South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 14
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. A school bus ahead of you has its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended. What are you required to do?
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Answer A: Stop and stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the bus starts moving
Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm mean children are getting on or off, so traffic must stop and wait until the bus withdraws the signals and moves again.
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2. A motorcycle in your group develops a mechanical problem on a busy highway. What is the best response?
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Answer C: Signal the group off at the next exit or wide, safe pull off area
A narrow shoulder beside fast traffic is a dangerous place to gather, so the group moves on to a spot where every machine is well clear of the roadway.
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3. The sign over the leftmost lane reads LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT. You are in that lane and want to go straight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Move out of the lane before the intersection if it is safe
A mandatory movement lane control sign makes the turn compulsory for that lane, so a driver who wants another movement must change lanes in advance.
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4. An emergency vehicle with flashing lights and a siren is approaching from behind on a two-way street. What should you do?
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Answer C: Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Clearing a path by pulling to the right and stopping gives the emergency vehicle a predictable route, while stopping in mid-lane or inside an intersection blocks that path.
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5. The vehicle you have borrowed is larger and heavier than your own. How should you drive it?
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Answer B: Allow more room for stopping and for turns until you are used to it
Extra weight and length mean longer stopping distances and wider turns, so give yourself more room until you are used to it.
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6. What should a rider remember about convex mirrors?
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Answer B: They show a wider view, but vehicles look farther away and slower than they are
The curved glass fits more of the scene into the mirror, and the price of that extra width is a distorted sense of distance and closing speed.
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7. Why should a rider avoid coasting to a stop with the transmission in neutral?
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Answer C: Engine braking is lost and so is the ability to accelerate out of trouble
Staying in gear keeps engine braking working and leaves the rider able to power away from a hazard instead of hunting for a gear first.
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8. You are riding along a street lined with parked cars. What is the safest approach?
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Answer D: Move away from the parked cars, slow down, and watch for doors and people
Doors open, drivers pull out and pedestrians step between vehicles, so extra space and a lower speed give the rider time to see and react.
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9. You are in the open lane where another lane is merging into yours. What is your part in the merge?
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Answer A: Keep a steady speed and leave a gap for one vehicle to come in
A merge works when each driver in the through lane lets one vehicle in, which keeps both lines moving instead of stopping them both.
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10. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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11. A clutch cable adjusted with no free play at all causes what problem?
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Answer B: The clutch may slip and never fully engage
Without a small amount of slack the release mechanism keeps a light load on the plates, so they slip instead of transmitting full power.
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12. Where should the hooks of an elastic luggage cord be attached?
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Answer D: To solid points on the frame or the rack that will take the pull
Hooking a cord to bodywork, a signal stalk or a cable can break the part or damage the wiring, and the load is loose the moment the anchor fails.
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13. The car ahead drifts across the lane line and back again several times. What should you do?
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Answer C: Assume that the driver is distracted or impaired, and keep well back
Drifting is a classic sign of a distracted, drowsy or impaired driver, and distance is your protection from all three.
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14. The blue signs mounted before a freeway interchange that carry the logos of individual businesses are
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Answer C: specific service signs, which show the brands available at that exit
Specific service signs, often called logo signs, list eligible businesses for categories such as gas, food, lodging, camping, attractions and 24-hour pharmacies at the upcoming interchange.
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15. A mixed drink is made with two shots of spirits. How much alcohol is that?
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Answer C: About two standard drinks
A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, so a glass poured with two measures counts as two drinks however it is served.
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16. Which clue suggests that a car waiting at a side street is about to pull out in front of you?
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Answer B: The front wheels are turned and the car is creeping forward
Turned wheels and a slow creep forward are the strongest signs that a driver is about to move, so cover the brakes and be ready to change your lane position.
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17. The signal ahead turns yellow while you are approaching it. What does the yellow light mean?
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Answer C: The red is coming; stop if you can do so safely
A steady yellow warns that the red is next. Stop if you can do so safely; enter the intersection only when stopping would be dangerous.
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18. How many points does a reckless driving conviction add to a South Dakota driver's record?
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Answer A: Eight points
South Dakota's point schedule assigns eight points to reckless driving, second only to driving while intoxicated.
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19. A driver who wants to reverse direction arrives at this sign. What is allowed?
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Answer C: Going on and reversing direction only where the maneuver is permitted
The restriction removes that maneuver at that spot entirely, so the driver has to continue and turn the vehicle around at a place where it is not prohibited.
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20. An object thrown up by another vehicle strikes your face shield. What should you do?
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Answer C: Keep both hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the road, then stop when it is safe to check
Letting go of the handlebars or looking away is far more dangerous than the impact itself, so keep control first and inspect the damage after you have stopped safely.
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21. On which approach is this sign normally installed?
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Answer C: On the road that ends, far enough ahead for the driver to slow down
The warning belongs on the approach that terminates, placed early enough that the driver can lose speed and choose a direction before reaching the junction.
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22. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
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Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
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23. How should cargo be carried on a motorcycle?
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Answer D: Kept low, in saddlebags or at about seat level
Keeping the load low preserves the center of gravity and the normal handling of the motorcycle, while a high load makes it top heavy and unstable.
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24. A white diamond symbol is painted in a highway lane. What does it identify?
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Answer C: A lane reserved for high-occupancy vehicles
The diamond symbol marks a preferential lane, most often one reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum number of occupants.
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25. You are leaving a freeway by an exit ramp. Where should you slow down?
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Answer D: On the ramp itself, after you have left the through lane
Braking in the through lane surprises the traffic behind, so the rider signals, moves onto the ramp and does the slowing in the space provided for it.