The operation of vehicles is prohibited if:

Explanation

If the speedometer provided for in the vehicle's structure does not work.

A non-functioning speedometer is on the list of defects prohibiting operation of a vehicle. The reason is direct: a large part of the traffic regulations is written around a speed figure — the limit in built-up areas, the limit outside towns, the permitted speed on motorways, the lower speeds for heavy vehicles and for a vehicle towing. A driver with no speedometer cannot comply with these rules even with the best of intentions.

Judging speed by eye is not reliable either: the human ear and eye adapt to speed, and after a few minutes on an open road 90 km/h feels "slow". That is precisely why most speeding offences are unintentional and occur exactly when the driver enters a built-up area still driving to the rhythm of the open road. The speedometer is the driver's only objective reference and closes off collisions caused by inappropriate speed.

The option about red reflectors at the rear is a trap: rear reflectors must be red, so that a stopped or unlit vehicle is seen at night by the driver behind and its orientation correctly identified. This condition complies with the standard.

• Rear reflectors must be red; the option describes the vehicle's correct condition and shows no defect. • Since the first item is not an offence, "in both cases" cannot be the correct answer either.

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