Illinois SOS Permit Practice Test 8
Test 8 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 28 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Illinois test.
- Questions35
- Correct to pass28
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. What lighting equipment does Illinois law require on a bicycle ridden at night?
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Answer A: A white headlight and a red rear reflector
Illinois law requires a bicycle ridden at night to have a white headlight and a red rear reflector.
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2. Why is it dangerous to make a left turn from the second lane from the center?
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Answer C: Because a driver in the lane beside you is turning into the same space
Drivers in the proper turn lane are entitled to that space, and turning across them puts two vehicles into one path through the intersection.
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3. Illinois generally requires hands-free phone use while driving. Besides reporting an emergency, in what other situation may a driver use a handheld phone that is not hands-free?
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Answer A: While parked on the shoulder of the roadway, or stopped in traffic that is obstructed with the vehicle in neutral or park
Illinois law permits handheld, non-hands-free phone use only to report an emergency, while parked on the shoulder, or while stopped in traffic that is obstructed with the vehicle in neutral or park.
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4. What are the Illinois nighttime driving restrictions for teen drivers in the Permit and Initial Licensing phases?
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Answer C: No driving Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Illinois sets the curfew at 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and local curfews may be stricter.
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5. You find that your shoulder belt has some slack in it. Why does that matter?
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Answer D: You travel further before the belt restrains you, so injuries are worse
Slack lets your body build up speed before the belt takes hold, which increases the forces on you and the risk of hitting the interior.
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6. Which ability does alcohol usually affect first?
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Answer A: Judgment and self control
Alcohol reduces judgment and inhibition before a drinker notices any clumsiness, which is why an impaired driver often feels perfectly capable while already driving worse.
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7. A driver behind you on a two-lane road clearly wants to pass. Why should you not wave that driver past?
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Answer B: You cannot see the whole road ahead for them and they may rely on your signal
Waving another driver out invites them to trust your judgment of a road you cannot see well enough, and the decision to pass belongs to the driver making it.
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8. Under Illinois' Scott's Law, must a driver slow down and change lanes when approaching a snowplow that is stopped or working along the roadway?
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Answer C: Yes, snowplows and other highway maintenance vehicles are covered by the law
Illinois State Police confirm that snowplows and other highway maintenance vehicles are covered under Scott's Law, requiring drivers to slow down and change lanes when possible.
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9. What must a driver be ready to do along the stretch of road where this sign is posted?
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Answer D: Slow down and stop for a child who steps into the roadway
Children misjudge speed and distance and act without warning, so the driver reduces speed, covers the brake and scans the sidewalks and parked vehicles.
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10. A driver holds a steady highway speed into the section this sign warns about. What is the most likely result?
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Answer B: The vehicle runs wide toward the outside and can cross into another lane or leave the pavement
Holding speed into a change of alignment asks the tires for more side grip than they can supply, so the vehicle runs wide and the driver is left with less room to correct.
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11. A driver who wants to reverse direction arrives at this sign. What is allowed?
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Answer C: Going on and reversing direction only where the maneuver is permitted
The restriction removes that maneuver at that spot entirely, so the driver has to continue and turn the vehicle around at a place where it is not prohibited.
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12. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves
Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.
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13. You arrive at an intersection with no signs, no signals and no markings at the same time as a vehicle on the road to your right. What must you do?
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Answer B: Yield to the vehicle on your right
At an uncontrolled intersection you must yield to a vehicle already in the intersection or approaching from your right.
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14. A yellow curve warning sign carries a yellow plaque showing a speed. What does that number mean?
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Answer D: The recommended maximum safe speed for the curve under ideal conditions
An advisory speed plaque on a yellow warning sign gives the recommended maximum speed for the hazard ahead when conditions are good.
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15. What offense does an Illinois vehicle owner commit by knowingly allowing someone who is visibly incapable of driving safely due to intoxication to operate their vehicle?
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Answer B: A Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500
Illinois makes it a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, to knowingly permit an intoxicated or otherwise incapable person to drive one's vehicle.
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16. A sign with a brown background and a white legend guides road users to
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Answer B: parks, campgrounds and other recreational or cultural sites
Brown is reserved for recreational and cultural interest area signing, such as parks, historic sites and scenic areas.
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17. Illinois law lists an exception letting a bicyclist ride near the left-hand edge of the roadway instead of the right. When does this exception apply?
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Answer A: On a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes
Illinois law allows a bicyclist on a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes to ride as near to the left-hand curb or edge as practicable.
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18. How much moving water is generally enough to float and carry away most passenger vehicles?
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Answer D: About one foot
About a foot of moving water will float most cars, and even less will stall an engine. That is why the rule is to turn around instead of judging the depth.
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19. On a clear day with light traffic, a driver stays far below the maximum this sign sets. What can that cause?
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Answer B: Obstruction of the normal flow of traffic, which is prohibited in itself
Driving so slowly that other traffic is impeded is an offense in its own right when nothing about safety, weather or the road calls for it.
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20. A shared-use path crosses the road ahead at a marked crossing and people are already crossing on it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Yield and let them finish crossing the road
People already crossing at a marked crossing have the right of way, and a path crossing is a crossing of the roadway like any other.
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21. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?
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Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side
A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.
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22. Why should the shoulder belt never be worn under the arm or behind the back?
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Answer C: In a crash it could not hold your upper body and could cause severe injury
The shoulder belt restrains your chest and head. Placed under the arm it concentrates crash force on the ribs and organs; behind the back it does nothing at all.
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23. How much advance notice must an Illinois auto insurer give before non-renewing a policy that has been in force 5 or more years, for most reasons?
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Answer D: At least 60 days
For a policy in force 5 or more years, Illinois generally requires at least 60 days' notice before non-renewal for most reasons, longer than the 30-day notice used for newer policies or limited reasons.
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24. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right
Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.
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25. What is true about an airbag once it has inflated in a crash?
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Answer B: It must be replaced by a technician before the car is driven any further
An airbag is a single use device, and the module and often the belts must be replaced before the vehicle protects anyone again.
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26. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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27. Under Illinois' Dram Shop Act, who can be held liable if a person who was unlawfully sold alcohol as a minor or as an already-intoxicated person then causes a crash?
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Answer B: The establishment or person who unlawfully sold or served the alcohol
Illinois' Dram Shop Act can hold the establishment or individual who unlawfully sold or served alcohol to a minor or an intoxicated person liable for resulting injuries.
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28. You are parked legally, but a police officer tells you to move the vehicle. What should you do?
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Answer B: Move it as directed, because an officer overrides the signs
Directions from a police officer or a firefighter take precedence over signs and markings, whether they are directing traffic or clearing a street.
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29. Besides yielding to the emergency vehicle itself, whom else must an Illinois driver yield to at an emergency scene under Scott's Law?
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Answer D: Any pedestrian directly involved in the emergency scene
Illinois' Scott's Law also requires drivers to yield to emergency workers or a pedestrian directly involved in the emergency scene, not just to the emergency vehicle.
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30. If an Illinois policyholder wants to challenge an auto insurance cancellation before a Department of Insurance hearing, when must they submit their written request?
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Answer A: At least 20 days before the cancellation date
An Illinois policyholder must mail or deliver a written request for a hearing to the Department of Insurance at least 20 days before the cancellation date.
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31. What penalty can an Illinois driver face for improper use of a driver's license or ID card, such as lending it to someone else or using a fake one?
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Answer D: Up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $25,000, with license suspension
Illinois treats improper use of a driver's license or ID card as a serious offense, carrying up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to $25,000, and license suspension.
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32. On a long, straight highway you feel your attention fading. What helps you stay alert?
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Answer A: Keep your eyes moving, scan mirrors and signs, and take regular breaks
Staring at one point brings on highway hypnosis. Active scanning keeps the mind engaged, and a break every couple of hours restores alertness.
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33. You have to leave a trailer parked on a slope. What extra step protects it?
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Answer D: Chock the trailer wheels as well as setting the brake
Chocks physically block the wheels, which is the only thing that still holds if a brake or a coupling lets go.
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34. What should a driver do first after passing this sign?
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Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and stay there
Traffic returns to two-way operation, so the driver keeps to the right of the centerline and stops treating the left side as available.
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35. During the first 12 months of the Illinois Initial Licensing Phase, how many passengers may a teen driver carry?
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Answer D: One person under age 20, unless the extra passengers are siblings, stepsiblings, children or stepchildren of the driver
For the first 12 months of licensing, or until the driver turns 18, Illinois limits the driver to one passenger under age 20 unless the additional passengers are siblings, stepsiblings, children or stepchildren.