A resettable distance-measuring device integrated into the instrument cluster. Unlike the primary odometer, which permanently records the vehicle's total lifetime mileage for legal and maintenance purposes, this unit is designed for temporary tracking. It is commonly used to calculate fuel economy between fill-ups or measure the exact distance of a route.
Heard on the job
The trip odometer says we've gone 300 miles since the last gas station, so we better start looking for one.
Also heard as
- trip meter
Related terms
Trip meter
A resettable counter on the dashboard that tracks distance over a specific journey.
Instrumentation
The collection of gauges, dials, and warning lights that display a vehicle's operating status to the driver.
Trip computer
An electronic dashboard module that calculates and displays journey statistics.