Drive test terms
- In a behind-the-wheel drive test, you are in control of the vehicle while a DMV examiner rides along and judges how well you drive.
- The driving performance evaluation (DPE) is the part of the behind-the-wheel test where you drive your car and a DMV examiner rates your driving skills.
Blood alcohol concentration
- Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of how much alcohol is in your blood.
- A BAC of 0.10% means there are 0.10 grams of alcohol in every 100 milliliters of your blood.
Pedestrians
- A pedestrian is someone who is walking.
- A person with a disability who gets around using a wheelchair, tricycle, or quadricycle is also considered a pedestrian.
Right-of-way
- Right-of-way rules decide who gets to go first when vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists come together on the road.
Three-second rule
- The three-second rule is a way to judge whether you are following the vehicle ahead of you too closely.
- To use the three-second rule, start counting three seconds when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object like a sign; if you reach that object before you finish counting, you are too close.
Traffic citations
- A traffic citation, also called a ticket, is an official summons that law enforcement gives you for breaking a traffic law.
Vulnerable road users
- Vulnerable road users (VRUs) are people using the road without a motor, such as cyclists and pedestrians.
- People with disabilities or limited mobility and orientation who use a wheelchair, tricycle, or quadricycle are counted as vulnerable road users.
Yielding
- To yield means to slow down, wait, and be prepared to stop if needed so that vehicles or pedestrians with the right-of-way can go first.
Restated from the California Driver's Handbook, Section 14. Read the official text.