The operation of vehicles is prohibited if:

Explanation

In both cases; both a defective fuel tank cap and curtains on the front side windows.

The list of defects and conditions prohibiting operation of a vehicle is not limited to brakes and steering; the sealing of the fuel tank and lateral visibility are on that same list.

A cap provided for in the vehicle's design must close and seal. A tank without a sound cap spills fuel over every bump and every sharp turn; fuel spilled onto a hot exhaust surface starts a fire, and the same fuel on the carriageway becomes a lethal slippery patch under a motorcycle's tyre. Fuel vapour also carries an explosion risk in an enclosed car park. That is why the fuel cap is counted alongside door locks and cargo latches in the same category of "mandatory closures".

Curtains on the front side windows block exactly the field of view you need at a junction: looking left and right before entering, seeing a pedestrian passing alongside the car, and checking the blind spot when changing lanes. The rule is clear: curtains are permitted only on the rear side windows, and then only if both exterior rear-view mirrors are fitted; the front side windows must be left clear.

Know the trap of this family of questions: because both items are defects on their own, the answer is "in both cases". But that answer is not automatic; in other versions of this same question one of the two options describes an entirely lawful condition, and you must weigh each option separately.

• A defective fuel cap really does prohibit operation, and that very correctness is what makes it tempting; but this option ignores the second item and is an incomplete answer. • Curtains on the front side windows are prohibited on their own too, so choosing only this one item is again not the complete answer to the question.

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