MenkyoDojo

Proceed slowly — at a speed where you can stop immediately (roughly 10 km/h or less).

Come to a complete stop (wheels fully stopped), then check and go.

Passing the vehicle ahead by CHANGING your course (moving out of your line).

Passing the vehicle ahead WITHOUT changing your course.

Parking — the driver has left and cannot drive off at once, or loading/unloading for over 5 minutes.

Stopping — any short stop that is not parking. Letting people in or out is always "stopping".

Roadside strip — the area for pedestrians marked by a white line on roads with no sidewalk.

Centre line. Yellow solid = no crossing to overtake; white dashed = crossing allowed.

Traffic lane (marked lane for vehicles).

Priority road — traffic on it has right of way at the intersection.

Tram track area. Cars may not drive on it except when turning or avoiding danger.

Safety island for people boarding trams or crossing. Cars must never enter it.

Pedestrian crossing. Pedestrians always have priority.

Railway crossing. Stop before it and check unless a green traffic light is showing.

Roundabout. Go clockwise, give way to traffic already inside, signal only when leaving.

Reaction distance — how far you travel between spotting danger and the brakes biting.

Braking distance — from the brakes biting to a full stop. Rises with the SQUARE of speed.

Stopping distance = reaction distance + braking distance.

Blind spot — the area around the car the driver cannot see.

The rear wheels track INSIDE the front wheels when turning — the cause of left-turn crush accidents.

Centrifugal force. Rises with the square of speed and with tighter curves.

Oncoming vehicle.

Emergency vehicle (ambulance, fire engine, police). Pull left and give way.

Light vehicle — bicycles, carts etc. Legally a "vehicle", not a pedestrian.

Moped (50 cc class). Legal top speed 30 km/h; banned from expressways.

Gross vehicle weight = body + max load + occupants (55 kg each).

Maximum load. You must never exceed it.

Seating capacity. Three children under 12 count as two adults.

Headlight. Dip it when meeting oncoming traffic or in built-up areas.

Hazard lights.

Warning triangle. Required when you stop on an expressway.

Main carriageway of an expressway.

Acceleration lane — build up to traffic speed here before merging.

Climbing lane — for slow vehicles on uphill stretches.

U-turn.

Two-stage right turn — mopeds cross straight, stop, turn, then go on the next green.

Provisional licence — for road practice with a qualified supervisor and "仮免許練習中" plates.

Daily pre-drive inspection — the driver/owner’s duty (brakes, tyres, lights…).

Signal. Turns/U-turns: 30 m before. Lane change: about 3 seconds before.

Places you must slow: blind intersections, bends, crests of uphills, steep downhills.

The main sign itself. Four kinds: regulatory, instruction, warning, guide. A supplementary plate under it narrows when or to whom it applies.

Signs that ban or require something — no entry, stop, speed limit, one way.

Signs that tell you what is permitted or where something is — crosswalk, priority road, parking allowed.

Yellow diamond signs warning of a hazard ahead — crossing, curve, slippery road.

Blue or green signs giving directions, place names and distances.

The small plate under a main sign. It narrows the rule — days, hours, vehicle types, or the section it covers. Reading only the main sign is a common mistake.

Green light. You MAY proceed — it is permission, not priority. You still yield to pedestrians already crossing.

Steady amber. You must STOP. Only if you cannot stop safely at the stop line may you continue.

Red light. Stop before the stop line. Left turn on red is NOT allowed in Japan.

Green arrow. You may go in the direction of the arrow, even when the main light is red.

Flashing light. Amber: proceed with care. RED: you must stop completely, then go — the same as a stop sign.

The default limit when no sign is posted: 60 km/h on ordinary roads, 30 km/h for mopeds.

The limit shown by a sign or road marking. Where posted, it overrides the default limit.

The maximum speed you may drive. Exceeding it is an offence even if traffic is flowing faster.

The minimum speed, shown on a blue sign with a line under the number. Driving slower obstructs traffic.

No parking. You may still stop briefly to let people in or out, or to load.

No stopping at all — neither parking nor a brief stop. Stricter than 駐車禁止.

Parking that leaves less than 3.5 m of road beside your car. Prohibited even where there is no no-parking sign.

The beginner plate (green and yellow). You must display it for one year after getting your licence.

The older-driver plate. Drivers aged 70 and over are asked to display it (an effort duty, not a fine).

The hearing-impaired plate (butterfly mark). Required for drivers with the specified degree of hearing loss.

The physically-disabled plate (four-leaf clover). Displaying it is an effort duty.

The duty to help the injured. After a crash this comes FIRST — before moving the car or calling anyone else.

The duty to report the crash to the police. Separate from the duty to help, and also required.

Compulsory insurance. Every vehicle must have it. It covers injury to people only — not property or your own car.

Optional insurance you buy on top. It covers property damage and your own vehicle, which the compulsory one does not.

Aquaplaning. On a wet road the tyres ride up on water and steering and brakes stop working.

Brake fade. Using the foot brake too much on a long downhill overheats it and it stops gripping.

Vapour lock. Overheated brake fluid boils and forms bubbles, so the pedal goes soft and the brakes fail.

Standing wave. An under-inflated tyre ripples at high speed and can burst. Check pressure before motorway driving.

Glare blackout at night: your headlights and an oncoming car's cross, and a pedestrian between them becomes invisible.

Creep. An automatic car moves on its own with the engine running and no accelerator. Keep the brake pressed when stopped.

A blind intersection where you cannot see left and right. You must slow down (徐行) unless on a priority road or directed by signals.

The stop line. Where you must stop for a red light, a stop sign or a crossing.

The bicycle crossing strip, marked beside a crosswalk. Do not stop on it, and give way to bicycles crossing.

A pedestrian-only road. Vehicles may enter only with permission, and must go slowly with special care.

A national expressway (Tomei, Meishin and so on). One of the two road types people call 高速道路.

A motor road for cars only. Mopeds, light vehicles and pedestrians may not enter. Speed limits can differ from a national expressway.

Changing lane or line. Signal three seconds before you start moving, and check your blind spot.

Cutting in front of a vehicle that is stopped or moving slowly. Prohibited.

Catching a bicycle or motorcycle on your inside when turning left. Move close to the left edge BEFORE turning.

The gap to the vehicle ahead. Keep at least your stopping distance — more in rain or on a downhill.

Engine braking — slowing by shifting down instead of pressing the brake. Use it on long downhills to avoid brake fade.

The horn. Use it only where a sign requires it, or when unavoidable to prevent danger — not to hurry others.

Ruts worn into the road surface. They can pull the steering, especially when filled with water or snow.

A standard licence for driving your own or a company vehicle. Not valid for carrying fare-paying passengers.

A second-class licence, needed to drive taxis or buses carrying paying passengers.

A towing licence, needed when towing a trailer over 750 kg.

Child seat. Required for every child under six years old.

A riding helmet. Required for the rider AND the passenger on a motorcycle or moped.

A legal phrase meaning "a crosswalk OR a bicycle crossing". Rules written this way apply to both.

Seat belt. The driver and every passenger must wear one, including in the back seats.