The Glossary.
Plain-English definitions for the terms that appear on the knowledge test and inside your state's driver manual.
B
- Blind spot An area around a vehicle that the driver cannot see using mirrors alone, typically to the rear sides where mir... →
- Blood alcohol concentration The percentage of alcohol in a person's blood, measured by breath, blood, or urine test. A BAC of 0.08 percent... →
- Broken yellow line A dashed yellow line between opposing lanes of traffic, indicating that passing is allowed when the way is cle... →
C
D
- Defensive driving A driving approach that anticipates the mistakes of other road users and leaves a driver time and space to rea... →
- Divided highway A highway whose opposing directions of travel are separated by a physical median, barrier, or unpaved strip. D... →
- Double yellow line Two solid yellow lines between opposing lanes of traffic, prohibiting passing from either direction. Drivers m... →
F
- Flashing red light A traffic signal flashing red, which has the same legal meaning as a stop sign. Drivers must come to a complet... →
- Flashing yellow light A traffic signal flashing yellow, which warns drivers to slow down and proceed with caution. Cross traffic fac... →
- Following distance The space between a vehicle and the one directly ahead, measured in seconds rather than feet. In Oregon, a saf... →
- Four-way stop An intersection where every approach has a stop sign and each driver must come to a complete stop before proce... →
G
H
I
L
M
N
P
- Pavement marking Lines, words, or symbols painted on a road surface to control, warn, or guide traffic. Color carries meaning:... →
- Point system A method by which a state's licensing agency tracks moving violations by assigning points to a driver's record... →
- Provisional license An intermediate stage between a learner permit and a full license, issued to drivers (usually teens) who have... →
R
- REAL ID A driver's license or state ID card issued under the federal REAL ID Act, identifiable by a star marking in th... →
- Regulatory sign A traffic sign that conveys a law a driver must obey, such as STOP, YIELD, speed limits, lane use, or turn res... →
- Right-of-way The legal right of one road user to proceed before others at an intersection, merge, or crossing. The rule nam... →
- Roundabout A circular intersection where traffic flows counterclockwise around a central island. Entering drivers yield t... →
S
- School zone A length of roadway near a school where lower speed limits apply during posted hours or when children are pres... →
- Shoulder The strip of pavement or gravel alongside the travel lane, separated from traffic by a solid white line on the... →
- SR-22 A certificate filed by an insurance company with a state licensing agency, confirming that a driver carries at... →
- Stop bar A wide solid white line painted across a lane at an intersection, marking where a driver must stop for a red s... →