Illinois video lessons · Lesson 6 of 10
Illinois Sharing the Road: five situations explained
All five situations and their answers are below. To watch the lesson, create a free account.
In this video
- 0:00Intro
- 0:17Which hand does the Illinois manual suggest using to open the driver’s door?
- 1:22May you drive over a fire hose at a fire scene?
- 2:20You are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on your right. What should you do?
- 3:16You approach a stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights. What does Illinois law require?
- 4:28How much following distance should you allow behind a motorcycle?
- 5:24Recap
In short
Consider using your right hand to open the door so you turn and check for oncoming vehicles and bicyclists. A driver is prohibited from driving over fire hoses unless permitted by a fire official in command of the scene. If you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first.
The five situations
Pick an answer first, the way the video pauses for you. Each one cites the Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112).
Situation 1
Which hand does the Illinois manual suggest using to open the driver’s door?
Answer: C. Your right hand, so you turn and see bicyclists behind. Consider using your right hand to open the door so you turn and check for oncoming vehicles and bicyclists. This is the Dutch Reach.
Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112) › Chapter 4 › Lane Usage
Situation 2
May you drive over a fire hose at a fire scene?
Answer: C. Only if a fire official in command permits it. A driver is prohibited from driving over fire hoses unless permitted by a fire official in command of the scene.
Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112) › Chapter 4 › Emergency/Maintenance Vehicles
Situation 3
You are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on your right. What should you do?
Answer: A. Let the bicyclist go through the intersection first. If you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first.
Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112) › Chapter 5 › Bicycles
Situation 4
You approach a stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights. What does Illinois law require?
Answer: C. Yield, change lanes away from it if possible, and slow down. Yield, change to a lane away from the workers when possible, and proceed with caution at a reduced speed. If you cannot change lanes, slow down.
Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112) › Chapter 4 › Emergency/Maintenance Vehicles
Situation 5
How much following distance should you allow behind a motorcycle?
Answer: A. At least three to four seconds. Allow at least three to four seconds following distance behind a motorcycle; motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112) › Chapter 5 › Motorcycles
Transcript
0:00Intro
You share the road with trucks, bikes, buses and more, and each one changes how you drive. Here are five situations from the Illinois Rules of the Road. For each one, pick your answer before I reveal it.
0:17Situation 1
You've parked on a busy street, and you're about to open your door. Which hand does the Illinois manual suggest using to open the driver’s door? The answer is C: Your right hand, so you turn and see bicyclists behind. Consider using your right hand to open the door so you turn and check for oncoming vehicles and bicyclists. This is the Dutch Reach. Use your right hand. It turns your body, so you look back for vehicles and bicyclists before the door swings out.
1:22Situation 2
A fire hose stretches across the road at a fire scene ahead. May you drive over a fire hose at a fire scene? The answer is C: Only if a fire official in command permits it. A driver is prohibited from driving over fire hoses unless permitted by a fire official in command of the scene. Don't drive over it unless the fire official in command of the scene permits it.
2:20Situation 3
You're about to turn right, and a cyclist is coming up on your right. You are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on your right. What should you do? The answer is A: Let the bicyclist go through the intersection first. If you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first. Let the cyclist go through the intersection first, then make your turn.
3:16Situation 4
An emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder ahead with its lights flashing. You approach a stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights. What does Illinois law require? The answer is C: Yield, change lanes away from it if possible, and slow down. Yield, change to a lane away from the workers when possible, and proceed with caution at a reduced speed. If you cannot change lanes, slow down. Yield, change to a lane away from it if you can, and slow down. If you can't change lanes, slow down anyway.
4:28Situation 5
You're driving behind a motorcycle. How much following distance should you allow behind a motorcycle? The answer is A: At least three to four seconds. Allow at least three to four seconds following distance behind a motorcycle; motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars. Allow at least three to four seconds of following distance. A motorcycle can stop more quickly than a car.
5:24Recap
Consider using your right hand to open the door so you turn and check for oncoming vehicles and bicyclists. A driver is prohibited from driving over fire hoses unless permitted by a fire official in command of the scene. If you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first. Yield, change to a lane away from the workers when possible, and proceed with caution at a reduced speed. Allow at least three to four seconds following distance behind a motorcycle; motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars. Nice work. Try more sharing the road questions in Practice by Topic, then test yourself with a full mock exam.
The rules in this lesson
- Consider using your right hand to open the door so you turn and check for oncoming vehicles and bicyclists.
- A driver is prohibited from driving over fire hoses unless permitted by a fire official in command of the scene.
- If you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first.
- Yield, change to a lane away from the workers when possible, and proceed with caution at a reduced speed.
- Allow at least three to four seconds following distance behind a motorcycle; motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
Original practice lesson written from the Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (dsd_a112). EstatePass is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Illinois SOS; these are not official test questions.