Land Transportation - Driving Operations and Terms

Here you will learn some English words related to driving operations and terms such as "accelerate", "brake", and "pass."

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Land Transportation

to leave a place by driving a vehicle

Ex: The family gathered their belongings and prepared to drive away after the weekend getaway .

to start driving away from a location

Ex: They decided to drive off early to avoid the traffic jam .

to continue driving a vehicle

Ex: She has driven on this road many times before .
to start [verb]

to cause a machine or device to begin operating or functioning

Ex: He pressed the button to start the washing machine and began his laundry .

to make a vehicle, machine or object move more quickly

Ex: The driver accelerated the car to overtake the slow-moving vehicle ahead .
to brake [verb]

to slow down or stop a moving car, etc. by using the brakes

Ex: The skilled skater knew exactly when to brake , gracefully slowing down .
to floor [verb]

to press the accelerator pedal down as far as it will go to make the vehicle go very fast

Ex: To avoid the accident , the driver had to floor the vehicle and swerve to the side .
to steer [verb]

to control the direction of a moving object, such as a car, ship, etc.

Ex: In adverse weather conditions , the captain faced the challenge of steering the sailboat safely back to harbor .

to change to a higher gear in a vehicle to go faster

Ex: She forgot to upshift , and the car was moving very slowly .

a shift to a lower gear in a vehicle's transmission

Ex:

to change to a lower gear in a vehicle to reduce speed or increase power

Ex: The instructor explained why it 's important to gear down before stopping .

to cause or maneuver a vehicle to move backward

Ex: After landing , the pilot had to reverse the plane to reach the designated parking spot on the tarmac .
to slow [verb]

to decrease the speed of something

Ex: The cyclist slowed his bike to let the pedestrians cross the road .

to travel at a consistent and efficient speed

Ex: To conserve energy , the driver decided to cruise on the highway .
to turn [verb]

to change the direction of something's movement by rotating or steering it

Ex: To park the boat properly , they needed to turn it parallel to the dock .
to round [verb]

to go around or encircle an object or obstacle, allowing movement to continue in a changed direction

Ex: To avoid the traffic jam , the savvy driver chose to round the city center through less congested streets .
to veer [verb]

to abruptly turn to a different direction

Ex: The hiker had to veer off the trail when they encountered a fallen tree blocking their path .

to alter the direction of a vehicle or object

Ex: He turned off the sailboat gently , catching the wind from a new angle .

to change the originally planned path or direction of something, especially in transportation

Ex: The GPS app automatically rerouted the driver when it detected heavy congestion on the original route .

to turn something aside or cause it to deviate from its original path or direction

Ex: The driver swerved the vehicle to avoid a large pothole on the road .
to beep [verb]

(particularly of a horn or electronic device) to make a short, often high-pitched sound as a signal or alert

Ex: The alarm clock beeped loudly , waking me up from a deep sleep .
to honk [verb]

to cause a horn, particularly of a vehicle, to make a loud noise

Ex: The referee honked the air horn to signal the end of the game .
to dip [verb]

to adjust the angle or intensity of the headlights, typically to prevent dazzling or blinding other drivers on the road

Ex: She forgot to dip her headlights , causing discomfort to the driver in front of her .

(of a vehicle) to behave or respond in a particular way when being driven or controlled

Ex: How does the truck handle on rough terrain ?
to pass [verb]

to move in front of another vehicle that is going more slowly

Ex: The bus is passing a bicycle right now .

to drive a vehicle into the space in front of another, providing minimal room for the latter to navigate comfortably

Ex: During rush hour , some motorists impatiently cut in , creating tension and potential hazards on the road .
to yield [verb]

to give way or surrender to another vehicle or person, typically while driving

Ex: The cyclist yielded to the car approaching from behind and moved to the side of the road .
to idle [verb]

to run an engine slowly without being engaged in any work or gear

Ex: The boat idled in the harbor while the crew prepared for departure .
to stop [verb]

to not move anymore

Ex: The train does n't stop on this route after 6 PM .

to signal or direct a driver to move their vehicle to the side of the road

Ex:

to move a vehicle to the side or off the main road, often into a designated area

Ex: During the heavy downpour , many drivers decided to pull off and wait .

to direct a vehicle to move to the side of the road or to another location where it can stop

Ex: The taxi pulled in outside the hotel to pick up passengers .
to park [verb]

to move a car, bus, etc. into an empty place and leave it there for a short time

Ex: The commuters hurriedly parked their bicycles in the designated area before catching the train .

to block the path of another vehicle by parking too closely

Ex:

the act of shifting from one gear to another in a vehicle

Ex: A sudden gear change can cause the car to jerk , so it 's best to accelerate smoothly .

to choose the direction of and guide a vehicle, ship, etc., especially by using a map

Ex: The driving instructor taught the student how to navigate through traffic and use road signs .
road map [noun]

a detailed plan or guide of roads and routes

Ex: They used a digital road map app for navigation .

the act of starting a vehicle with a discharged battery using power from another vehicle's battery

Ex: They offered a jump-start to the stranded motorist .

to start a vehicle by pushing it while in gear, typically when the engine fails to start normally

Ex:
to clock [verb]

to measure or record the speed of something

Ex: Yesterday , the cyclist clocked a record speed on the downhill track .
to purr [verb]

(of a mechanical device) to function or move smoothly and quietly

Ex: With regular maintenance , the air conditioning unit purred quietly .
to gun [verb]

to run an engine of a vehicle very quickly

Ex: The racer gunned his vehicle down the straightaway , pushing it to its maximum speed .