South Dakota DPS Permit Practice Test 31
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. How may a two-way left-turn lane never be used?
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Answer B: As a through travel lane or a passing lane
The lane exists only for turning movements, so traveling or passing along it puts you head-on with vehicles turning from the opposite direction.
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2. A hot drink tips over onto your lap while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer A: Keep hold of the wheel and stop when it is safe
The spill is painful but the crash risk comes from letting go of the wheel or braking suddenly, so keep control and deal with it once you are stopped.
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3. What is the recommended minimum distance between the driver's breastbone and the center of the steering wheel air bag cover?
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Answer C: About 10 inches
An air bag inflates extremely fast, and keeping that much space lets it deploy fully before it reaches the driver, which is why the seat should be moved back as far as still allows comfortable control of the pedals.
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4. You are about to change lanes to the left when you notice a vehicle already overtaking you in that lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold your lane and your speed, and change only after that vehicle has gone by
A signal asks for space but does not create it, and the overtaking driver has nowhere to go if you move across.
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5. The red lights on a stopped school bus go out and the bus begins to move away. What should you do?
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Answer B: Move off slowly and keep watching for children near the road
Children who have just left the bus may still be near the roadway or crossing behind it, so pull away gently and keep looking for them.
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6. Why are eating, drinking and personal grooming risky behind the wheel?
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Answer B: They occupy hands, eyes and attention that driving requires
Each of these tasks takes a hand off the controls and attention off the road, and a spill or a dropped item can pull the driver's eyes away entirely.
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7. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?
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Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes
A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.
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8. Once you have parallel parked, how close to the curb should your wheels be?
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Answer C: Within the distance your state allows, commonly 12 to 18 inches
Parking close to and parallel with the curb keeps the vehicle out of the traffic lane without damaging the tires; each state sets the exact maximum, usually 12 inches and 18 inches in some states.
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9. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
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Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.
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10. You are on a country road with no sidewalk and two people are walking toward you on your side of the shoulder. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and move over to give them room
Where there is no sidewalk, people are expected to walk on the shoulder facing traffic, and drivers must slow and give them space.
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11. A lane is marked with a large white bicycle symbol and chevrons, but there is no separate bicycle lane. What does it mean?
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Answer A: Bicyclists may use the whole lane, so follow or pass with care
A shared lane marking shows that bicyclists and drivers use the same lane and positions riders away from parked car doors, so passing means changing lanes.
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12. You are approaching a marked school crossing and children have started to cross the roadway. What is required?
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Answer A: Stop and let the children finish crossing the roadway
Drivers give way to people in a marked crossing, stopping if that is what it takes, and children in particular may change direction without warning.
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13. What is the maximum speed allowed on South Dakota's interstate highways?
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Answer C: 80 miles per hour
South Dakota law sets 80 miles per hour as the top speed on the national system of interstate highways unless a lower limit is posted.
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14. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely
You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.
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15. What are painted curb markings mainly used for?
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Answer D: Conveying parking and stopping regulations
Colored curbs tell drivers where waiting or parking is restricted, and because the exact color meanings are set locally a driver should also read the posted signs.
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16. An angry driver is following you closely and gesturing at you. What is the safe response?
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Answer B: Drive to a police station or to a busy public place and call for help
Never stop to confront an aggressive driver and never lead one home; go somewhere public and get the police involved.
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17. Why must you never leave the engine running in a closed garage?
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Answer B: Because carbon monoxide builds up and can kill within minutes
Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, which has no smell or color and can reach fatal levels in an enclosed space very quickly.
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18. Why should heavy objects in the passenger compartment be secured?
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Answer A: Because loose objects fly forward in a crash and can injure the people
Anything loose keeps traveling at the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle stops, so it strikes the occupants with great force.
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19. You are driving along a street lined with parked cars. What should you watch for?
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Answer B: Doors opening, vehicles pulling out and pedestrians stepping from between cars
Parked cars hide people and can move without warning. Keep as much space from them as you safely can and cover the brake.
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20. An oncoming driver flashes their headlights while you are waiting to turn left. What should you do?
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Answer D: Judge the situation yourself, since the flash may mean something else
A flash is not a legal signal and may mean many things, so the decision to turn stays yours and must be based on what you can see.
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21. Which effect appears as a drinker's blood alcohol level climbs well past the first drinks?
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Answer D: Loss of muscle control and steady steering
Higher levels of alcohol reach the parts of the brain that control movement, which shows up as clumsy steering, late braking and poor lane control.
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22. A driver passes this sign on an open road. Over what stretch does the figure it sets stay in force?
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Answer A: From the sign onward, in every lane, until another sign sets a different figure
The figure governs the road from the sign onward and binds every lane, and it stays in force until a later sign sets a different one.
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23. You realize you have just gone past your exit on a freeway. What should you do?
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Answer C: Carry on to the next exit and turn around there
A missed exit costs a few minutes, while backing up or cutting across the striped gore area puts you in the path of traffic that is not expecting it.
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24. You are backing a trailer and want its rear to move to the left. Which way should you turn the steering wheel?
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Answer A: Move the bottom of the wheel to the left, which turns the top to the right
A trailer moves opposite to the tow vehicle's steering when backing. Holding the wheel at the bottom and moving your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go makes this easier.
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25. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
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Answer B: Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
Stop behind the stop line, gate or flashing-light signal and well clear of the nearest rail, because a train overhangs its track by several feet on each side.