Key points
Low beams let you see about 150 to 200 feet ahead.
Source: Handbook p. 75
“Your lower beam headlights will let you see clearly about 150 to 200 feet ahead.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 75High beams let you see about 350 to 400 feet ahead.
Source: Handbook p. 75
“Your high beam headlights will let you see clearly about 350 to 400 feet ahead.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 75At night, add at least one second to your following distance, and two on unfamiliar roads.
Source: Handbook p. 75
“You need to increase your following distance by adding at least one additional second for night driving conditions and at least two additional seconds for driving on unfamiliar roadways at night.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 75Use low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 200 feet behind another vehicle.
Source: Handbook p. 75
“You are required by law to use lower headlight beams, not your "bright lights", when approaching within 500 feet of or following within 200 feet of another vehicle.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 75Headlights are required when you need your wipers for moisture or precipitation.
Source: Handbook p. 75
“headlights are required when moisture in the air or precipitation necessitates the use of windshield wipers”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 75You must yield to pedestrians at all times, even when they are jaywalking.
Source: Handbook p. 76
“You must yield to pedestrians at all times. Even if they are not in a crosswalk and crossing the street where they should not be (also known as jaywalking), which is illegal, you must stop for them.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 76Give pedestrians with guide dogs or white canes the right of way at all times.
Source: Handbook p. 77
“Pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes with or without a red tip must be given the right of way at all times.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 77Texting takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, a football field at 55 mph.
Source: Handbook p. 78
“Texting causes a driver to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds. At a speed of 55 mph, the vehicle travels the length of a football field in that time frame.”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 78Using any wireless communication device while driving is prohibited unless it is hands free.
Source: Handbook p. 78
“Anyone using any type of wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle, unless they are hands free”
Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Handbook p. 78
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 150 to 200 feet | how far low beams let you see | Handbook p. 75 |
| 350 to 400 feet | how far high beams let you see | Handbook p. 75 |
| +1 second; +2 seconds | extra following distance at night; on unfamiliar roads at night | Handbook p. 75 |
| 500 feet; 200 feet | dim for oncoming vehicles; dim when following | Handbook p. 75 |
| 4.6 seconds at 55 mph | eyes off the road while texting, a football field of travel | Handbook p. 78 |
3 questions from the Louisiana practice test
1. How far ahead do low beam and high beam headlights let you see, according to the Louisiana guide?
- About 50 feet and 100 feet
- About 1,000 feet on both
- About 150 to 200 feet on low beam and 350 to 400 feet on high beam
- About 500 feet and one mile
Show answer
About 150 to 200 feet on low beam and 350 to 400 feet on high beam. Your lower beam headlights let you see clearly about 150 to 200 feet ahead, and high beams about 350 to 400 feet, so at highway speed you can easily overdrive your low beams. Slow down at night, use high beams on open road when no one is approaching, and dim them for oncoming and followed vehicles. Night driving creates a different set of problems.
2. A pedestrian is crossing outside a marked crosswalk. What does the Louisiana guide require a driver to do?
- Continue because pedestrians only have priority in marked crosswalks
- Yield and stop for the pedestrian
- Pass a stopped vehicle that is waiting for the pedestrian
- Sound the horn and keep the same speed
Show answer
Yield and stop for the pedestrian. The guide says drivers must yield to pedestrians at all times, even when a person is crossing where crossing is illegal. A marked crosswalk gives pedestrians a clear right of way, but its absence does not permit a driver to continue through someone’s path. Passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk is specifically unsafe because it can hide the pedestrian. Slow early, keep the person visible, and stop when needed. The important cue is the pedestrian's presence in the roadway, not whether paint is visible.
3. How long does texting take a driver's eyes off the road, according to the Louisiana guide?
- 4.6 seconds
- 30 seconds
- Half a second
- 10 seconds
Show answer
4.6 seconds. Texting causes a driver to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds, long enough to cover a football field at highway speed. The guide notes that 47 states ban texting while driving and 17 ban all handheld phone use, and that 44 percent of teens say they drive more safely without friends in the car. Put the phone away before you start the engine.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with safe driving questions from the free Louisiana practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Louisiana Class D and E Driver's Guide, Chapter 5: Safe Driving Habits. 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.