ICBC Learn to Drive Smart Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on the ICBC Learn to Drive Smart guide, covering licensing, vehicle controls, signs, rules of the road, and safety strategies.

Primary identification

Official identification documents required by ICBC for licensing, such as a Canadian Birth Certificate, Canadian Passport, or Permanent Resident Card.

Secondary identification

Supplementary documents required for licensing that must show the person's imprinted name, such as a Bank Card, Credit Card, or Student ID.

Retest wait period (Knowledge test)

The amount of time a candidate must wait after a failed attempt at the knowledge test before a second attempt can be made, which is $7$ days.

Retest wait period (Class 5–8 road tests)

The staggered wait times after failed road test attempts: $14$ days for the first attempt, $30$ days for the second, and $60$ days for the third and subsequent attempts.

Whiplash

An injury to the neck, head, and or shoulders after being subjected to a snapping motion during a collision.

Head restraints

Safety features in a vehicle designed to prevent whiplash; they should be adjusted so the top is at least level with the top of the head.

Stage 1 — rear-facing

The child safety restraint stage required from birth until at least one year old and $9\,kg$ ($20\,lbs$).

Stage 2 — forward-facing with tether

The child safety restraint stage for children over one year old and between $9\,kg$ ($20\,lbs$) and $18\,kg$ ($40\,lbs$).

Stage 3 — booster seat

A restraint required until a child is at least nine years old or $145\,cm$ ($4'9"$) tall, which positions the adult seatbelt across the chest and pelvis.

Blind spots

The areas beside and behind a vehicle that a driver cannot see in the mirrors and must check via shoulder checks.

Convex mirrors

Mirrors that provide a wider field of view but make objects look smaller and farther away than they actually are.

DRL (Daytime Running Lights)

A safety feature in vehicles made after $1991$ that makes the vehicle easier to see during daylight hours but does not activate the tail lights.

ABS (Anti-lock braking system)

An electronic system that keeps the wheels from locking during heavy braking, allowing the driver to steer and brake at the same time.

Regulatory signs

Signs that inform drivers of driving laws and regulations, such as stop signs and speed limit signs.

Warning signs

Mostly yellow and diamond-shaped signs that warn drivers of possible hazards ahead, such as winding roads or hidden side roads.

Stale green light

A traffic light that has been green for a long time and is about to turn yellow.

Fresh green light

A traffic light that has just turned green, requiring the driver to scan the intersection before proceeding.

Point of no return

The point beyond which a driver can no longer stop safely at an intersection if the light changes, requiring them to continue through the intersection.

Traffic circles

Circular intersections mostly found in residential neighbourhoods where drivers must yield to traffic already in the circle and travel in a counter-clockwise direction.

Roundabouts

Circular intersections that are usually larger than traffic circles and may have multiple lanes, requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians and traffic already in the intersection.

Lane tracking

The process of getting into the correct lane before a turn and ending up in the corresponding lane upon completion.

Two-way left-turn lanes

Lanes shared by drivers travelling in opposite directions for the purpose of making left turns in the middle of a block.

HOV lanes (High Occupancy Vehicle)

Reserved lanes for buses and carpool vehicles, marked with a white diamond on the road surface.

See-Think-Do

A driving strategy used to identify hazards (See), decide on solutions (Think), and perform manoeuvres (Do) to keep road users safe.

Peripheral vision

The part of vision that allows a driver to see objects and movement outside of their central, direct line of sight.

Space margins

The areas of space kept around a vehicle to avoid space conflicts with other road users.

Two-second rule

The standard following distance used in good weather and road conditions to ensure enough space in front of the vehicle.

Traction

The grip that a vehicle's tires have on the road surface.

Inertia

The physical law that causes moving objects to continue moving forward in a straight line.

Black ice

Moisture that freezes on the road surface, appearing shiny and black rather than gray-white, and is often invisible to drivers.

Hydroplaning

A condition where tires lose contact with the road and float on a film of water, causing a total loss of steering and braking control.

Highway hypnosis

A state of reduced awareness of surroundings that can occur when driving for a long time on a repetitive highway or freeway.

Total stopping distance

The combined distance a vehicle travels from the moment a driver sees a hazard until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

Overdriving the headlights

The dangerous practice of driving at a speed where the total stopping distance exceeds the distance lit by the vehicle's headlights.

Graduated Licensing Program (GLP)

The British Columbia program through which new drivers gain experience in stages (Learner and Novice) before receiving a full-privilege Class $5$ licence.

L sign

An official red sign that must be displayed on the rear of a vehicle when a driver with a Class $7L$ (Learner) licence is driving.

N sign

An official green sign that must be displayed on the rear of a vehicle when a driver with a Class $7$ (Novice) licence is driving.

RoadSafetyBC

The provincial body responsible for the Driver Improvement Program and making final decisions regarding a person's medical fitness to drive.