Illinois DMV Permit Test: Safe Driving Concepts
Importance ★★★★☆ · 15% (estimate)
Overview
Safe driving is about seeing, being seen, and leaving yourself room to react. This chapter covers turn signals, headlights, following distance, bad weather, work zones, sharing the road, and phones.
Signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before a turn or lane change in a business or residence district, and at least 200 feet elsewhere. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and turn your head to check your blind spot. Give motorcycles a full lane.
Turn on your headlights from sunset to sunrise, whenever rain, snow, or fog makes you use your windshield wipers, and whenever you cannot clearly see people and vehicles 1,000 feet ahead. Parking lights may be used with headlights but never instead of them. Dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
On wet roads, leave more following distance. If you hydroplane, ease off the gas and steer straight. In work zones, slow down and obey signs and flaggers. Illinois bans using a hand-held phone while driving, so put the phone away.
Key concepts
Turn signals
Signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before turning or changing lanes in a business or residence district, and at least 200 feet outside those districts.
Memory tipTown 100 feet, open road 200 feet.
Source: Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/11-804 · as of 2026
When headlights are required
From sunset to sunrise, when weather makes you use windshield wipers, and when people and vehicles are not clearly visible 1,000 feet ahead. Parking lights may not replace headlights.
Memory tipWipers on, lights on.
Source: Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/12-201 · as of 2026
Dimming high beams
Dim high beams within 500 feet of a vehicle coming toward you and within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
Memory tip500 oncoming, 300 following.
Source: Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/12-210 · as of 2026
Phones while driving
Illinois bans using a hand-held phone or electronic device while driving. Drivers under 19 may not use a phone at all, even hands-free, except in an emergency.
Memory tipHands on the wheel, phone away.
Source: Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2 · as of 2026
Bad weather
Leave more following distance on wet roads. If you hydroplane, ease off the gas and keep the wheel straight until the tires grip again.
Memory tipWater on the road: ease off, steer straight.
Sharing the road
Check blind spots by turning your head before changing lanes. Give a motorcycle a full lane, and leave extra following distance behind it.
Memory tipA motorcycle gets a whole lane.
Often tested
- Signal 100 feet before a turn in town and 200 feet outside town.
- Headlights on from sunset to sunrise and when wipers are needed.
- Dim high beams within 500 feet of oncoming cars and 300 feet of cars ahead.
- Parking lights never replace headlights.
- No hand-held phone use while driving.
Easy to confuse: Headlight distances
| Situation | Distance |
|---|---|
| Use headlights if you cannot see people and vehicles clearly at | 1,000 feet |
| Dim high beams for an oncoming vehicle within | 500 feet |
| Dim high beams for a vehicle you follow within | 300 feet |
3 sample questions
Verified practice questions from this unit.
Question 1. In a business or residence district in Illinois, how far before a turn must you start signaling?
- ① At least 100 feet
- ② At least 50 feet
- ③ At least 200 feet
- ④ Only as you begin to turn
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Answer: ① At least 100 feet
Key point: Signal 100 feet before turning in town
In a business or residence district, Illinois law says you must signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before you turn or change lanes.
Wrong choices
- At least 50 feet: 50 feet is too short.
- At least 200 feet: 200 feet is the rule outside business and residence districts.
- Only as you begin to turn: Signaling only as you turn does not warn others in time.
Question 2. When must you turn on your headlights?
- ① Only when it is completely dark
- ② Only on highways
- ③ Only when it is raining
- ④ From sunset to sunrise
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Answer: ④ From sunset to sunrise
Key point: Headlights on from sunset to sunrise
Illinois law requires lighted headlights from sunset to sunrise. They are also required in bad weather, as other questions explain.
Wrong choices
- Only when it is completely dark: You need headlights from sunset, not only when it is completely dark.
- Only on highways: The rule applies on all roads.
- Only when it is raining: Rain is one reason, but headlights are also required every night.
Question 3. It is daytime, but rain is heavy enough that you need your windshield wipers. What does Illinois law say about headlights?
- ① You must turn on your headlights
- ② Headlights are not needed in the daytime
- ③ Use only your parking lights
- ④ Use your high beams
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Answer: ① You must turn on your headlights
Key point: Wipers on for weather: headlights on
In Illinois, you must turn on your headlights whenever rain, snow, fog, or other weather makes you use your windshield wipers, even in the daytime.
Wrong choices
- Headlights are not needed in the daytime: The rule applies in the daytime too.
- Use only your parking lights: Parking lights may not be used instead of headlights.
- Use your high beams: High beams in rain or fog reflect back and make it harder to see.
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