NV Driving Instructor key terms

The requirement that a driver never travel faster than is reasonable and prudent for weather, traffic, road surface, and visibility, even when the posted limit is higher than conditions safely allow.

A default maximum speed set by state law for a category of road, such as a residential street, that applies when no other speed limit sign is posted.

The legal priority one road user has to proceed while others must yield; it is given by law, signs, or signals and is never taken by force or assumption.

A Nevada rule requiring drivers approaching stopped emergency, tow, or maintenance vehicles with flashing lights to slow down and, when safe, change lanes away from them.

The duty of drivers to yield to pedestrians within a marked or unmarked crosswalk, which includes not passing another vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk.

A sign that gives a legal order or prohibition drivers must obey, such as STOP, YIELD, speed limits, or turn restrictions; disobeying one is a traffic offense.

A yellow diamond-shaped sign that alerts drivers to a change or hazard ahead, such as a curve, school zone, or merging traffic, so they can adjust speed and position.

A signal indication permitting a left turn only after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians; it does not grant the protected right-of-way that a green arrow does.

A pavement symbol of two chevrons and a bicycle placed in a travel lane to show that bicyclists may use the full lane and motorists should not squeeze past them.

A center lane marked by solid and broken yellow lines on both sides, used by traffic moving in either direction to begin or complete left turns.

A pavement line marking the outer boundary of a travel lane; white on the right and yellow on the left of a divided highway, used as a reference for lane position.

A series of raised or grooved pavement bands that produce noise and vibration when driven over, warning drivers they are drifting off the roadway or approaching a hazard.

A four-step defensive driving habit: Identify hazards, Predict what may happen, Decide on the safest action, and Execute that action smoothly and in time.

The margin of clear space a driver keeps around the vehicle, front, sides, and rear, so there is time and room to react to another driver's mistake.

A method of setting following distance by counting the seconds between the rear of the vehicle ahead passing a fixed point and your own front bumper reaching it.

The area alongside and behind a vehicle that cannot be seen in the mirrors; drivers must turn and glance over the shoulder before changing lanes.

Any activity that takes a driver's eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the driving task, such as texting, eating, or adjusting controls.

A lesson goal written so that it states what the student will be able to do, under what conditions, and to what standard of performance.

A teaching sequence in which the instructor explains and models a skill, the student practices it, and the instructor gives feedback until the skill is performed correctly.

A behind-the-wheel session in which a student drives a dual-control vehicle under an instructor's direction, with specific skills practiced and performance recorded.

Targeted retraining given when a student keeps making the same error; it breaks the skill into smaller steps and adds practice before normal instruction resumes.

A technique in which the student says aloud what they see, plan, and do while driving, letting the instructor assess scanning, hazard recognition, and decision-making.

A systematic check of a vehicle before driving, covering tires, lights, fluids, mirrors, brakes, and controls, to confirm it is safe to operate.

The depth of the grooves in a tire's tread, measured in thirty-seconds of an inch; worn tread reduces traction and raises the risk of hydroplaning.

A braking system that automatically releases and reapplies brake pressure to prevent wheel lockup, allowing the driver to steer while braking hard.

Applying the brakes firmly up to the point just before the wheels lock, so the vehicle slows quickly while steering control is retained.

The padded support behind the head that limits head movement in a rear-end crash; it should sit close to the head with its top near ear level.

Loss of tire contact with the pavement when water builds up under the tread, causing the vehicle to float and steering and braking to become ineffective.

The actions taken to regain control when tires lose traction: ease off the accelerator and pedals, and steer smoothly in the direction the driver wants the front of the car to go.

The procedure for returning to the roadway after wheels drop off the pavement: slow gradually, hold the wheel steady, and steer back on with a gentle, controlled input.

Driving at a speed that does not allow the vehicle to stop within the distance lit by the headlights, so hazards appear before there is time to react.

A staged licensing system for new drivers that moves them from a learner permit to a restricted license and then full privileges as experience and a clean record build.

A learner's license issued to a beginning driver that allows driving only while accompanied by a qualified licensed adult, typically until required practice hours and tests are completed.

The legal principle that a person who drives in Nevada has already agreed to submit to a chemical test when lawfully arrested for impaired driving; refusal carries license penalties.

A car fitted with a second brake pedal, and often a second mirror, on the instructor's side so the instructor can intervene during a student's practice drive.

Nevada's method of tracking traffic convictions by adding points to a driving record, with suspension or other action when too many points accumulate within a set period.

The requirement that a driver be able to pay for damages caused in a crash, usually shown by carrying liability insurance at or above the state's minimum limits.