Georgia DMV Permit Test key terms

A red, eight-sided sign meaning you must come to a complete halt at the stop line, crosswalk, or edge of the road, yield to traffic and pedestrians, and go again only when it is safe.

A red-and-white downward-pointing triangle that tells you to slow down and give the right-of-way to traffic on the road you are entering or crossing. Stop only if you must.

A sign that gives an order you must obey, such as a speed limit, lane-use rule, or turn restriction. Most are white rectangles with black or red markings.

A yellow diamond sign that alerts you to a hazard or change ahead, such as a curve, intersection, or narrow bridge. Slow down and get ready to react.

A green, blue, or brown sign that gives information rather than orders, such as destinations, distances, exit numbers, services, and recreation areas.

A signal that works like a stop sign: come to a full stop, yield to crossing traffic and pedestrians, and then proceed when the way is clear.

A signal that means slow down and use caution. You are not required to stop, but be ready for crossing traffic, workers, or other hazards ahead.

An X-shaped white sign lettered RAILROAD CROSSING that marks a rail crossing. Trains always have the right-of-way, so look and listen before crossing the tracks.

The WALK or DON'T WALK words or symbol lights at an intersection. A flashing DON'T WALK means finish crossing if you have started, but do not begin.

A fluorescent yellow-green pentagon sign marking an area near a school where the speed limit drops during posted hours. Watch for children and crossing guards.

An orange sign warning of construction, lane closures, or workers ahead. Slow down, obey flaggers, and expect higher fines for speeding where workers are present.

A red-and-white square sign placed where traffic may not go, such as the exit of a one-way street or an off-ramp. Never drive past it.

The legal priority to move first at an intersection, crosswalk, or merge. It is given by others, never taken, and you must yield when a sign or rule requires it.

An intersection where every approach has a stop sign. Vehicles go in the order they arrived; if two arrive at the same moment, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

A Georgia law requiring you to change to a non-adjacent lane for stopped emergency, towing, or highway maintenance vehicles with flashing lights, or to slow below the posted limit if a lane change is unsafe.

Georgia's rule against holding or supporting a phone with any part of your body while driving. One earpiece is allowed, but texting and watching video are banned.

By driving on Georgia roads you agree to give breath, blood, or urine samples when lawfully arrested for DUI. Refusing can suspend your license even without a conviction.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Georgia it is illegal at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher, 0.02 if you are under 21, or 0.04 in a commercial vehicle.

Georgia law that makes it illegal for a driver or passenger to have an open alcoholic drink in the passenger area of a vehicle on a public road.

A Georgia law that adds a $200 state fee on top of court fines when a driver is convicted of 75 mph or more on a two-lane road or 85 mph or more anywhere.

Georgia adds points to your driving record for each traffic conviction. Reaching 15 points within 24 months brings a license suspension.

Georgia's step-by-step licensing system under Joshua's Law. New drivers move from learner's permit to intermediate license to full license, with curfew and passenger limits along the way.

A Georgia instruction permit that lets a beginner practice driving only while a licensed driver age 21 or older sits in the front passenger seat.

You must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and its stop arm out on a two-lane or undivided road. On a divided highway with a median, only traffic behind the bus must stop.

In Georgia you may turn right at a red light after a complete stop unless a sign forbids it, but you must yield to pedestrians and to cross traffic first.

A way to judge following distance: when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object, count the seconds until you reach it. Fewer than three means you are too close.

Following another vehicle too closely, which leaves almost no time to react and is a leading cause of rear-end crashes.

A style of driving that assumes other drivers will make mistakes. You stay alert, keep space around your car, and always have a way out.

The area beside and behind your vehicle that the mirrors do not show. Turn your head and glance before changing lanes so you do not move into an unseen car.

When tires ride up on a film of water and lose contact with the pavement, so steering and braking stop working. Ease off the gas and avoid hard braking or sharp turns.

A loss of tire grip on wet, icy, or loose pavement. Ease off the accelerator and steer where you want the front of the car to go instead of slamming the brakes.

Any activity that takes your eyes, hands, or mind off the road, such as texting, eating, or fiddling with a radio. It sharply raises your crash risk.

Driving while tired or sleepy, which slows reaction time and judgment much like alcohol. The only real fix is to stop somewhere safe and rest.

Driving at night so fast that you cannot stop within the distance your headlights light up. Slow down until your stopping distance fits inside the lit area.

Georgia requires the driver and front-seat passengers to buckle up, and everyone aged 8 to 17 must be restrained in any seat. Officers may stop you for this alone.

Georgia law requires children under 8 to ride in an approved car seat or booster matching their height and weight, and infants under one year must ride rear-facing.

Lights that help you see and be seen. Georgia requires them from sunset to sunrise and any time rain, fog, or other weather makes you switch on your windshield wipers.

A braking system that keeps the wheels from locking during a hard stop so you can still steer. Press the pedal firmly and hold; vibration and noise are normal.

The grooved surface of a tire that grips the road and pushes water aside. Worn tread lengthens stopping distance and makes hydroplaning more likely, so check it often.

Fog calls for low-beam headlights, slower speed, and extra following distance. High beams bounce off the fog and make it harder to see, so never use them in fog.