Key points
If water on the road is deeper than your tire treads, slow down.
Source: Handbook p. 44
“If the water is deeper than your tire treads, slow down.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44If fog cuts visibility to near zero, pull off the road as far as possible and stop.
Source: Handbook p. 44
“If fog closes in completely, and visibility is reduced to near zero, carefully pull off the road as far as possible and stop.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44Flash flooding causes more deaths than any other roadway weather event.
Source: Handbook p. 44
“Flash flooding causes more deaths than any other roadway weather event each year.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is less than 500 feet.
Source: Handbook p. 44
“Drivers must use headlights between sunset and sunrise as well as at any other time in which visibility is less than 500 feet.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44Use low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or within 200 feet behind another vehicle.
Source: Handbook p. 44
“lower headlight beams must be used when approaching within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or when following within 200 feet of the rear of another vehicle.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 44An estimated 17.6% of fatal crashes nationally involve a fatigued driver.
Source: Handbook p. 45
“Nationally, an estimated 17.6% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involved a fatigued driver.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 45Going 18 hours without sleep impairs you as much as a .08 BAC.
Source: Handbook p. 45
“Studies have shown that going 18 hours without sleep leaves a driver equally impaired to a driver with a .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 45Young adults ages 16 to 29 account for 64 percent of fatigue related crashes.
Source: Handbook p. 45
“young adults ages 16-29 are at the highest risk, accounting for 64 percent of fatigue-related accidents.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 45Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, like driving a football field blind at 55 mph.
Source: Handbook p. 45
“Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 45Aggressive driving means committing at least 3 listed unsafe actions during one episode of driving.
Source: Handbook p. 46
“a person engages in aggressive driving if, during one episode of continuous driving of a vehicle, the person does or commits at least three of the following:”
Indiana Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 46
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 500 feet | visibility below which headlights are required, and distance to dim for oncoming traffic | Handbook p. 44 |
| 200 feet | following distance at which low beams are required | Handbook p. 44 |
| 17.6% | share of fatal crashes nationally involving a fatigued driver | Handbook p. 45 |
| 18 hours and .08 | hours without sleep equal to a .08 BAC | Handbook p. 45 |
| 16 to 29, 64 percent | age group and share of fatigue related crashes | Handbook p. 45 |
| 5 seconds at 55 mph | eyes off the road time for a text | Handbook p. 45 |
| 3 actions | minimum listed actions in one episode for aggressive driving | Handbook p. 46 |
3 questions from the Indiana practice test
1. When fog reduces visibility to near zero, where should an Indiana driver take the vehicle?
- To the shoulder and stop as far off the road as possible
- Onto the center line with hazard lights off
- Through the fog at the posted speed
- Into the left lane with high beams on
Show answer
To the shoulder and stop as far off the road as possible. If fog closes in completely and visibility is nearly zero, the manual directs the driver to carefully pull off the road as far as possible and stop. High beams make fog visibility worse, and continuing at the posted speed ignores the severe loss of sight distance. The center line is not a refuge and creates a collision risk. The cue is near zero visibility, which changes the task from simply slowing down to leaving the travel path safely.
2. When must Indiana drivers use headlights, even if they are not driving at night?
- Whenever the vehicle is on a road with a centerline
- Only when rain lasts more than one hour
- Only when another driver flashes headlights
- When visibility is less than 500 feet
Show answer
When visibility is less than 500 feet. Indiana requires headlights from sunset to sunrise and also whenever visibility is less than 500 feet. The daytime condition is based on what the driver can see, not on the road's centerline, the duration of rain, or another motorist's request. Reduced visibility can occur in fog, severe weather, or another condition that makes objects difficult to detect. Turn the lights on early, keep the vehicle visible, and remember that the rule applies even during daylight when the view ahead is shortened.
3. Under Indiana law, aggressive driving during one continuous episode requires at least how many listed actions?
- One
- Two
- Five
- Three
Show answer
Three. Indiana defines aggressive driving as doing or committing at least three listed actions during one episode of continuous driving. The listed conduct includes following too closely, unsafe operation, unnecessary horn use, failure to yield, and unsafe speed. One or two actions do not reach the stated threshold, while five is higher than the minimum described. When reviewing a driving episode, count separate listed behaviors and consider whether they occurred continuously. The key memory cue is three actions in one continuous episode.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with safe driving questions from the free Indiana practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Indiana Driver's Manual, Chapter 7: Safe Vehicle Operation. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.