UNIT 3 Study Guide

Policy

Written contract between the insurance company and the insured that specifies terms and conditions of the coverage.

Forward Vision

Your driving view, as seen through your front windshield.

Crossbuck

A large white X-shaped sign that is used to indicate a railroad crossing.

Stale Green Light

A light that has been green for a long time.

Fresh Green Light

A light that has just turned green.

Safety Stop

A manuever that allows you to move your vehicle forward from a legal stop to a point that places your front bumper even with the curb line or the cars parked on the cross street, allowing you to search 90 degrees in both directions.

Scooter

A relatively smaller and less performance-oriented type of two wheeled vehicle that has a step-through frame to allow the rider to sit on the seat like a chair.

Passive Restraint Device

A safety device that works automatically, such as an airbag.

Active Restraint Device

A safety device that you must engage in order for it to work, such as a seatbelt.

Unprotected Left Turn

A signal controlled intersection that does not have a left turn light, forcing the driver to yield to oncoming traffic.

Protected Left Turn

A signal controlled intersection that has a left turn signal to allow for a driver to turn while traffic is stopped.

Delayed Green Light

A signal indicating one side of an intersection has a green light while the light for the oncoming traffic remains red.

Fishtail

A skid situation, usually caused by oversteering that causes the vehicle's rearend to slip out of control.

Moped

A small, two-wheeled vehicle that can be driven with either a motor or pedals.

Controlled Braking

A technique of applying the brakes to slow or stop quickly without locking your wheels.

Rocking

A technique used by a driver to work the vehicle out of deep snow, mud or sand, but driving forward a little and then driving backward a little, repeatedly.

Compact Spare

A temporary, smaller sized tire that is used when you have a flat tire.

Pitch

A tilting motion, usually caused by braking, that results in the vehicle tilting from front to back.

Tractor Trailer

A vehicle that has a separate truck that pulls a separate trailer, used to carry goods.

Low-Speed Vehicles

All four wheeled vehicles (except trucks) with top speeds between 20 and 25 mph.

Blowout

All the air escaping from a tire all at once, because of a puncture, as a result of improper tread.

Deductible

Amount of money that you agree to pay, as the insured to cover the repair and replacement of your vehicle.

Uncontrolled Intersection

An intersection that has no signs or signals to regulate traffic.

Controlled Intersection

An intersection that has traffic signs or signals to determine the right of way.

No Zone

Areas around the outside of tractor trailers and other large trucks that drivers should not use as areas of travel, due to the large blind spots that prevent tractor trailer drivers from seeing them.

Roundabout

Circular intersections, that are also known as traffic circles or rotaries.

Brake Fade

Condition that occurs when brakes overheat and lose effectiveness, typically after bouts of long, hard braking.

Overdriving Headlights

Driving at a speed that makes your stopping distance longer than the distance lighted by your vehicle's headlights.

Protective Gear

Gear that motorcycle, scooter, and moped riders should wear to help to reduce and/or prevent injuries from occuring int he event of a crash or collision.

Rear-End Collision

Impact that occurs when the front end of a vehicle strikes the back end of another vehicle.

Side-Impact Collision

Impact that occurs when the front end of one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle.

Head-On Collision

Impact that occurs when the front ends of two vehicles collide with each other.

Energy of Motion

Kinetic energy; directly related to the weight and speed of the vehicle.

Inertia

Objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

Air Pocket

Oxygen that is temporarily trapped at the highest point of a vehicle that has gone underwater.

Intersection

Places where roadways meet or cross

Collision Insurance

Policy that covers the cost to repair or replace your own vehicle, less the deductible amount.

Liability Insurance

Policy that provides coverage to others when you are at fault for a collision. It covers all third parties

Active Railroad Crossing

Railroad crossings that controlled with electric signals, such as red lights, ringing bells, and crossing gates.

Passive Railroad Crossing

Railroad crossings that do not have flashing red lights or crossing gates.

Understeer Situation

Situation that does not allow your vehicle to turn as quickly as you want it to turn, caused by your front wheels not having enough traction.

Oversteer Situation

Situation that typically occurs when braking and turning sharply to avoid objects in the road, causing the vehicle's weight to shift to the front, causing the rear end to slip out of control.

Premium

Specified amount of money paid to an insurance company for coverage that is for a specified period of time.

Jaywalk

The act of a pedestrian disregarding traffic rules and signals.

Skid

The act of a vehicle losing part of, or all of their grip on the road, because of reduced traction conditions.

Hydroplaning

The act of a vehicle's tires losing contact with the road by rising up on top of water and no longer having contact with the road.

Gap

The distance between two vehicles.

Total Stopping Distance

The distance your car travels from the time you first perceive a hazard until you reach a full stop.

Perception Distance

The distance your vehicle travels during your perception time.

Braking Distance

The distance your vehicle travels from the time you apply the brake until you actually stop.

Reaction Distance

The distance your vehicle travels while you react.

Vehicle Balance

The distribution of a vehicle's weight on its tires as they contact the ground.

Friction

The force that acts between two materials as they move past one another. It keeps a tire from sliding on the road.

Gravity

The force that pulls all things to Earth.

Force of Impact

The force with which a moving object hits another object.

Traction

The friction that is caused when tires roll over the road.

Tread

The grooved surface of a tire.

Reaction Time

The length of time it takes you to apply your brake once you've identified a particular hazard.

Perception Time

The length of time it takes you to identify a hazard, predict a conflict, and decide to brake.

Center of Gravity

The point around which an object's weight is evenly distributed.

Point of No Return

The point beyond which you can no longer stop safely without entering an intersection.

Right of Way

The privilege of having immediate use of a certain part of a roadway.

Grade

The slope of the roadway or shoulder of the roadway.

Exhaust Pipe

The tailpipe of your vehicle, where by-product gases from combustion are released.

Momentum

The tendency of an object to stay in motion, or the inertia of an object in motion.

Financial Responsibility Law

This is something that every state has, that requires you to prove that you can pay for the damages that you cause, which includes injury, property damage, and death.

Joining Traffic

Turning right or left into lanes of other traffic.

Emergency Vehicles

Vehicles that are used to respond to fires, medical emergencies, rescues, and incidents involving hazardous materials.

Blowout

What happens when a tire loses air pressure suddenly