Driver's manuals, instructors and examiners use a lot of terms that nobody explains. This glossary covers the words you're most likely to hear while learning to drive and on your road test, plus a few that come up in The Driver Tester. Where a topic has its own article, the entry links to it. Rules and terms vary between states and countries, so check your own driver handbook for the official definitions where you live.
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · K · L · M · O · P · R · S · T · U · V · W · Y
A
- ABS (anti-lock braking system)
- A system that stops the wheels from locking under hard braking, so you can still steer. In a car with ABS, press the brake firmly and hold it; a pulsing pedal is normal. See Driving on Wet Roads.
- Acceleration lane
- The extra lane at the end of a highway on-ramp, used to build up to the speed of traffic before merging. See How to Change Lanes Safely.
- Aquaplaning
- Another name for hydroplaning.
- Automatic fail
- See critical error.
B
- Backup camera
- A rear-facing camera that shows the view behind the car on a dashboard screen in reverse. Helpful, but examiners usually still want you to turn and look.
- Blind spot
- An area beside and slightly behind the car that the mirrors don't show. A shoulder check is the only reliable way to see into it. See How to Change Lanes Safely.
- Braking distance
- How far the car travels from the moment the brakes start working until it stops. It grows with the square of speed. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
C
- Center line
- The painted line separating traffic going in opposite directions. Usually yellow in North America.
- Controlled intersection
- An intersection with traffic lights, stop signs or yield signs that tell drivers who goes first.
- Critical error
- A mistake serious enough to fail a road test on its own, such as running a stop sign, failing to yield or causing the examiner to intervene. See What to Expect on Your Road Test.
- Crosswalk
- A marked or unmarked place where pedestrians cross the road. At an intersection, a crosswalk exists even when it isn't painted in many places.
- Curb strike
- Touching or hitting the curb with a tire, common during parking and turning maneuvers. A light touch costs points; climbing the curb is usually far worse.
D
- Defensive driving
- Driving in a way that anticipates other people's mistakes and leaves time and space to react to them. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Direction change
- Switching between drive and reverse during a maneuver. Examiners often count them as a measure of control.
- Dry steering
- Turning the steering wheel while the car is completely stopped. It wears tires and steering parts, and some examiners mark it. See How to Parallel Park, Step by Step.
- Dual brake
- A second brake pedal on the passenger side of many driver-education cars, so the instructor can stop the car.
E
- Examiner
- The licensing official who rides along and scores your road test. See What to Expect on Your Road Test.
F
- Fault
- A scored mistake on a road test, usually costing a set number of points.
- Flashing yellow arrow
- A left-turn signal that means you may turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Following distance
- The space between your vehicle and the one ahead, best measured in seconds. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Four-way stop
- An intersection with stop signs on every approach. The first car to stop goes first; if two stop together, the car on the right goes first. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Full lock
- The steering wheel turned as far as it will go in one direction. See How to Do a Three-Point Turn.
G
- Gap
- An opening in traffic big enough to turn, merge or change lanes into without making anyone else brake. Usually judged in seconds. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
H
- Hand signals
- Arm signals used when turn signals can't be seen: arm straight out for left, bent up for right, bent down for slow or stop. See What to Expect on Your Road Test.
- Hazard lights
- All four turn signals flashing at once, to warn others that your car is stopped or moving slowly because of a problem.
- Hydroplaning
- When a layer of water lifts the tires off the road surface, causing a loss of steering and braking. See Driving on Wet Roads.
K
- K-turn
- Another name for a three-point turn. See How to Do a Three-Point Turn.
L
- Lane position
- Where your car sits within its lane. On a test, you're usually expected to stay centered.
- Learner's permit
- A permit that lets a new driver practice under supervision before getting a license.
- Limit line
- A white line across the lane at an intersection that marks where to stop. Also called a stop line. See Why People Fail the Road Test.
M
- Merging
- Joining a lane or road where traffic is already moving, such as entering a highway. See How to Change Lanes Safely.
O
- Oversteer
- A skid where the rear of the car slides outward and the car turns more than you intended. See Driving on Wet Roads.
P
- Parallel parking
- Parking in a space along the curb, in line with other parked cars, usually by reversing in. See How to Parallel Park, Step by Step.
- Permissive left turn
- A left turn made on a green ball or flashing yellow arrow, where you must yield to oncoming traffic. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Practice Mode
- In The Driver Tester, a setting that removes the five-minute clock and the score so you can practice without pressure.
- Protected left turn
- A left turn made on a green arrow, while oncoming traffic is stopped. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Provisional license
- A first license with restrictions, such as limits on night driving or passengers, used in many graduated licensing systems.
R
- Reaction distance
- How far you travel between noticing a hazard and pressing the brake. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Reaction time
- The time between seeing a hazard and starting to respond. For a surprise, often around a second and a half. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Reference point
- A visual cue, such as a bumper lining up with a mirror, that tells you when to start or change a step in a maneuver. See How to Parallel Park, Step by Step.
- Right-of-way
- The rules that decide who should go first and who must yield. Nobody ever has an absolute right-of-way; you still have to avoid a crash. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Right on red
- Turning right at a red light after a full stop, where allowed, while yielding to pedestrians and other traffic. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
- Rolling stop
- Slowing down at a stop sign or red light without ever coming to a complete stop. One of the most common reasons for failing a road test. See Why People Fail the Road Test.
S
- Shoulder check
- Turning your head to look over your shoulder into the blind spot before pulling out, merging or changing lanes. See How to Change Lanes Safely.
- Skid
- Losing traction so the car slides instead of rolling and steering normally. See Driving on Wet Roads.
- SMOG
- A memory aid for lane changes used by some instructors: Signal, Mirrors, Over the shoulder, Go. See How to Change Lanes Safely.
- Stopping distance
- Reaction distance plus braking distance: the total distance needed to stop. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Supervised driving hours
- Practice time behind the wheel with a licensed adult, required by many places before a teen driver can take the road test.
T
- Tailgating
- Following the vehicle ahead too closely to stop safely if it brakes. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Three-point turn
- Turning around on a narrow road in three moves: forward, reverse, forward. See How to Do a Three-Point Turn.
- Three-second rule
- A guideline to stay at least three seconds behind the vehicle ahead, counted as it passes a fixed point. See Following Distance and Stopping Distance.
- Tread depth
- How deep the grooves in a tire are. Deeper tread moves more water and grips better in the rain. See Driving on Wet Roads.
- Turning circle
- The smallest circle a vehicle can turn in. Longer vehicles and longer wheelbases have larger turning circles.
- Two-point turn
- Turning around using a driveway: backing into it and pulling out, or pulling in and backing out. See How to Do a Three-Point Turn.
U
- U-turn
- Turning around in a single sweeping turn. Restricted or banned in many places. See How to Do a Three-Point Turn.
- Understeer
- A skid where the front tires lose grip and the car keeps going straighter than you steered. See Driving on Wet Roads.
V
- Vehicle check
- The inspection of your car's lights, signals, horn and other equipment before a road test begins. See What to Expect on Your Road Test.
W
- Wheelbase
- The distance between the front and rear axles. A longer wheelbase means a wider turn.
- Wheels straight
- Keeping the front wheels pointed straight ahead while waiting to turn left, so a rear-end collision doesn't push you into oncoming traffic. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.
Y
- Yield
- To let other road users go first. A yield sign means slow down and stop if needed to give way. See Left Turns and Right-of-Way.