Speed Limits & Following Distance — Illinois
Illinois permit practice test: 368 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). Official test format: 35 Q (15 signs + 20), 80%. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 13 questions.
Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Speed Limits & Following Distance |
| License test | Illinois Car learner's permit test |
| Topic questions | 13 (4% of 368 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
ilsos.gov ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (13)
1. When driving in work zones, you should:
- Increase your speed to get through the zone as quickly as possible.
- Reduce your speed and be prepared to stop suddenly. ✓
- Maintain your normal speed the whole way through the zone.
Answer: B. Reduce your speed and be prepared to stop suddenly.
You should reduce your speed and be prepared to stop suddenly. Slow down and stay ready to stop. The Illinois handbook says that when you approach or enter a work zone, you must slow down, obey the posted construction zone speed limit even when workers are not visible, and proceed with caution. It also warns of narrow lanes, drop-offs, lane closures, equipment, and obstructions near open lanes. Those conditions mean your speed should be low enough to react if traffic stops or the path ahead changes. The handbook does not use the exact phrase "stop suddenly," but its warning about obstructions supports being ready to react.
2. Most rear-end collisions are caused by the vehicle in back following too closely.
- True ✓
- False
Answer: A. True
True — following too closely, or tailgating, causes most rear-end crashes. The handbook states plainly that tailgating, meaning following the vehicle ahead too closely, is the cause of most rear-end crashes. That is why it teaches the three-second rule: pick a fixed object ahead, and when the car in front passes it, your vehicle should not reach that same object before you count to one-thousand-three. If you get there sooner, you are following too closely. So the statement in the question matches the handbook's own wording.
3. Work zone barriers, drums, cones, and signs are used to:
- Make drivers angry about slow traffic.
- Inconvenience drivers.
- Keep traffic out of hazardous work zones. ✓
Answer: C. Keep traffic out of hazardous work zones.
Work zone barriers, drums, cones, and signs are used to keep traffic out of hazardous work zones. The handbook describes these devices as protection from dangerous locations: they mark a path for drivers to follow through construction and maintenance zones and warn of hazards that are present. That purpose is to separate moving traffic from the risky area where work is happening, so the choice about keeping traffic out of hazardous work zones matches the handbook. The other choices describe annoyance or inconvenience, which the passages do not say.
4. If bad weather makes it difficult for you to see clearly, you should:
- Speed up to get off the road quickly.
- Drive in the lane closest to oncoming traffic.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Increase your following distance.
You should increase your following distance when bad weather makes it hard to see clearly. The handbook says the three-second following rule applies on good roads and in good weather. When road or weather conditions are not good, you increase your following distance even more. It repeats this advice for fog, rain, and winter driving. Leaving more room helps you deal with poor visibility and changing conditions.
5. You should increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead when you:
- Are following a small passenger vehicle.
- Are being tailgated by another driver. ✓
- Are driving more slowly than the posted speed limit.
Answer: B. Are being tailgated by another driver.
You should increase the space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead when another driver is tailgating you. The handbook lists tailgating as aggressive driving and advises that when you meet an aggressive motorist you should keep enough room between yourself and the vehicle in front so you can pull out from behind it. Extra room ahead gives you a way out and lets you brake gradually instead of suddenly, which matters when someone is crowding your rear bumper. The handbook also says that if you are being tailgated you should change lanes or slowly pull off the road and let that driver go by.
6. Driving more slowly than surrounding traffic is:
- A good idea if the weather is bad.
- Appropriate if you don’t know the speed limit.
- Often a hazard because other drivers may become frustrated and try to pass you. ✓
Answer: C. Often a hazard because other drivers may become frustrated and try to pass you.
7. Which of the following statements about driving speed is true?
- As your speed increases, the chance of a fatality increases.
- As your speed increases, so should your following distance.
- Both of the above. ✓
Answer: C. Both of the above.
8. Speeds should be reduced below the posted speed limit for which of the following reasons?
- The driver is driving in unfavorable weather conditions.
- The driver is approaching and crossing an intersection.
- Both of the above. ✓
Answer: C. Both of the above.
Reduce speed below the posted limit both in unfavorable weather and when approaching and crossing an intersection. The handbook's review question lists both reasons for dropping below the posted limit. The speed-limit section also says you may drive at the maximum allowable speed only under safe conditions, and it directly requires slowing down when approaching and crossing an intersection. It further warns that weather can create dangers on the road, so the posted maximum is not the right speed when conditions are poor.
9. When you drive through a construction zone, you should:
- Stop to watch the workers.
- Decrease your following distance.
- Pass the construction zone carefully and not “rubberneck." ✓
Answer: C. Pass the construction zone carefully and not “rubberneck."
Pass through the construction zone carefully and do not rubberneck; keep your attention on driving. The handbook says that when you approach or enter a work zone, you must slow down, stop using a wireless phone unless it is hands-free, yield to authorized vehicles or workers, move away from workers when possible, and proceed with caution. You must also obey the posted work-zone speed limit even when workers are not present. That points to passing through carefully and keeping your attention on the road. Here, "pass" means travel through the zone, not overtake another vehicle, since construction zones are no-passing zones.
10. The three-second rule helps the driver determine a safe following distance.
- True ✓
- False
Answer: A. True
True — the three-second rule helps a driver determine a safe following distance. The handbook says tailgating causes most rear-end crashes and tells drivers to use the three-second rule to set a safe following distance. It explains the method: pick a fixed object ahead, like a sign or tree, and start counting when the vehicle in front passes it. Your vehicle should not reach that object before you count to one-thousand-three. If it does, you are following too closely. The rule applies on good roads and in good weather, and you should increase the distance when conditions are not good.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook