Traffic regulations and road law for CE combinations
Domain focus
This section covers prometni propisi i Zakon o sigurnosti prometa na cestama as applied to CE combinations. The exam tests whether you can choose the rule for a heavy goods vehicle and articulated combination, not the category B car rule.
Core rules
- Croatia drives on the right. At an unmarked intersection priority is normally to the vehicle from the right, but a sign, marking or police order overrides that default.
- Goods vehicles over 3.5 t and combinations have lower limits than cars: commonly 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 90 km/h on motorways, and 80 km/h for many trailer combinations; the posted sign always prevails.
- Overtaking is prohibited where visibility, markings or signs forbid it. A laden CE needs a much larger gap and must not force other road users to brake.
- Safety distance must allow stopping if the vehicle ahead stops suddenly. At 80 km/h, two seconds is about 44 m; a laden CE needs more in rain or on a downgrade.
- The general 0.5 g/kg alcohol limit does not protect a professional CE driver. Croatian rules apply a stricter/zero regime to professional and certain heavy-vehicle drivers, so treat any alcohol as prohibited.
Worked example
A CE driver on a motorway sees a temporary 80 km/h sign at roadworks while the permanent limit was 90 km/h. The correct speed is 80 km/h: temporary signs and police orders override permanent signs. In wet weather the driver keeps a four-second gap. At 80 km/h, four seconds is about 89 m; showing that calculation is the reasoning mark, not just the final number.
Traps
Using car speed limits; treating the right-hand rule as absolute when signs exist; ignoring temporary signs; and assuming a professional driver may drive at the general alcohol limit.