules, as well as to be mutually courteous.

1.4. Every road user has the right to expect that other road users also comply with these Rules.

1.5. Actions or inaction of road users and other persons must not create danger or obstruction to traffic, threaten the life or health of citizens, or cause material damage.

A person who has created such conditions is obliged to immediately take measures to ensure road safety on this section of the road and take all possible measures to eliminate obstacles, and if this is impossible, warn other road users about them, notify the authorized unit of the National Police, the road owner, or the body authorized by them.

{Paragraph two of clause 1.5 as amended by CM Resolution No. 161 of 22.03.2017}

1.6. Using roads for purposes other than their intended use is permitted subject to the requirements of Articles 36-38 of the Law of Ukraine "On Highways".

{Clause 1.6 as amended by CM Resolution No. 263 of 21.02.2007}

1.7. Drivers must be especially attentive to such categories of road users as cyclists, persons moving in wheelchairs, and pedestrians. All road users must be especially careful towards children, elderly people, and persons with obvious signs of disability.

{Clause 1.7 as amended by CM Resolution No. 553 of 11.07.2018}

1.8. Restrictions on road traffic, except those provided for by these Rules, may be introduced in accordance with the procedure established by law.

1.9. Persons violating these Rules are held liable in accordance with the law.

1.10. The terms used in these Rules have the following meanings:

bus - a vehicle with more than nine seating positions including the driver's seat, which by its design and equipment is intended for the transportation of passengers and their luggage with the provision of the necessary comfort and safety;

highway - a road that:

- is specially built and intended for the movement of vehicles, not intended for entry to or exit from adjacent territory;

- has separate carriageways for each direction of travel, separated from each other by a dividing strip;

- does not intersect at the same level other roads, railway and tram tracks, pedestrian and bicycle paths, animal passage routes, has barriers on the shoulders and the dividing strip, and is fenced with a net;

- is marked with road sign 5.1;

road, street (road) - part of the territory, including in a populated area, with all structures located on it (bridges, overpasses, viaducts, above-ground and underground pedestrian crossings) and road traffic organization means, intended for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians and limited in width by the outer edge of sidewalks or the edge of the right-of-way. This term also includes specially built temporary roads, except for arbitrarily worn paths (ruts);

state significance highways - public roads, which include international, national, regional, and territorial highways, marked with appropriate road signs;

{Paragraph nine of clause 1.10 as amended by CM Resolution No. 1091 of 29.09.2021}

road train (vehicle combination) - a mechanical vehicle connected to one or more trailers by means of a coupling device;

safe distance - the distance to the vehicle moving ahead in the same lane, which, in the event of its sudden braking or stopping, will allow the driver of the vehicle moving behind to prevent a collision without performing any maneuver;

safe interval - the distance between the side parts of moving vehicles or between them and other objects, at which road safety is guaranteed;

safe speed - the speed at which the driver is able to safely control the vehicle and monitor its movement in specific road conditions;

towing - the movement of one vehicle by another vehicle, which does not relate to the operation of road trains (vehicle combinations) on a rigid or flexible coupling, or by the method of partial loading onto a platform or onto a special support device;

truck - a vehicle that by its design and equipment is intended for the transportation of goods;

bicycle - a vehicle, except wheelchairs, driven by the muscular power of the person on it;

{Paragraph sixteen of clause 1.10 as amended by CM Resolution No. 553 of 11.07.2018}

cyclist - a person riding a bicycle;

bicycle path - a path with a surface outside the carriageway of a street and/or road, located separately or adjacent to a sidewalk or pedestrian path, intended for cycling, and marked with road sign 4.14 and horizontal marking 1.36;

{Paragraph eighteen of clause 1.10 as amended by CM Resolution No. 1091 of 29.09.2021}

bicycle lane - a lane intended for cycling within the carriageway of a street and/or road, marked with road sign 5.88 and the corresponding horizontal road marking;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CM Resolution No. 1091 of 29.09.2021}

bicycle crossing - a place where cyclists cross the carriageway within an intersection or outside it, marked with road marking 1.15;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CM Resolution No. 1091 of 29.09.2021}

visibility in the direction of travel - the maximum distance at which the boundaries of road elements and the placement of traffic participants can be clearly recognized from the driver's seat, allowing the driver to orient themselves while driving, in particular to choose a safe speed and perform a safe maneuver;

forced stop - cessation of vehicle movement due to its technical malfunction or danger caused by the transported cargo, the condition of a road user, or the appearance of an obstacle to movement;

passing - the movement of a vehicle at a speed exceeding the speed of a vehicle traveling in the same direction in an adjacent lane;

vehicle owner - a natural or legal person holding property rights to the vehicle, confirmed by relevant documents;

driver - a person driving a vehicle and holding a driver's license (tractor driver's license, temporary permit to drive a vehicle, temporary coupon to drive a vehicle) of the appropriate category. A driver is also a person teaching driving while being directly in the vehicle;

dimension-weight control - a check of the dimensional and weight parameters of a vehicle (including a mechanical vehicle), trailer, and cargo for compliance with established standards for dimensions (width, height from the road surface, vehicle length) and load (actual mass, axle load), which is carried out in accordance with the established procedure at stationary or mobile dimension-weight control points;

lawn - an area of homogeneous territory with a turf cover, artificially created by sowing and growing turf-forming grasses (mainly perennial cereals) or by sodding;

braking distance - the distance a vehicle travels during emergency braking from the moment the brake system control mechanism (pedal, lever) is actuated to the point where it comes to a complete stop;

main road - a road with a surface relative to an unpaved one, or one marked with signs 1.22, 1.23.1-1.23.4 and 2.3. The presence of a surface on a secondary road immediately before an intersection does not equate it in importance to the road being crossed;

give way - a requirement for a road user not to continue or resume movement, not to perform any maneuvers (except for the requirement to vacate the occupied lane), if this could force other road users who have the right of way to change direction or speed;

daytime running lights - external white lighting devices provided by the vehicle's design, installed at the front of the vehicle and intended to improve the vehicle's visibility during daylight hours;

child restraint system - equipment capable of holding a child in a sitting or reclined position, which in the event of a collision or sudden braking of the vehicle reduces the risk of injury to the child inside by limiting the mobility of their body;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 152 dated 24.02.2021}

permissible maximum mass - the mass of a laden vehicle with cargo, driver and passengers, established by the vehicle's technical characteristics as the maximum allowable. The permissible maximum mass of a road train is the sum of the permissible maximum allowable mass of each vehicle forming part of the road train;

permissible maximum axle load - the maximum load on a vehicle axle, specified in subparagraph “c” of clause 22.5 of these Rules;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 105 dated 09.02.2022 - valid during martial law and for one year after its termination or cancellation, taking into account amendments made by CMU Resolution No. 748 dated 21.07.2023}

permissible maximum dimensions - the maximum dimensions of a vehicle, specified in subparagraph “a” of clause 22.5 of these Rules;

road traffic accident - an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle, resulting in death or injury to people or material damage;

road works - works related to the construction, reconstruction, repair or maintenance of a highway (street), artificial structures, road drainage structures, engineering equipment, installation (repair, replacement) of technical means of traffic organization;

road conditions - a set of factors characterizing (taking into account the time of year, time of day, atmospheric phenomena, road lighting) visibility in the direction of travel, the condition of the roadway surface (cleanliness, evenness, roughness, adhesion), as well as its width, the magnitude of slopes on descents and ascents, curves and bends, the presence of sidewalks or shoulders, traffic organization means and their condition;

road situation - a set of factors characterized by road conditions, the presence of obstacles on a certain section of the road, the intensity and level of traffic organization (presence and condition of road markings, road signs, road equipment, traffic lights), which the driver must take into account when choosing speed, lane and vehicle control techniques;

road patrol police station - an area near the roadway of a road marked with road sign 6.10, with a building or other structure located on it, intended for the stay of patrol police officers during their service;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 721 dated 14.07.2021}

operation of a vehicle combination - transportation by a tractor of a trailer in accordance with the instructions for its use (compliance of the trailer with the tractor, presence of a safety coupling, unified signaling and lighting system, etc.);

overpass - an engineering structure for the movement of vehicles and/or pedestrians, raising one road above another at their intersection, as well as for creating a road at a certain height that has no exits to another road;

residential area - courtyard areas, as well as parts of settlements marked with road sign 5.34;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended according to CMU Resolution No. 1091 dated 29.09.2021}

leaving the scene of a road traffic accident - actions of a road traffic accident participant aimed at concealing the fact of such an accident or the circumstances of its commission, which necessitated police measures to establish (search for) this participant and/or search for the vehicle;

railway crossing - the intersection of a road with railway tracks at the same level;

blinding - the physiological state of a driver due to the effect of light on their vision, when the driver objectively cannot detect obstacles or recognize the boundaries of road elements at a minimum distance;

stopping - the cessation of vehicle movement for up to 5 minutes or more, if necessary for boarding (alighting) of passengers or loading (unloading) of cargo, fulfillment of the requirements of these Rules (giving priority in traffic, fulfilling the requirements of a traffic controller, traffic light signals, etc.);

pedestrian column - an organized group of people moving along the roadway in one direction;

vehicle column - an organized group of three or more vehicles moving together in one direction directly one after another with low beam headlights constantly on;

container transportation - transportation of goods by a container carrier using containers or swap bodies, carried out without intermediate reloading and in compliance with the established rules for the transportation of goods by road transport in Ukraine;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 427 dated 01.04.2026}

container carrier - a specialized wheeled vehicle which, by its design and equipment, is intended for the transportation of goods using certain categories of containers or swap bodies, the operation of which must correspond both to its design and its purpose;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 427 dated 01.04.2026}

edge of the roadway (for non-rail vehicles) - a visible conditional or road marking line on the roadway at the place where it adjoins the shoulder, sidewalk, lawn, dividing strip, tram track lane, bicycle or pedestrian path;

extreme position on the roadway - the position of a vehicle at a distance from the edge of the roadway (middle of the roadway or dividing strip) that does not allow a passing vehicle (including a two-wheeled one) to move even closer to the edge of the roadway (middle of the roadway or dividing strip);

wheelchair - a specially designed wheeled device intended for movement on the road by persons with disabilities or persons belonging to other low-mobility groups of the population. A wheelchair has at least two wheels and is equipped with an engine or driven by human muscle power;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to CMU Resolution No. 553 dated 11.07.2018}

passenger car - a car with no more than nine seating positions, including the driver's seat, which by its design and equipment is intended for the transportation of passengers and their luggage with the provision of the necessary comfort and safety;

maneuvering (maneuver) - starting movement, changing lanes of a vehicle in motion from one lane to another, turning right or left, making a U-turn, leaving the roadway, driving in reverse;

route vehicles (public transport vehicles) - buses, minibuses, trolleybuses, trams and taxis moving along established routes and having designated places on the road for boarding (alighting) passengers;

mechanical vehicle - a vehicle propelled by an engine. This term applies to tractors, self-propelled machines and mechanisms, as well as trolleybuses and vehicles with an electric motor with a power exceeding 3 kW;

minibus - a single-deck bus with a number of seats not exceeding seventeen, including the driver's seat;

bridge - a structure intended for movement across a river, ravine and other obstacles, the boundaries of which are the beginning and end of the span structures;

moped - a two-wheeled vehicle that has an engine with a working volume of up to 50 cubic cm or an electric motor with a power of up to 4 kW;

motorcycle - a two-wheeled mechanical vehicle with or without a sidecar, having an engine with a working volume of 50 cubic cm or more. Motor scooters, motorized wheelchairs, three-wheeled and other mechanical vehicles whose permissible maximum mass does not exceed 400 kg are equated to motorcycles;

populated area - a built-up area, the entrances to which and exits from which are marked with road signs 5.49, 5.50, 5.51, 5.52;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 601 dated 10.05.2022}

traffic hazard - a change in the road situation (including the appearance of a moving object that approaches the lane of a vehicle or crosses it) or the technical condition of a vehicle that threatens road safety and forces the driver to immediately reduce speed or stop. A separate case of traffic hazard is the movement within the lane of a vehicle of another vehicle against the general flow;

insufficient visibility - visibility of the road in the direction of travel of less than 300 m at dusk, in conditions of fog, rain, snowfall, etc.;

indivisible cargo - cargo that cannot be divided into two or more parts without excessive costs or risk of damage to it;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to Resolution of the CM No. 105 dated 09.02.2022 - valid during the period of martial law and for one year after its termination or cancellation, taking into account changes made by Resolution of the CM No. 748 dated 21.07.2023}

overtaking - advancing one or more vehicles, associated with entering the lane of oncoming traffic;

limited visibility - visibility of the road in the direction of travel, which is limited by the geometric parameters of the road, roadside engineering structures, plantings and other objects, as well as vehicles;

visibility - the objective ability to see the road situation from the driver's seat;

person moving in a wheelchair - a person with a disability or a person who belongs to other low-mobility groups of the population and independently moves along the road in a wheelchair;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to Resolution of the CM No. 553 dated 11.07.2018}

traffic island - a technical means of traffic regulation at ground pedestrian crossings, structurally allocated above the roadway and intended as a protective element for stopping pedestrians while crossing the roadway. The part of the dividing strip through which the pedestrian crossing runs belongs to the traffic island;

passenger - a person who uses a vehicle and is in it, but is not involved in driving it;

priority - the right to priority movement relative to other road users;

transportation of organized groups of children - simultaneous transportation of ten or more children with a leader responsible for their accompaniment during the trip (for a group of thirty or more children, a medical worker is additionally appointed);

traffic obstacle - a stationary object within the lane of a vehicle or an object moving in the same direction within this lane (except for a vehicle moving against the general flow of vehicles) and forcing the driver to maneuver or reduce speed up to stopping the vehicle;

intersection - a place of crossing, junction or branching of roads at the same level, the boundary of which is imaginary lines between the beginnings of the curves of the edges of the roadway of each of the roads. The place of junction to the road of an exit from an adjacent territory is not considered an intersection;

pedestrian - a person who participates in road traffic outside vehicles and does not perform any work on the road. Persons moving in wheelchairs without an engine, leading a bicycle, moped, motorcycle, carrying a sled, cart, baby stroller or wheelchair are also equated to pedestrians;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 553 dated 11.07.2018}

pedestrian crossing - a section of the roadway, traffic island or dividing strip or an engineering structure intended for the movement of pedestrians across the road. Pedestrian crossings are marked with road signs 5.38.1-5.41.2, road markings 1.14.1-1.14.3, pedestrian traffic lights. In the absence of road markings, the boundaries of the pedestrian crossing are determined by the distance between road signs or pedestrian traffic lights, and at an intersection in the absence of pedestrian traffic lights, road signs and markings - by the width of sidewalks or shoulders.

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 1091 dated 29.09.2021}

A pedestrian crossing is considered regulated if traffic on it is regulated by a traffic light or a traffic controller, unregulated - a pedestrian crossing where there is no traffic controller, traffic lights are absent or turned off or operate in the mode of flashing yellow signal;

pedestrian path - a path with a surface intended for the movement of pedestrians, made within the road or outside it and marked with sign 4.16;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 1091 dated 29.09.2021}

adjacent territory - territory adjacent to the edge of the roadway and not intended for through passage, but only for entry into yards, parking lots, gas stations, construction sites, etc. or exit from them;

trailer - a vehicle intended for movement only in a hitch with another vehicle. Semi-trailers and trailer-dollys also belong to this type of vehicle;

roadway - an element of the road intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles. The road may have several roadways, the boundaries of which are dividing strips;

traffic controller - a police officer performing traffic regulation in high-visibility uniform with elements made of reflective material using a baton, whistle. Employees of the military road safety inspection, road maintenance service, duty officer at a railway crossing, ferry crossing, who have the appropriate certificate and armband, baton, disc with a red signal or reflector, red lantern or flag and perform regulation in uniform, are equated to the traffic controller;

rail vehicle - a tram and platforms with special equipment moving along tram tracks. All other vehicles participating in road traffic are considered non-rail;

dividing strip - an element of the highway, structurally allocated or with the help of solid lines of road marking 1.2, which separates adjacent roadways. The dividing strip is not intended for the movement or parking of vehicles. If there is a sidewalk on the dividing strip, pedestrian movement is allowed on it;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 1091 dated 29.09.2021}

agricultural machinery - tractors, self-propelled chassis, self-propelled agricultural, road-building, reclamation machines and other mechanisms;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to Resolution of the CM No. 196 dated 26.02.2020}

traffic lane - a longitudinal strip on the roadway with a width of at least 2.75 m, marked or not marked with road markings and intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles;

stopping - the cessation of movement of a vehicle for a period longer than 5 minutes, for reasons not related to the need to comply with the requirements of these Rules, boarding (alighting) of passengers, loading (unloading) of cargo;

dark time of day - the part of the day from sunset to sunrise;

vehicle - a device intended for the transportation of people and/or cargo, as well as special equipment or mechanisms installed on it;

tram track - an element of the road intended for the movement of rail vehicles, which is limited in width by specially designated paving of the tram line or road markings. Movement of non-rail vehicles on the tram track is permitted in accordance with section 11 of these Rules;

sidewalk - an element of the road intended for pedestrian movement, which adjoins the carriageway or is separated from it by a lawn;

improved surface - cement-concrete, asphalt-concrete, reinforced-concrete or steel-reinforced concrete prefabricated surface, cobblestone, paved with cobblestone and mosaic, prefabricated surface made of small-sized concrete slabs, of crushed stone and gravel treated with organic and binding materials;

roadside - an element of the road, structurally separated or separated by a solid line of road markings, which adjoins directly to the outer edge of the carriageway, is located at the same level with it and is not intended for the movement of vehicles, except for cases provided for by these Rules. The roadside may be used for stopping and parking of vehicles, movement of pedestrians, mopeds, bicycles (in the absence of sidewalks, pedestrian, bicycle paths or in case of impossibility to move along them), horse-drawn carts (sledges);

road user - a person taking direct part in the process of movement on the road as a pedestrian, driver, passenger, animal handler, cyclist, as well as a person moving in a wheelchair;

{Paragraph of clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 553 of 11.07.2018}

actual mass - the mass of a loaded vehicle, determined by its technical characteristics, with the driver and cargo;

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a new paragraph according to Resolution of the CM No. 105 of 09.02.2022 - valid during the period of martial law and within a year after its termination or cancellation, taking into account changes introduced by Resolution of the CM No. 748 of 21.07.2023}

actual mass of a road train - the sum of the actual mass of each vehicle included in the road train;

overpass - an engineering structure of bridge type over another road (railway) at their intersection, ensuring movement along it at different levels and providing the possibility of exiting to another road.

Other terms are used in the meaning given in the Customs Code of Ukraine, Laws of Ukraine "On Road Transport", "On Multimodal Transport".

{Clause 1.10 supplemented with a paragraph according to Resolution of the CM No. 427 of 01.04.2026}

{Clause 1.10 as amended by Resolution of the CM No. 111 of 11.02.2013}

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