Dutch driving theory glossary

How well you can control a vehicle.

How quickly and how well you can respond.

The lane where you build up speed before merging.

A tractor or similar machine. Not allowed on the motorway or the autoweg.

Your tyres lose contact with the road because a layer of water gets in between.

It must not cover your number plate or your lights.

Always stop and let them cross.

The area around your car you cannot see in your mirrors.

The distance you cover from the moment you brake until you stop. Double your speed and it becomes four times as long.

The roadside test is only an indication. The one at the police station counts as evidence.

You may cross it.

The area inside the blue place name signs. 50 km/h unless a sign says otherwise.

Marked BUS on the road surface. Only for buses, and sometimes taxis.

The part of the road meant for driving, so not the verge, the cycle lane or the pavement.

Shown by a red cross on the matrix sign. You must leave it.

A large bus used for longer journeys.

The direction you must or may drive in.

Part of the carriageway with a bicycle symbol. You may not drive or park on it.

They come on automatically, but your rear lights do not come on with them.

The lane where you slow down to leave the motorway.

Your normal headlights. Required in the dark and whenever visibility is poor.

A small vehicle for people with a disability, such as a mobility scooter.

A compulsory course after drink driving. If you do not attend or do not pay, your licence becomes invalid.

A compulsory course after seriously dangerous driving.

Police, fire or ambulance with a blue flashing light and a siren. Always let it pass.

Front fog lights. Allowed when visibility drops below 200 metres.

Keep at least two seconds from the vehicle in front of you.

A point where the road splits.

Dip them for oncoming traffic and when you are following someone.

You may not drive through it.

Let the other road user go first.

For emergencies only. Not for overtaking and not for an ordinary stop.

A hatched area with a broken line around it.

The small roadside sign showing the distance in kilometres. Useful for reporting where you are.

A place where roads meet or cross.

The shorter version of the EMA course.

Loose stones that fly up.

The lanes for through traffic, so not the slip road or the parallel road.

The overhead sign showing a speed, an arrow or a red cross. It overrules the normal signs.

Join the through traffic from the acceleration lane.

You may not drive through it.

Shown on a round blue sign. You may not drive slower than this.

Up to 45 km/h, yellow number plate. Helmet required.

All powered vehicles except mopeds and disabled persons' vehicles.

The A roads. Minimum 60 km/h, maximum 100 or 130 km/h. Not the same as an autoweg.

The first 5 years after your first licence, or 7 if you passed before you were 18. Alcohol limit 0.2.

A sign that closes the road to certain road users, or to everyone.

Everyone in the vehicle. As the driver you are responsible for belts for anyone under 18.

The blue disc showing your arrival time. Required in a blue zone.

You may not park, but you may stop briefly to load or to let someone out.

The zebra crossing. Let pedestrians and disabled persons' vehicles cross.

Their instructions overrule signs and traffic lights.

Shown by the sign with the thick arrow. The thick arrow has priority.

Only allowed when visibility drops below 50 metres.

Shown on a blue sign. Not compulsory.

A special manoeuvre. You must let all other road users go first.

The road becomes narrower.

How well your car stays on the road.

The number of engine revolutions per minute.

An extra lane that opens during rush hour, shown by a green arrow above it.

Too weak to drive on.

You may not cross it.

You must come to a full stop, even when the road is clear.

Reaction distance plus braking distance.

Too low costs fuel, grip and tyre life.

At least 1.6 mm by law.

Only allowed to prevent danger.

Proof that a vehicle is registered in your name.

A cold engine uses more fuel and wears faster.

A light on the dashboard. Red means stop and check.

Triangle you place on the road behind your car when you break down.

Adjust it so you can just see a sliver of your own car at the inside edge.

More grip below 7 degrees. Not compulsory in the Netherlands.

An area where a rule applies, from the zone sign until the end-of-zone sign.