Sharing the road with pedestrians — Illinois Permit Test

In Illinois a pedestrian is any person on foot, on in-line speed skates or riding a skateboard, including a person with a physical, hearing or visual disability.

The word decides who the yielding rules protect. A skateboarder is not traffic, which is why they are named here.

A pedestrian is any person afoot or wearing in-line speed skates or riding a skateboard, including a person with a physical, hearing, or visual disability.

A pedestrian crossing anywhere other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield the right of way to drivers.

The right of way is tied to the crossing place, not to being on foot. Away from a crosswalk it belongs to the traffic.

When crossing at any place other than a marked or unmarked crosswalk, pedestrians must give the right of way to drivers.

A driver should always be ready to yield to pedestrians and should not drive unnecessarily close to them.

Both a driver and a person on foot are responsible for safety, but only one of them is carrying two tons. That is why the readiness sits with the driver.

A driver should always be prepared to yield the right of way and should not drive unnecessarily close to pedestrians.

Pedestrians must not walk on a roadway unless there is no sidewalk or shoulder beside it, and in two-way traffic they should walk facing oncoming traffic.

Facing the traffic is what lets somebody on foot step aside. Walking with their back to it means never seeing the car that does not move over.

Pedestrians must not walk on a roadway unless there is no sidewalk or shoulder next to it. Under these conditions, pedestrians should always walk as far from the outside edge of the road as possible. In two-way traffic, pedestrians should walk facing oncoming traffic.

Standing on the roadway to ask for a ride, which is hitchhiking, is illegal in Illinois.

Somebody standing in a lane to be seen is standing where cars are. Illinois bans the position rather than the request.

Standing on the roadway to ask for a ride (hitchhiking) is illegal.

A pedestrian aged 18 or older may skate on a public roadway where the posted limit is 45 mph or less, from sunrise to sunset, as long as traffic is not impeded.

Skating on a road is allowed under three conditions at once: the age, the speed limit and daylight. Miss one and it is not.

Pedestrians ages 18 or older may skate on public roadways where the posted speed limit is 45 mph or less from sunrise to sunset as long as vehicular traffic is not impeded or obstructed.

Who counts as a pedestrian under Illinois law?

A person on foot, in-line skates or a skateboard. The word decides who the yielding rules protect. A skateboarder is not traffic, which is why they are named here. Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.40: “A pedestrian is any person afoot or wearing in-line speed skates or riding a skateboard, including a person with a physical, hearing, or visual disability.”