South Dakota DPS Permit Practice Test 3
Test 3 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 20 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real South Dakota test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. You have stopped on the shoulder of a busy freeway with a flat tire that you cannot change safely. Where should you and your passengers wait?
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Answer A: Well away from the traffic side, behind a barrier or up the bank if there is one
People struck on the shoulder are a common cause of roadside deaths, so wait away from the traffic side and behind any barrier.
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2. How does South Dakota law set the expiration of a driver license or ID card issued to someone under 21, compared with the standard five-year cycle?
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Answer D: It expires thirty days after the holder turns twenty-one, regardless of the standard cycle
Licenses and ID cards issued to those under 21 expire 30 days after the holder's twenty-first birthday instead of following the ordinary five-year schedule.
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3. Why is repeatedly changing lanes to work through heavy traffic a poor idea?
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Answer A: It raises the crash risk and saves almost no time
Each lane change adds a conflict with another vehicle, and in congestion the lanes move at similar average speeds, so the gain is negligible.
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4. What must a South Dakota driver do with their headlamps when meeting an oncoming vehicle at night?
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Answer A: Tilt the beams downward
State law requires tilting the headlamp beams downward when meeting or overtaking another vehicle.
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5. How does driving on overinflated tires affect the vehicle?
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Answer D: It gives a harsher ride and a smaller contact patch
An overinflated tire bulges in the middle, so less rubber touches the road, grip suffers and the ride becomes hard. The center of the tread wears first.
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6. An orange sign reads RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. What is the correct response?
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Answer A: Move left in good time and keep a steady pace
The sign is placed well before the taper so that drivers can merge smoothly rather than braking hard where the lane actually closes.
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7. What can happen in South Dakota if a driver refuses a lawfully requested chemical test for alcohol?
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Answer D: The driver can lose the driver license for one year
Under South Dakota's implied consent law a driver who refuses the test can lose the driver license for one year.
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8. Why is a shoulder check especially important on a road with motorcycles and bicycles?
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Answer D: A narrow vehicle can disappear completely in the blind spot
A motorcycle or a bicycle is small enough to be hidden entirely by a door pillar or by the blind spot the mirrors do not cover.
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9. Does South Dakota generally require a moped, as legally defined, to be registered like a car?
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Answer B: No, mopeds are exempt from vehicle registration unless the owner chooses to register one
Mopeds meeting the statutory definition are exempt from the vehicle registration chapter, though an owner may choose to register one anyway.
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10. You arrive at a four-way stop after two other vehicles have already stopped there. When is it your turn?
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Answer A: After both of the earlier vehicles have gone
Vehicles clear a four-way stop in the order they arrived, so the third driver to stop is the third to go.
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11. A driver with a second DUI conviction is caught driving during the license revocation period. What must the court do?
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Answer D: Impose at least three days in the county jail, which cannot be suspended
State law requires at least a three-day, non-suspendable county jail sentence for driving during the revocation that follows a second DUI conviction.
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12. Under South Dakota's mobile device law, what is true about using a phone's navigation feature while driving?
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Answer C: Using the navigation feature itself is allowed, but manually entering an address or destination is not
The law exempts use of a navigation system's features, but manually entering information into it while driving remains prohibited.
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13. You carry reflective warning triangles in your car. How should they be used after a breakdown?
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Answer B: Set out behind the vehicle, far enough back to warn traffic before it arrives
A warning device works only if drivers see it in time to react, so it is placed well back along the road they are traveling.
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14. A delivery truck is parked in your lane and you must use the oncoming lane to get around it. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: The oncoming traffic, because their lane is clear
The driver whose own lane is obstructed waits, because using the other lane is a favor from oncoming traffic, not a right.
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15. What is the youngest age at which a South Dakota resident may be issued an instruction permit?
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Answer A: 14 years old
South Dakota allows an instruction permit at 14 once the applicant passes the vision and knowledge tests, one of the earliest starting ages in the country.
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16. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?
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Answer C: A steady yellow
The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.
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17. The road is icy and visibility is poor, but you are driving at the posted speed limit. Is this acceptable?
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Answer A: No, because you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions
Under the basic speed rule a driver must travel at a speed that is reasonable for the actual conditions, so a legal posted speed can still be an unlawful and unsafe speed.
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18. What should you do before leaving a parked vehicle unattended?
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Answer C: Set the parking brake, place the transmission in park or in gear, switch off the engine and take the key
Securing the vehicle with the parking brake, the transmission and the ignition prevents it from rolling away and from being moved by someone else.
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19. South Dakota law sets a special speed limit for approaching a railroad grade crossing with an obstructed view. What is it?
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Answer B: 15 miles per hour
When a driver's view of an oncoming train is obstructed within the last 200 feet of approach, the maximum speed drops to 15 miles per hour.
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20. A sign showing a walking figure inside a red circle with a diagonal slash stands at the start of a bridge. What does it mean?
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Answer C: People on foot may not use that roadway
The no pedestrians sign excludes people on foot from that roadway altogether, which is common on high-speed bridges and freeways.
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21. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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22. The red brake warning light stays on after you release the parking brake. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop safely and have the brakes checked before driving on
With the parking brake released, that light points to low fluid or a fault in one half of the braking system, which can leave you with very little braking.
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23. When may a South Dakota instruction permit holder drive with a qualified licensed adult seated beside them?
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Answer A: Between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The permit allows driving from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a licensed driver at least 18 years old who has one year of experience seated beside the permit holder.
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24. What score does the South Dakota Department of Public Safety require on the knowledge test?
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Answer C: 80 percent or higher
The Department of Public Safety states that applicants must pass the knowledge test with a score of 80 percent or higher, and the same standard applies to the driving test.
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25. May a South Dakota driver cross an unprotected fire hose laid across a street during a fire response?
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Answer D: No, unless the fire department official in command consents
Driving over an unprotected fire department hose is prohibited unless the fire official in command gives consent.