South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 1
Test 1 of 6. 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 are driving on a rural road with no sidewalk. Where should you expect to meet pedestrians?
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Answer A: Walking toward you on your side of the road
Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians are taught to walk facing traffic, so they appear on your side of the road coming toward you.
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2. The light ahead is green, but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up so far that you could not clear it. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Wait behind the stop line until there is room on the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks cross traffic and pedestrians, so you should hold your position until space opens on the other side.
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3. You are leaving a freeway on an exit ramp posted with an advisory speed of 25 mph. Where should you slow to that speed?
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Answer A: In the deceleration lane, before you reach the curve of the ramp
Slowing belongs in the deceleration lane so you arrive at the curve already at the advisory speed and do not hold up traffic still in the through lanes.
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4. How many points in any 12 consecutive months make a South Dakota driver subject to suspension?
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Answer C: 15 points
South Dakota uses a threshold of 15 points in any 12 consecutive months, or 22 points in any 24 consecutive months.
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5. What identifies a helmet as certified to the federal motorcycle helmet standard?
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Answer C: A label showing DOT and the words FMVSS No. 218 CERTIFIED
Certified helmets carry a label with the DOT symbol and the wording FMVSS No. 218 CERTIFIED, together with the maker's name and the model.
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6. Under South Dakota law, what is a driver NOT part of a funeral procession prohibited from doing?
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Answer A: Driving between the vehicles of a moving funeral procession
A driver not part of the procession may not drive between its vehicles while they are in motion, join the procession to gain right-of-way, or pass it on a two-lane road.
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7. Who is exempt from South Dakota's general mobile electronic device ban while performing official duties?
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Answer D: Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel
The statute exempts law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency or public safety personnel acting within the scope of their duties.
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8. Your green left-turn arrow goes out and a steady green ball stays lit. What may you do?
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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.
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9. What is the minimum lawful speed on South Dakota's interstate highways, absent a special permit?
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Answer B: 40 miles per hour
Driving an interstate highway below 40 miles per hour is a Class 2 misdemeanor unless the vehicle operates under a department-issued permit.
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10. You are in the acceleration lane and the gap you were aiming for is now beside you. What is the best adjustment?
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Answer A: Change your speed a little to line up with a gap, then merge smoothly
The acceleration lane is for matching both the speed and the position of a gap, and small speed adjustments are what line the two up.
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11. After a third DUI conviction, a driver caught operating a vehicle during the license revocation period faces what mandatory minimum jail term?
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Answer B: Ten days
Driving during the revocation that follows a third DUI conviction carries a mandatory, non-suspendable minimum of ten days in jail.
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12. At what blood alcohol concentration is a driver of legal drinking age in South Dakota driving illegally?
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Answer B: 0.08 percent or more
South Dakota law prohibits driving with 0.08 percent or more alcohol by weight in the blood as shown by chemical analysis.
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13. You notice that the driver ahead of you is holding a phone to the ear. What should you do?
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Answer C: Assume slower reactions and leave extra space, or else hold back
A driver on the phone reacts late and misses things, so the safe response is distance rather than a lesson.
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14. How should a riding jacket fit?
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Answer B: Snug at the neck, wrists and waist so that it cannot balloon open
A jacket closed at the openings stays in place in a fall and does not flap in the wind, which is both tiring and distracting.
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15. How many points does eluding a police officer or drag racing add to a South Dakota driving record?
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Answer B: Six points
Both eluding a police officer and drag racing carry six points on the state's schedule.
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16. For a first DUI conviction in South Dakota, what license consequence does the court impose at minimum?
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Answer B: A revocation of at least 30 days, with discretion to extend it up to one additional year
A first DUI conviction is a Class 1 misdemeanor requiring at least a 30-day revocation, which the court may extend up to a further year.
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17. Why can a mild afternoon still chill a rider dangerously on the highway?
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Answer B: Riding speed creates a wind chill well below the air temperature
Air moving over the body at highway speed strips heat far faster than still air, so a comfortable temperature at a standstill can cause serious chilling in an hour of riding.
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18. Under South Dakota law, may an officer seize a driver's phone simply to prove a mobile device violation occurred?
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Answer D: No, seizure to establish the violation is not allowed unless standard search-and-seizure requirements are separately met
The statute bars using seizure of the device merely to prove a mobile-device violation, though seizure remains possible when ordinary search-and-seizure rules are independently satisfied.
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19. When are South Dakota drivers excused from stopping for a school bus that has its red signal lights flashing?
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Answer B: When they are traveling in the opposite direction on a highway with two or more lanes of travel in each direction
A driver approaching a school bus with flashing red signal lights must make a complete stop, except on a highway providing two or more lanes of travel in each direction when the bus is traveling in the opposite direction.
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20. 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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21. What is the minimum license revocation period for a second South Dakota DUI conviction?
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Answer C: One year
A second DUI conviction requires a revocation of at least one year, longer than the 30-day floor used for a first offense.
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22. In a normal signal cycle, what comes after a steady red indication?
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Answer A: A green indication that starts the next movement
Yellow is a warning that a movement is ending, so it never precedes a green; a red is followed by a green or a green arrow.
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23. How soon before its expiration date may a South Dakota driver license be renewed?
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Answer B: Up to 180 days before expiration
State law allows a renewal application up to 180 days prior to the license's expiration date.
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24. What does South Dakota require of every motorcycle operator regarding eye protection?
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Answer B: Eye protection is required unless the motorcycle has a windshield that gives adequate protection
No person may operate a motorcycle without an eye protective device unless the machine has a windshield of sufficient height and design to protect the operator's eyes.
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25. An officer directing traffic faces you and holds one hand up with the open palm toward your vehicle. What does the gesture mean?
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Answer D: Stop before reaching the officer
A raised open palm shown toward a driver is the standard signal to stop.