Hungary KRESZ D cheat sheet

Road-user hierarchy in KRESZ: pedestrians and cyclists are the most vulnerable; drivers must exercise increased care toward them, especially children, elderly and disabled persons.

General obligation: every road user must behave so as not to endanger or unnecessarily obstruct others; drivers must be able to stop within the visible clear distance.

Drivers must carry a valid driving licence, vehicle registration, insurance and-for category D-a valid medical certificate and driver qualification card.

A driver must not drive under the influence of alcohol (zero tolerance in Hungary for category D) or drugs; fatigue and illness that impair driving are also prohibited.

Use of seat belts is mandatory for the driver and all passengers; children under 150 cm must use an appropriate child restraint system.

Drivers must give way to emergency vehicles (police, ambulance, fire) using blue lights and sirens; do not follow them closely.

Motor vehicles must be equipped with a warning triangle, first-aid kit and reflective vest; the vest must be worn when exiting the vehicle on a road outside built-up areas at night.

Hungarian road signs follow the Vienna Convention: triangles with red border = warning; circles with red border = prohibition; blue circles = mandatory; blue squares/rectangles = information.

Priority signs: 'Stop' octagon requires a complete stop and give way; 'Give way' inverted triangle requires yielding without necessarily stopping.

Traffic lights: red = stop before the stop line; amber = prepare to stop unless stopping would be unsafe; green = proceed if the way is clear.

Flashing amber at a junction means the lights are out of order: follow the priority signs or the general right-hand rule.

Road markings: continuous white line = no crossing; broken white line = may cross if safe; yellow zigzag = no stopping/parking; yellow box junction = do not enter unless exit is clear.

A green arrow on a traffic light allows movement in the indicated direction even if the main light is red, provided you give way to traffic on the main road.

Bus lane markings (yellow line and 'BUSZ' text) may be used by category D vehicles only when permitted by the sign; otherwise keep out.

At an unmarked junction of equal roads, the general right-hand rule applies: give way to vehicles approaching from the right.

A vehicle already in a roundabout has priority over entering vehicles unless signs indicate otherwise; signal left when entering if you intend to leave at a later exit, and signal right before exiting.

When turning left, give way to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right; when turning right, give way to pedestrians and cyclists crossing the road you are entering.

Trams have priority over other vehicles at junctions unless a sign or signal indicates otherwise; do not block tram tracks.

Entering a road from a private area, petrol station or parking place: you must give way to all traffic already on the road.

At a junction with a 'Give way' sign, yield to traffic on the priority road; if you must stop, do so at the stop line or before the junction.

Overtaking is prohibited at pedestrian crossings, at junctions (except when the overtaken vehicle is turning left and you are on a priority road), and on bends or hills with limited visibility.

General speed limits in Hungary: built-up areas 50 km/h; outside built-up areas 90 km/h; motorways 130 km/h; expressways 110 km/h.

Category D vehicles (buses) have lower limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on expressways and motorways, unless signs indicate otherwise.

Safe following distance: at least the distance travelled in 2 seconds in good conditions; double it in rain, at night or when visibility is reduced.

For heavy vehicles, a minimum safety distance of 50 m must be kept behind another heavy vehicle outside built-up areas when the speed exceeds 50 km/h.

Stopping distance = reaction distance + braking distance; reaction distance = speed (m/s) × reaction time (approx. 1 s), braking distance increases with the square of speed.

Speed must be reduced when approaching pedestrian crossings, schools, hospitals, and in adverse weather or road conditions.

A bus must not exceed 30 km/h when passing a stopped tram without a safety island, or when roadworks narrow the carriageway.

Category D licence: motor vehicles designed for the carriage of more than 8 passengers in addition to the driver; minimum age 24, or 21 with a driver qualification card (GKI).

Category D1: minibuses up to 16 passengers plus driver, maximum length 8 m; category D requires a medical certificate and periodic training.

A category D driver must hold a valid driver qualification card (GKI) and comply with professional driver training and periodic refresher courses every 5 years.

Bus-specific rules: doors must be closed before moving off; passengers must not stand in the stairwell or lean out of windows; emergency exits must remain unobstructed.

A bus may use bus lanes and bus stops only for boarding/alighting; parking at bus stops is prohibited except for scheduled stops.

When reversing a bus, a second person must guide if visibility is limited; the reversing alarm must be functional.

Category D vehicles are subject to periodic technical inspection every 6 months after the first 4 years, and must carry a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and warning triangle.

Maximum authorised dimensions for a bus in Hungary: width 2.55 m, height 4.0 m, length 12 m (articulated 18 m); maximum gross vehicle mass 18 t (articulated 28 t).

Buses must have a dual-circuit air brake system with spring-loaded parking brake; the pressure gauge must show at least 5 bar before moving off.

Doors must have an emergency release mechanism operable from inside and outside; door warning lights indicate open doors on the dashboard.

Passenger safety equipment: fire extinguishers (minimum 2 × 6 kg for buses), first-aid kits, emergency hammers for breaking glass, and clearly marked emergency exits.

The bus must be equipped with a tachograph (analogue or digital) and a speed limiter set to 100 km/h for category D vehicles.

Tyres must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm; snow chains are required on snow-covered roads where indicated by signs.

Before departure, the driver must perform a walk-around check: lights, tyres, doors, emergency exits, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and tachograph.

Boarding and alighting only at designated stops or where permitted; the driver must ensure passengers are clear of the doors before closing them.

Standing passengers are allowed only if the bus has handrails and the number does not exceed the capacity stated in the registration document.

Seat belts must be worn by all passengers where fitted; the driver is responsible for ensuring children use appropriate restraints.

Luggage must be stowed in the luggage compartment or secured so it cannot move and obstruct aisles, doors or emergency exits.

Passengers must not carry hazardous materials, flammable liquids or objects that could endanger others; the driver may refuse boarding.

The driver must announce stops and ensure passengers have time to alight; at night, the interior lighting must be switched on when passengers are boarding or alighting.

In case of an emergency, the driver must evacuate passengers first, then secure the vehicle and call emergency services (112).

EU driving time rules: maximum 9 hours daily driving, extendable to 10 hours twice a week; maximum 56 hours weekly and 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.

Breaks: after 4.5 hours of driving, a 45-minute break (can be split into 15 + 30 minutes); the break must be taken before the next driving period.

Daily rest: at least 11 hours, reducible to 9 hours three times between weekly rests; weekly rest: 45 hours, reducible to 24 hours with compensation.

Tachograph records must be kept for 28 days and presented on request; manual entries must be made for activities not recorded automatically.

The driver card must be inserted at the start of the shift and removed at the end; the tachograph must be calibrated every 2 years.

Working time directive: maximum average 48 hours per week over 4 months, with a maximum of 60 hours in any single week; night workers max 10 hours per 24-hour period.

Penalties for tachograph manipulation are severe; the driver is responsible for the correct use of the tachograph and must report malfunctions immediately.

Scan the road ahead and mirrors every 5–8 seconds; anticipate hazards from pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles emerging from side roads.

Maintain a safe following distance; in rain or wet conditions, increase it to at least 4 seconds to allow for longer braking distance.

When approaching a pedestrian crossing, slow down and be prepared to stop if a pedestrian is waiting or already crossing.

In heavy traffic, avoid sudden lane changes; use mirrors and blind-spot checks, and signal early.

At night or in fog, use dipped headlights; do not use rear fog lights unless visibility is below 50 m.

When a bus is stopped at a bus stop, watch for passengers crossing the road in front of or behind the bus; reduce speed and be ready to stop.

In case of a tyre blowout, hold the steering wheel firmly, do not brake abruptly, and gradually reduce speed before pulling over.

At an accident scene: secure the area (warning triangle, hazard lights, reflective vest), call 112, and provide first aid within your competence.

Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger (fire, explosion); if necessary, use the recovery position for unconscious but breathing casualties.

CPR: 30 chest compressions (100–120 per minute, depth 5–6 cm) followed by 2 rescue breaths; use an AED as soon as available.

Control severe bleeding by applying direct pressure with a clean cloth or dressing; do not remove embedded objects.

For burns, cool with water for at least 10 minutes; do not apply ointments or ice.

After an accident, exchange details (name, address, insurance) and report to police if there are injuries or significant damage; do not leave the scene.

The bus must be equipped with a first-aid kit and fire extinguisher; check their expiry dates regularly and replace used items.