South Dakota DPS Permit Practice Test 20
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
-
1. A sign with a brown background and a white legend guides road users to
Show answer
Answer B: parks, campgrounds and other recreational or cultural sites
Brown is reserved for recreational and cultural interest area signing, such as parks, historic sites and scenic areas.
-
2. Why can an oncoming vehicle that looks comfortably far away leave you far less room than you expect?
Show answer
Answer D: You and that vehicle close the gap at the sum of both your speeds
Two vehicles approaching at 55 mph each close the distance between them at about 110 mph, so the gap disappears in half the time you would expect.
-
3. What is the main limit of stability and traction control systems?
Show answer
Answer B: They cannot create grip that the tires and the road do not have
These systems manage the grip that exists. If you enter a curve too fast for the surface, no amount of electronics will hold the vehicle on the road.
-
4. How should speed and following distance be adjusted beyond this sign?
Show answer
Answer D: Cut speed and leave a longer gap, because traffic can stop without warning
Traffic in these areas stops and starts unexpectedly and there is little room to steer around a problem, so extra space is what prevents a rear-end collision.
-
5. A flagger in a work zone turns a paddle so that the red octagonal face reading STOP is toward you. What must you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Stop completely and wait for the flagger to signal you forward
The STOP face of a flagger paddle requires a complete stop, and you may move again only when the flagger directs you to.
-
6. You are towing a loaded trailer for the first time. How should you drive?
Show answer
Answer A: Slow earlier and keep a longer following gap
A trailer adds weight and length, so stopping takes longer and every maneuver needs more room and more warning.
-
7. Why do young drivers carrying several friends face a higher crash risk?
Show answer
Answer D: Because young passengers are a strong source of distraction and pressure
Crash risk for new drivers rises with each extra young passenger, mainly through distraction and social pressure.
-
8. A lane along the right edge is set off by a solid white line and marked with a bicycle symbol. How should a driver treat it?
Show answer
Answer B: Stay out of it except for the short distance needed to turn or cross where that is allowed
A marked bicycle lane is set aside for bicycle traffic, and motor vehicles may enter it only briefly where turning or crossing is permitted.
-
9. What belongs in a basic emergency kit carried in a car?
Show answer
Answer D: A flashlight, a first aid kit, jumper cables and some warning devices
A useful kit lets you see, be seen, treat an injury and restart the vehicle; carrying loose gasoline is a fire risk.
-
10. In a vehicle with automatic transmission, which foot should operate the brake and accelerator?
Show answer
Answer D: The right foot for both pedals
Using only the right foot prevents pressing both pedals at once and keeps the response the same in every vehicle you drive. The left foot rests on the floor or the footrest.
-
11. A flagger turns the paddle to the orange face reading SLOW. What does that tell approaching drivers?
Show answer
Answer D: Reduce speed and continue through the work area with care
The SLOW face keeps traffic moving at a reduced speed while workers or equipment are close to the travel lanes.
-
12. You are about to descend a long steep grade. How should you control your speed?
Show answer
Answer D: Select a lower gear before starting down and use the brakes in firm, brief applications
Engine braking in a lower gear carries most of the load down the grade, while continuous brake pressure overheats the brakes and reduces their effectiveness.
-
13. You have just driven through a deep puddle and your brakes feel weak. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Drive slowly while lightly applying the brakes until they dry and work normally
Wet brakes grip poorly and may pull to one side. Gentle braking at low speed generates heat that dries the pads and discs quickly.
-
14. A farm implement ahead of you on a two-lane road is wider than its own lane. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Hang back until you can see past it and pass only with a clear road
Wide equipment hides the road ahead and may extend farther across the center line than it appears, so the pass needs more room and a much better view.
-
15. What does a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 mean for the driver of a car?
Show answer
Answer B: It is the level almost every state treats as legally intoxicated
In almost every state a driver at 0.08 or above is legally intoxicated whatever the driver seems like, but impairment starts well before that level is reached.
-
16. What must a driver be prepared to do at the point this sign refers to?
Show answer
Answer D: Turn left or right, because the road being traveled ends there
The road ends at another roadway, so the driver must slow, give way to traffic on the through road and turn in one direction or the other.
-
17. What is the best way to handle the radio, the music player and the climate controls on a trip?
Show answer
Answer B: Set them before you start driving and let a passenger handle changes
Fiddling with controls takes eyes and hands off the driving task. Setting them before you move and letting a passenger make later changes removes the distraction entirely.
-
18. The curb ahead is signed as a bus stop. May you wait there with your vehicle?
Show answer
Answer C: No, the space must stay clear for buses
A bus stop must stay open so that a bus can reach the curb and let passengers on and off safely, so no other vehicle may occupy it.
-
19. Alcohol is classified as which kind of drug?
Show answer
Answer B: A depressant that slows the central nervous system
As a depressant, alcohol slows the brain and nervous system, which lengthens reaction time and dulls the coordination that driving depends on.
-
20. You are turning right on a red light where that is permitted. What does the law require first?
Show answer
Answer B: A full stop, then yielding to traffic and pedestrians
A right turn on red is allowed only after stopping completely and giving way to everyone who has the green, including people in the crosswalk.
-
21. Where is a U-turn generally the most reasonable choice?
Show answer
Answer B: At an intersection where it is permitted and you can see well both ways
A U-turn needs a legal place and a long clear view in both directions, which is why a permitted intersection with open sight lines is the usual choice.
-
22. A NO LEFT TURN sign carries a plaque reading 7 AM TO 9 AM MON TO FRI. What does the assembly mean?
Show answer
Answer A: The turn is banned only during those hours on those days
A time plaque limits the restriction to the periods shown, so outside those hours and days the left turn may be made normally.
-
23. A raised area crosses the roadway and carries a series of white markings on its face. What are those markings for?
Show answer
Answer A: To make the hump visible so drivers slow for it
Speed hump markings warn drivers that the pavement rises, which matters most at night or when the hump is in shadow.
-
24. Your green left-turn arrow goes out and a steady green ball stays lit. What may you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Continue turning left, but only after yielding to oncoming traffic
When the arrow ends and a green ball remains, the turn changes from protected to permissive, so it is still allowed but oncoming traffic goes first.
-
25. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?
Show answer
Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut
Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.