The operation of vehicles is prohibited if:

Explanation

If the windscreen wipers provided for in the vehicle's design do not work.

The list of defects and conditions prohibiting the operation of a vehicle is a closed, enumerated list; not every fault that makes driving unpleasant is on it, but everything that is on it — however minor it may seem — makes driving unlawful. The failure of the wipers the manufacturer provided for in the vehicle's design is precisely one of these.

The safety reason is direct: in rain, snow or spray from the car ahead, the windscreen goes opaque within seconds and the driver is effectively driving blind. What distinguishes this defect from many other faults is the speed at which the danger arises; a worn tyre may only show itself in one emergency stop, but a broken wiper takes away your vision in the first downpour. That is why the legislator placed it alongside brakes and steering.

The trap of this question is the other two options. "Uneven engine running" is a performance issue and has no place on the list of prohibiting defects. As for the rear fog lamp, the rule is exactly the reverse of the option: the rear fog lamp must not be wired into the brake light circuit, because its very powerful light dazzles the driver behind at every brake application. So "not being connected" is the lawful state, not an offence. When even one of the items is wrong, the "in all the listed cases" option is ruled out automatically.

• Uneven engine running affects power and consumption and is tempting because it looks like a "fault", but it is not on the list of prohibiting defects and does not on its own make driving unlawful. • The rule is exactly the reverse; the rear fog lamp must not be connected to the brake lights at all, so its not being connected is compliance with the standard, not a technical defect. • Since the first two items are not offences, the comprehensive option is wrong too; choose "all the cases" only when you have verified each item separately.

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