TOEIC Vocabulary - driving %26 traffic

A gas station, also known as a petrol station or service station, is a retail facility primarily engaged in selling fuel for motor vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, and trucks. In addition to fuel, many gas stations offer a range of services and products. They may have convenience stores selling food, beverages, and car-related items, as well as facilities for car washing and air pumps for tires. Some gas stations also provide maintenance services like oil changes and minor repairs. 

• I need to fill up the gas tank. I wonder if there's a nearby gas station. I'll stop and get some gas.

• Oh, I just noticed we're low on gas. Let me know if you see a petrol station. I am going to get some petrol.

• Andrew and his family decided to take a trip to the mountains for the weekend. Before getting on the road, Adam went to the gas station to fill up his tank.

Traffic is an uncountable noun. It means ​the number of vehicles moving along roads, or the amount of aircraft, trains, or ships moving along a route. If there are a lot of cars on the road, we can say "traffic is heavy/bad/busy" or "there is a lot of traffic". Don't use "crowded" to describe traffic. The traffic was very crowded. → Wrong sentence。

• Traffic was bad this morning.

• Traffic was heavy this morning.

• Traffic is usually busy on holidays.

• There was a lot of traffic on the road this morning.

If there are not a lot of cars on the road, we can say "traffic is light" or "there is little traffic".

• When traffic is light, it'll only take Charles 10 minutes to go from his house to reach his office. 

• There is very little traffic in the area, even this is right in the center of the city.

• There is very little traffic on the coastal road (Sea-to-Sky Highway) between Vancouver and Whistler. With the blue waters on one side, soaring cliffs on the other, and nothing but open skies ahead of you, you really feel like you've left civilization in your rearview mirror.

A traffic jam is a situation where a large number of vehicles are congested on roadways, moving at slower speeds or completely halted, typically due to an increased volume of traffic, road construction, accidents, or other disruptions.

• Sorry, I'm late, I was stuck in traffic.

• Sorry, I'm late, I got held up in traffic.

• Sorry, I'm late, I got held up in a traffic jam.

• Sorry, I'm late, I hit a traffic jam.

• Sorry, I'm late, I got into a traffic jam.

• Where is Emily? How come she's still not here? Is she held up in traffic?

• I hit a traffic jam this morning.

• I got stuck in a traffic jam on the way home from work.

• Due to the repairs being made to Albert Bridge, commuters should expect traffic jams along Easton Avenue. The government announced that the ongoing work of filling potholes will be finished by next week.

Traffic lights are crucial for maintaining order and safety on the roads. They help regulate the flow of vehicles and pedestrians at intersections, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Each color on a traffic light signals a different command: red means stop, green means go, and yellow warns that the light will soon change to red.

• When the traffic light turns green, vehicles can go.
  Always stop your car when the traffic light is red.

• Pedestrians should cross the street when the traffic light indicates it is safe. 

• Both routes have many traffic lights and are frequently heavily congested.

• Cyclists are stopped at the traffic light. 

The term "backup" refers to a copy of data or information that is stored somewhere safe to protect it from being lost if there are problems with the main data source. In computing, backups are essential for data recovery and security.

• Please make sure to create a regular backup of all your documents.

• The company has a backup generator in case of power failure.

• He always has a backup plan in case things don't go as expected. 

To buckle up means to fasten safety belts in vehicles.

• Buckle up your seat belt!

• Don't forget! Buckle up before you start driving.

• This car is not moving until everyone is buckled up!

• Can you buckle the baby up while I put our groceries in the trunk?

If you commute, you travel a long distance every day between your home and your place of work. The word "commute" can also be a noun, meaning the journey that you make when you commute.

Commute as a verb

• My husband commutes long distances while I work close to home.

• I don't really mind commuting on the train as long as I have a good book to read.

• My last job required me to spend roughly two hours commuting to and from work each day.

• It's exhausting commuting from Taoyuan to Taipei city every day.

Commute as noun

• He has a long commute to work.

• There is always a lot of traffic on my morning commute.

• Some apps can use your phone's location to see commute traffic or find nearby restaurants for you.

• On average, Americans spent roughly 27 minutes on their one-way commute to work in 2018. This equates to over 200 hours spent commuting per year. 

More example sentences related to working from home

• Many employees are hoping to work from home even after the pandemic is over. The biggest reason why employees prefer to work remotely is that they get to save time on their daily commute.

• Ever since I started working from home, the time I would normally spend on commuting has now been used to spend more time with my family.

A commuter is a person who travels to work over an appreciable distance, usually from the suburbs to the center of a city

• The fare increases will be bad news for long-distance commuters.

• By 7:30 the roads are jammed with the usual morning commuters.

• Commuter traffic in and around Paris and several other major cities was choked by the lack of public transport.

• The absence of commuter traffic freed the air of smog and exposed an unfamiliar glorious sky.

• Many commuters were desperate to get on board the limited trains running during peak hours, forcing themselves into crammed carriages.

A commuter plane or train is a plane or train where people typically commute between work and home.

• Several commuter trains were delayed because of the bad weather.

• Paris commuter trains were expected to be partially affected by the rail strike.

• This mid-sized general aviation airport handles personal aircraft and small commuter planes.

• The airline has ordered eight new commuter planes to replace a dozen aging carriers.

The term "congested" is commonly used to describe situations where there is an excessive buildup or accumulation, leading to a state of overcrowding. This can apply to physical spaces like roads or rooms, or to conditions within the body, such as congested nasal passages. 

• Traffic is congested because of the bridge construction.

• Traffic was congested heading into and out of the city this morning.

• The traffic in San Francisco has gotten awful. Most of the time, it's bumper to bumper and noisy. The worst stretch of road appears to be on I-80 between Potrero Avenue and the Bay Bridge toll plaza, which is at its most congested 8:00 A.M. on Thursday mornings with an average speed of 14 miles per hour.

A crosswalk, also known as a pedestrian crossing, is a designated point on a road where pedestrians are given a legal right to cross from one side to the other. 

• You really should cross the street at the light or a crosswalk, not in the middle of the block.

• The car went through the crosswalk even though there were pedestrians in it.

• The victim was in a crosswalk in broad daylight, but the driver was too drunk to see him.

• The car didn't stop, even though I was in the crosswalk.

• There are zebra stripes painted on the crosswalk.

Detour, as a noun, refers to a longer, less direct way to get to a place, usually used to avoid a problem or to visit somewhere.

• Some taxi drivers make unscrupulous detours.

• Some Uber drivers take detours deliberately.

• After a number of unexpected detours, we finally arrived at our destination.

• Motorists wended their way through orange traffic cones and detour signs.

• A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident.

• Northbound traffic was being detoured from I-5 to Highway 33 northbound.

As a verb, it means to go or make something go along a detour. It is often used in the context of travel or transportation when the usual route is obstructed or unavailable.

• A police officer was detouring traffic around the scene of the accident.

• Northbound traffic was being detoured from I-5 to Highway 33 northbound.

• We detoured around the heaviest traffic.

• 我們繞過了最繁忙的交通。

The phrase “fill up the gas tank” means to fill a vehicle's fuel container with fuel. The other phrases we can use are “get some gas”, “top off the gas tank”, and 'fill up with/on (gas).

• I need to fill up the gas tank. I wonder if there's a nearby gas station. I'll stop and get some gas.

• Oh, I just noticed we're low on gas. Let me know if you see a gas station. I am going to get some gas.

• Andrew and his family decided to take a trip to the mountains for the weekend. Before getting on the road, Adam went to the gas station to fill up his tank.

• ​​Before we return the rental car, we need to top off the gas tank.

A freeway is a type of road designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with fully controlled access, meaning no direct access to properties and no traffic signals or stop signs. Freeways are usually divided with multiple lanes and medians or barriers that separate opposing directions of traffic. Entry and exit to a freeway are managed through ramps that facilitate smooth transitions to and from the main lanes, minimizing disruptions in the flow of traffic. Freeways are known by various names in different regions, including motorway, expressway, interstate, and highway, depending on local terminology and the specifics of the road's design and function. 

• There are three lanes on both sides of the highway. 

• We just turned off Highway 40, so we'll be there pretty soon.

• At the end of the bridge was the entrance to an interstate highway.

• You can only enter and leave freeways at special ramps.

• I like to drive fast on the freeways. I usually pass all of the slower cars by staying in the passing lane. 

• On the freeway, there are no stoplights and the speed limit is over 55 miles per hour so you can get somewhere quickly.

• Many people like to speed on the freeway.

A highway is a major public road, typically connecting multiple cities and regions. It is designed to accommodate a large volume of traffic and is often used for long-distance travel. Highways are characterized by multiple lanes and higher speed limits compared to regular streets to ensure efficient movement of vehicles. 

• There are three lanes on both sides of the highway. 

• We just turned off Highway 40, so we'll be there pretty soon.

• At the end of the bridge was the entrance to an interstate highway.

Run a red light = Pass through the traffic light when the red light is on.

• I got pulled over for running a red light on my way to work.

• Ma'am, are you aware that you just ran a red light?

• We were heading north on Cambie, and then this minivan came out of nowhere, ran a red light.

• The vast majority of people run red lights because they're in a hurry or feeling impatient, or when they think they can “beat the yellow” and misjudge the timing.

Get some gas = ​Fill up the gas tank = Top off the tank

• I need to fill up the gas tank. I wonder if there's a nearby gas station. I'll stop and get some gas.
• Oh, I just noticed we're low on gas. Let me know if you see a gas station. I am going to get some gas.
• Andrew and his family decided to take a trip to the mountains for the weekend. Before getting on the road, Adam went to the gas station to fill up his tank.
• ​​Before we return the rental car, we need to top off the gas tank.

"Backed up" often refers to situations where there is a blockage or an accumulation causing a delay or stoppage. This can apply to physical situations like traffic or sewers, or metaphorically to tasks and responsibilities that have accumulated over time. It implies a need for resolution or management to clear the backlog or congestion.

• The traffic is backed up for six miles on the road to the coast.

• Traffic was backed up on Interstate 90 Sunday near the Division Street exit.

• There's an accident on the freeway and traffic is backed up for miles.

• Traffic accidents on Maple Road have caused vehicles to back up for at least five kilometers. City authorities said the delay might continue for another hour or so. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes.

• The sewer system was backed up after the heavy rain. 

If the traffic is bumper to bumper, it means there are so many cars being so close that they are almost touching each other

• By six o'clock the traffic had gotten really awful. In fact, the traffic was bumper to bumper all the way home.

• The traffic in San Francisco is terrible, bumper to bumper and noisy.

• The cars on Route 19 are bumper to bumper right now—there's no way we'll get there on time.

Congestion refers to a state of overcrowding or blockage, often resulting in a slowdown or halt in movement or flow. This term is commonly used in a variety of contexts. In traffic, congestion occurs when roads or highways are filled with vehicles, leading to slower speeds and increased travel times. In terms of networks, such as the internet or telecommunications, congestion happens when too much data is transmitted at once, causing delays and slower service. Similarly, in healthcare or other services, congestion refers to excessive demand leading to long waits and decreased efficiency.

• Heavy downpour causes waterlog and traffic congestion in Delhi, India.

• Boston has the second-worst traffic congestion in the U.S., according to a new study.

• The Taipei city government hopes to ease traffic congestion problems by setting up bicycle rental points at MRT stations.

kerb (UK) or curb (US) = the edge where a raised sidewalk or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway.

• Two cars are parked along the curb. 

• A white Chevrolet I had never seen before stood at the curb across the street.

kerbside (UK) or curbside (US) = the area near where a road and the raised path next to it join

• At the Burrard bus station, a row of buses sat idling along the curbside.

• During the lockdowns, curbside pickup has emerged as many retailers' best strategy for long-term survival in the e-commerce age.

Gridlock = a situation where roads in a town become so blocked by cars that it is impossible for any traffic to move (Uncountable Noun)

• A car breaking down at rush hour could cause gridlock across half the city. 

• An accident caused gridlock at rush hour yesterday.

• Generally, the traffic in my city is not too bad. Though during peak hours, there are parts of the city that basically have gridlock. The bigger problem for me is finding parking. If you're driving to busy areas, be prepared to pay for metered or garage parking because street parking can be awfully inconvenient or non-existent.

If a place is gridlocked, the roads are blocked with a lot of traffic so vehicles cannot move.

• Chicago is one of the most gridlocked cities in America.

• Jakarta traffic is the most gridlocked in Southeast Asia, perhaps among the worst worldwide.

Jammed typically refers to a situation where something is stuck or unable to move due to being tightly packed or obstructed. This can apply to mechanical devices like printers or doors, or situations like traffic where movement is severely restricted due to high volume.

• The printer is jammed and won't print any documents.

• The traffic was so jammed that it took me an hour to drive one mile.

• The doorway was jammed with people trying to get into the concert. 

A junction in a road or network is a point where things come together, often allowing for choices in direction or the flow of traffic or other elements. This term can be used in various contexts, such as transportation, technology, or even in biology, where different systems or pathways intersect or connect.

• You should slow down as you approach the junction.

• The traffic lights turned green as we approached the junction.

• There should be traffic lights to regulate vehicle flow at this junction.

• The city grew in importance because it stood at the junction of several important routes.

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• The traffic lights at the junction of Pembroke Street and Mackay Street have been malfunctioning again.

• Commuters have been frustrated by problems with the traffic lights at one of the city's busiest junctions, especially during the rush hour.

• All drivers must stop behind the line at a junction with a 'Stop' sign and a solid white line across the road. Wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move off.

• Box junctions have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road. All drivers must not enter the box until their exit road or lane is clear.

A rearview mirror is a mirror in vehicles that allows the driver to see the area behind the vehicle without needing to turn around physically. 

• She hung an air freshener from the rearview mirror.

• My wife drove last night, so I have to readjust the rearview mirror and the side mirrors. 

• A rearview mirror is a nice thing to have for any urban cyclist.

• Many upscale automakers have installed a small third visor behind the rearview mirror.

The word "tow" primarily refers to the act of pulling or hauling a vehicle, boat, or other object using another vehicle or vessel. This is commonly done using a rope, chain, or tow bar. The term is often used in contexts like towing a car that has broken down or a trailer attached to a vehicle. Tow trucks are specially equipped vehicles designed to tow other vehicles that are incapacitated or illegally parked.

• The broken car was towed away by a tow truck.

• He used a rope to tow his friend's boat to the shore.

• The company offers 24-hour roadside assistance and vehicle tow services. 

Unleaded gas, also known as unleaded petrol in some countries, is a type of gasoline that does not contain lead compounds. It was introduced to reduce the harmful emissions that leaded gasoline produced, which were detrimental to both the environment and public health. Vehicles designed for unleaded gas usually have engines that are optimized to minimize exhaust emissions and improve air quality.

• Fill it up with 95 unleaded gas, please. And please put $800 worth in. 

• Do you want to pump the 92 octane unleaded gas or 95 octane unleaded gas?

• Most modern cars require unleaded gas to function properly.

• Make sure to fill up your car with unleaded gas to avoid engine damage.

• Unleaded gas is better for the environment than leaded gasoline.