Defensive Driving Terms & Meanings

Defensive Driving Glossary

Below are some terms that you may encounter in our defensive driving courses. If you need further information, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

BAC - Blood Alcohol Concentration: The measure of alcohol in a person's bloodstream, commonly expressed in milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, in percentage format. In most states, .08% is the legal limit for BAC when driving.
Basic Speed Law: States that you must never drive faster than is safe for present conditions, regardless of the posted speed limit.
Body roll: The amount your vehicle tilts side-to-side while cornering.
Blind Spot: The area between the viewable area of the side and rear-view mirrors that is not visible to the driver.
CDL - Commercial Driver's License: A license required for operators of large vehicles with a gross weight of 26,001 lb or higher. A commercial driver's license requires advanced training greater than required for a normal license.
Centrifugal force: Term given to the apparent outward force created by an object's inertia resisting centripetal force.
Centripetal force: The force that is directed inward on an object when it follows a curved path.
Citation: An order issued by a court stating that the person named must appear at the time and place named.
Crossbucks: A railroad sign that has two smaller signs crossing each other in the shape of an "X."
Demerit: Also called a "point" in some states, a demerit is a mark against a person's driving record that may be removed with time and/or driver improvement training.
Double parking: Illegally parking next to another vehicle that is properly parked. This can prevent the other car from leaving and may block traffic. Double parking is a traffic violation punishable by a fine.
DUI - Driving Under the Influence: Operating any motor vehicle while under the influence of a mind-altering substance. Also called "driving while intoxicated."
DWI - Driving While Intoxicated: Some states use this term to differentiate between cases of drunk driving and other types of DUI, but most of the time is synonymous and interchangeable with "DUI."
Defensive driving: Defensive driving is training for motorists that supplements basic driving knowledge with advanced concepts and reinforces defensive techniques.
Driver's license: A permit issued by a state government for the purpose of operating a motor vehicle.
Feeder road: The road that runs parallel to the freeway, used to access other roads and to enter and exit the freeway.
Financial Responsibility Law: States that the driver of a vehicle is responsible for any bodily injury or damage to property caused by his or her driving, and as a result must purchase insurance to compensate for these kinds of damages.
Following distance: The distance between the front of your car and the car you are following. You should maintain a three-second gap, known as the "Three-Second Rule."
Hydroplaning: The state of a vehicle floating on a thin layer of water on a roadway. Hydroplaning can be remedied by decreasing vehicle speed on wet roadways.
Implied Consent Law: A state statute that requires consent to chemical testing as a condition of operating a motor vehicle in public areas. Refusal to submit to testing results in criminal penalties.
Jaywalking: Term that describes a pedestrian crossing the street illegally, away from a crosswalk.
Kinetic energy: The energy an object possesses as a result of its mass and speed.
Learner's permit: A restricted driver's license given to a person learning to drive but has not satisfied the requirements necessary to obtain a full driver's license. A learner's permit requires that the driver be accompanied by a fully licensed driver.
Liability Insurance: Insurance coverage that pays for others' expenses in motor vehicle collisions caused by drivers covered under your insurance policy. Liability insurance is the minimum required by the law for financial responsibility in most states.
NHTSA - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Federal agency responsible for safety regulations and safety compliance in the United States.
No-zone: Refers to the blind spot on a vehicle, typically on large trucks. No-zones for trucks and buses are on the sides, rear, and immediate front.
Overdriving headlights: When the speed if your vehicle is such that you cannot stop within the area illuminated by your headlights.
Preventative maintenance: The practice of maintaining your vehicle before parts are worn and the vehicle becomes unusable.
Right of Way: The right to proceed first in traffic according to the rules and regulations.
Safe space: A "cushion" of empty space around your car that provides you with enough reaction time during traffic.
Synergism: An interaction between two substances that, when mixed together, produces an effect greater than the sum of the individual effects.
Three-Second Rule: A method of estimating following distance by counting the time it takes two cars to pass a stationary object.
Traffic school: A reinforcement in traffic safety and defensive driving practices, generally assigned as a remedial measure by a state agency.
Zero Tolerance Law: States that if a minor has any detectable amount of alcohol in his or her system while operating a motor vehicle, the minor has committed DUI.

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