Roadwise States Illinois Driving lessons Speed limits Illinois driving lesson · Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones
Speed limits A 3-minute lesson from the Illinois course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 27, 69 Speeding is one of the leading causes of crashes, deaths and serious injuries. The posted limit is a maximum for good conditions, not a target. Illinois sets default limits that apply unless a sign says otherwise.
Know the rule
The 20 mph school zone limit applies on school days between 6:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., when children are present and signs are posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
Local municipalities may post speed limits different from the state defaults.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
You may drive at the maximum allowable speed only under safe conditions.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
A minimum speed limit may be posted on some roads. Where none is posted, don't drive so slowly that you interfere with the normal movement of traffic.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Speed limit signs show the maximum (and on some freeways, minimum) speed Know the rule
Driving slower than a posted minimum speed limit is illegal unless necessary for safety.
Handbook p. 69 ↗ You must slow down when: Approaching and crossing an intersection Going around a curve Approaching the top of a hill Traveling on a narrow, winding roadway Handbook p. 27 ↗ Know the rule
Always be ready for dangers from pedestrians, bicyclists, traffic, weather, mechanical problems or road conditions.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Put it into practice
It's a Saturday and you pass a school with a 20 mph school zone sign. The 20 mph limit applies only on school days, so the normal posted limit applies today.
A useful reminder 70 interstate, 65 four-lane, 55 rural, 30 city, 20 school, 15 alley.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the default Illinois speed limit on interstates and tollways, unless otherwise posted? 65 mph 60 mph 75 mph 70 mph Answer: 70 mph
Interstates and tollways default to 70 mph unless otherwise posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ What is the default Illinois speed limit in city/town areas, unless otherwise posted? 25 mph 20 mph 30 mph 35 mph Answer: 30 mph
City/town areas default to 30 mph unless otherwise posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ What is the default speed limit in a posted school zone on a school day when children are present? 20 mph 15 mph 25 mph 30 mph Answer: 20 mph
School zones drop to 20 mph under those posted conditions.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ The default Illinois speed limit in an alley is 20 mph unless otherwise posted. True False Answer: False
False. Alleys default to 15 mph. 20 mph is the school zone limit when children are present and signs are posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ What is the default speed limit on Illinois highways with four lanes, unless otherwise posted? 70 mph 65 mph 55 mph 60 mph Answer: 65 mph
Four-lane highways default to 65 mph unless otherwise posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ What is the default speed limit on other highways and rural areas, unless otherwise posted? 55 mph 60 mph 45 mph 50 mph Answer: 55 mph
Other highways and rural areas default to 55 mph unless otherwise posted.
Handbook p. 27 ↗ Previous lesson Seat belts, air bags and child passengers Next lesson Construction zones and emergency vehicles More in Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones About the source Roadwise’s Illinois course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 27, 69. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check Illinois’s SOS. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.
