Safe Driving Tips: Following Distance, Speed, Weather, Expressways, Night Driving, Emergencies and Aggressive Drivers
Written for aiforu2 as the source for a practice-test bank and the on-device tutor for the Illinois driver's license written exam. The facts follow the official manual; the wording is ours.
Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, Illinois Secretary of State, 2025 edition, chapter 11 "Safe Driving Tips" (pp. 84–92).
Drive defensively
Be ready for other drivers and never assume what they will do; if a crash is unavoidable, stay calm and pick the least dangerous option.
Following distance and speed
Tailgating causes most rear-end crashes. Use the three-second rule: when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three"; reaching the object before three is too close. Three seconds is for good roads and weather; add more otherwise. If tailgated, change lanes or slowly pull off and let the vehicle pass. At 25 mph you cover about 37 feet a second (111 feet in three seconds); at 55 mph about 81 feet (243 feet); at 70 mph about 103 feet (309 feet).
Too fast or too slow is dangerous; match the flow without exceeding the limit and slow for weather and traffic. Doubling your speed quadruples the stopping distance. Stopping also depends on your reaction, the road surface, tire size and tread (large wide tires with good tread stop faster), brake condition, wind (a strong tailwind lengthens stops) and the vehicle's design, weight and suspension. Drowsy driving impairs you even before you fall asleep: rest, stop often on long trips, and keep your eyes moving between signs and parts of the road.
Weather
Fog: best not to drive; otherwise turn off cruise control, lengthen the following distance, slow down (more if you see lights, since a driver may be stopped or crawling), use low beams or fog lights, do not overdrive the headlights, pull off and stop rather than creeping at 5 to 10 mph if it is too dense, signal turns early and brake early.
Rain: the law requires headlights whenever the wipers are on. Light rain lifts water, dust, oil and leaves into a slick film. Turn off cruise control, lengthen the gap, take care on curves and while braking, and slow to avoid hydroplaning; if you skid while hydroplaning and cannot regain control, release the accelerator and ride it out. Never drive through a flooded road or viaduct, since depth and current cannot be judged; turn around.
High winds trouble trucks, RVs, campers and trailers: slow down and correct your steering when leaving a sheltered stretch or meeting large vehicles, expect rain or sleet with the wind, and note that the Illinois Tollway bans hauling house trailers in high winds.
Winter: the hardest season, with ice, snow, cold and short days. Slow down and lengthen the gap (conditions vary with sun, shade and surface); turn off cruise control on wet, icy or snowy pavement; clear all snow and ice and wait for a clear defrosted windshield, with non-freezing washer fluid and visible lights; keep lights, brakes, wipers, defroster and radiator maintained; use snow tires or chains where allowed, remembering neither permits normal speed; brake gently in slow steady strokes to feel the traction, and start braking early; approach bridges, shaded spots, overpasses and turns slowly, since they stay icy after the rest of the road clears; carry a blanket, food and a shovel; and if stranded, stay in the vehicle, run the engine only briefly with a window open, and keep the tailpipe clear of snow to avoid carbon monoxide.
Expressways
Expressways, interstates, tollways and freeways are posted at 55, 65 or 70 mph. Use the speed-change lane to reach traffic speed, signal, find a gap, match speed and merge when safe. Check the mirrors and signal before every lane change, keep plenty of distance, and remember the right lane is for slower traffic, the left for faster traffic and passing, never for continuous driving. Never stop on the expressway: pull off, lift the hood and turn on the hazard flashers, and never walk along it. Exits may be on the right or left; get into the correct exit and speed-change lane, signal, and slow in the speed-change lane. Miss an exit and you go to the next; backing up on an expressway is illegal. At a construction lane reduction, merge early when traffic is light, and in dense slow traffic use both lanes to the merge point and alternate (the zipper merge).
Night driving and other situations
Things look different at night and glare interferes with vision. Never overdrive the headlights; keep them clean and aimed; use them from sunset to sunrise; dim high beams 500 feet before meeting an oncoming vehicle and 300 feet before passing one; dim the dashboard, use the visor against glare and avoid interior lights; use edge and center lines as guides; and do not stop on the road (a red warning light is recommended if you must). Rural intersections may or may not be signed and can be hard to see into; slow and look both ways. Curves: slow before entering, never brake suddenly, never cross the center line. Head-on approach in your lane: slow, pull right and sound the horn. Skid: ease off the gas or brakes, steer into the direction of the skid until traction returns, then straighten. Wheels off the pavement: grip the wheel, ease off the gas, brake gently, check behind and steer gently back; never jerk the wheel. Fire: pull off, shut off the engine, move away and call 911; never fight it. Water crash: escape through a window, since water pressure may seal the doors; if the car sinks, move to the back seat, where an air pocket usually forms, take a deep breath and leave through a rear window. Carbon monoxide rides in any fuel-burning exhaust; symptoms are "flu-like" (headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion), people asleep in a running car or a garage can die without symptoms, and older people, infants and those with heart, lung or blood disorders are most at risk; have the exhaust checked yearly and never run the car inside an attached garage. Downed power lines on the car: stay inside until help comes; if fire forces you out, jump clear without touching car and ground at once, land on both feet and shuffle or hop with arms close for 50 feet. Refueling: engine off, no smoking, stay at the pump.
Equipment failure
Blowout: a thumping may warn; ease off the gas, grip the wheel firmly, pull off safely and check, and do not brake suddenly; a lost wheel is handled the same way. Steering failure: ease off the gas, turn on the flashers, let the car slow, brake very gently to avoid spinning, and do not switch off the ignition, which kills power steering or locks the wheel. Brake failure: pump the pedal to build pressure, then use the emergency brake, and shift to a lower gear. Headlight failure: try the flashers, parking lights or turn signals and pull off; dimming lights mean drive to a service station or pull off for help. Stuck gas pedal: hook your toe under it; if it stays stuck, shift to neutral and brake gently. Blocked vision: roll down the side window, flashers on, pull off.
Aggressive driving and breakdowns
Aggressive driving endangers people or property: speeding, running lights and signs, tailgating, passing on the shoulder, cutting others off, brake- checking a tailgater, gestures, yelling, repeated honking or flashing. Facing an aggressive driver, do not retaliate or engage, avoid eye contact, lock the doors and close the windows, leave room to pull out from behind the car ahead, and never underestimate the potential for violence.
Stranded: on a high-capacity road (multi-lane highways and major arterials), pull to the right shoulder as far as possible, stay in the car belted, flashers on, call 911 and wait; on a low-capacity road (residential, rural, secondary), pull over as far as possible and, if safe, leave from the side away from traffic to a sidewalk, guard rail or field edge, otherwise stay belted inside, flashers on, and call 911; on the Illinois Tollway, pull right, stay belted inside, flashers on, and call **\999* or 911 for Tollway maintenance or a responder.
Practise this with Illinois Driver License questions
More of this guide
Who needs a license, the 90-day rule for new residents, documents for REAL ID and standard cards, renewal ages and fees, the vision, written and driving exams, the instruction permit, the 50 supervised hours and the Graduated Driver Licensing phases.
What to do when stopped, the hands-free rule for drivers 19 and older, child restraints, the 70/65/55/30/15/20 speed limits, work and school zones, who yields, when you may not pass, signaling distances, roundabouts, school buses and every place you may not park.
Pedestrian rules, why drivers miss motorcycles, the 3-foot bicycle passing law and the right-hand door reach, e-bike classes, scooter and moped licensing, truck No Zones, disabled vehicles, low-speed vehicles and horses.
The .08 and THC limits, implied consent and statutory summary suspension, DUI revocation periods, BAIID permits, aggravated DUI, under-21 rules, crash reports and the $1,500 threshold, the Safety Responsibility Law, and every ground for revocation and suspension.
Sign shapes and colors including pink incident signs, regulatory, warning and construction signs, the zipper merge, every light and arrow including turns at a red arrow, lane signals, white and yellow lines, stop lines and railroad crossing devices.
Required brakes, lights, mirrors, glass and horn, restricted lights, studded tires and loads, buying from a dealer or private owner, the $151 registration and two-plate rule, the 25/50/20 insurance minimums, emissions counties and disability placards.