ESL Podcast 267 - Getting a Traffic Ticket
police car - a car used by police officers, usually painted black and white
People often feel safer when there are a lot of police cars driving on the streets at night.
siren - a loud noise made by police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks when they are moving toward an emergency
When you hear a siren, move your car toward the side of the road so that the emergency vehicle can drive by.
to be pulled over - to be asked by a police officer to move one's vehicle to the side of the road and stop it there so that one can speak to the police officer
Have you ever been pulled over for speeding on the freeway?
driver's license - a small piece of identification given to a person by a US state that allows that person to drive
I know you're impatient and want to drive now, but you'll have to wait until you're 16 years old to get your driver's license.
registration - a piece of paper that shows who owns the car and that it was registered with the state government
Dan keeps the car registration in the glove compartment in his car.
proof of insurance - a piece of paper that shows that one has automobile insurance, meaning that a company will pay money if one's car is stolen or in an accident
If you don't have proof of insurance, you can't register your car with the state.
to speed - to drive one's car faster than allowed in a certain area
We're doing a study to find out why so many teenage boys like to speed. (a number) miles an hour zone - an area where the maximum speed of cars is a certain number of miles per hour (1 mile = 1.6 km)
Are you crazy? You're driving 90 in a 65 miles per hour zone!
to run a red light - to drive through an intersection when it is not allowed because the stoplight is red, without waiting for the light to become green
The driver ran a red light because he was in a hurry and he almost hit a little boy.
brake light - a red light at the back of a car or truck that turns on when the driver uses the brakes to make the car move more slowly or stop
When you see brake lights on the car in front of you, you know that it's slowing down or is ready to stop.
tag - a sticker that is put on license plates (the metal pieces of identification on the front and back of a car) and has dates to show how long the car's registration will last
Melissa had to pay a fine of $80 because she forgot to put her new tags on her license plates.
to expire - to no longer be valid; to be past the last date of something
The Brock family's rental agreement for the apartment will expire next month, so they have to either sign a new rental agreement or find a new place to live.
to cite - to give someone a piece of paper stating that he or she did something against the law
Francisco was cited for not stopping at a stop sign this morning.
to get away with (something) - to not be punished (or to be punished only a little bit) when one does something wrong or against the law
Sara thought she would be able to get away with parking illegally for a few minutes, but when she came back to her car, she had a parking ticket.
warning - a written or oral statement that one must stop doing something and that he or she will be punished the next time it happens, but not this time
When the teacher saw Dwayne copy answers from another student's test, she gave him a warning and said that the next time she sees him do it he will get a bad grade.
fine - an amount of money that is paid as a punishment for having done something wrong or against the law
If you return a book late, this library charges a $1.00 fine for each day past the date that you were supposed to return it.
violation - something that one does that is against a rule or law
Drinking alcohol in the dormitories is a violation of the university's rules.
citation - a ticket; a piece of paper that makes one pay money or go to court as punishment for doing something wrong or against the law
In many states, you can get a citation for not wearing your seat belt when driving a car.