South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 16
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. What does South Dakota law say about riding between adjacent lanes or rows of vehicles?
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Answer D: It is prohibited and is a Class 2 misdemeanor
South Dakota prohibits operating a motorcycle between adjacent lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
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2. You have turned onto a ramp at night and your headlights pick out large white arrows painted on the pavement pointing straight back at you. What do they mean?
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Answer C: You are traveling against the flow and must turn back
Wrong-way arrows are laid so that a driver going the correct way never sees them head on, so an arrow pointing at you means you are on the ramp backwards.
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3. A deer has just crossed in front of you on a stretch signed for animal crossings. What is the best assumption?
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Answer B: More animals are likely to follow the first one
Deer travel in groups, so one animal crossing usually means others are about to follow, and a driver should slow and keep scanning both shoulders.
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4. Why does the situation ahead of this sign deserve extra care from a motorcyclist?
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Answer C: Because a narrow machine is easy to overlook in a mirror or a blind spot
A motorcycle fills very little of a mirror and disappears easily into a blind spot, so the rider should adjust speed and lane position to stay visible where the streams come together.
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5. May you stop briefly across the sloped ramp that joins the sidewalk to the street at a corner?
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Answer B: No, that ramp must stay clear for people using wheelchairs
A curb ramp is the only way many people can get from the sidewalk to the crosswalk, so blocking it even briefly is prohibited.
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6. An orange sign reading END ROAD WORK is posted beside the highway. What does it mark?
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Answer C: The point where the work zone restrictions stop
The sign is installed at the downstream end of the temporary traffic control zone to tell drivers that normal conditions apply again.
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7. A yellow pennant-shaped sign is posted on the left side of a two-lane road facing you. What is it telling you?
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Answer B: You are entering a no-passing zone and may not start a pass
The pennant is placed on the left so that it faces the driver who might pull out, and it marks the beginning of a no-passing zone.
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8. Which road feature is most likely to be slippery, particularly when wet?
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Answer D: Painted lane markings, manhole covers and steel plates
Paint and metal surfaces laid on top of the road offer far less grip than the pavement around them and become noticeably slick in the rain.
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9. A driver who is passing you cannot complete the pass because a vehicle is coming. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and make room for them to drop back in
The only place for the passing vehicle to go is the gap behind you, and easing off opens that gap immediately.
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10. How much should you normally reduce your speed on a road covered with packed snow compared with dry conditions?
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Answer C: By about half
Packed snow roughly doubles the distance needed to stop, so a common guideline is to cut speed by about half. On ice, slow to a crawl.
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11. 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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12. What is the first riding effect of becoming dehydrated on a hot day?
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Answer D: Concentration and judgment fade before the rider feels very thirsty
Thirst lags behind fluid loss, so a rider can lose concentration and coordination before feeling thirsty. Drink regularly on hot rides rather than waiting.
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13. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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14. The gates at a railroad crossing are down, and you can see that the road beyond them is clear. What is the correct action?
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Answer A: Wait until the gates rise completely and the lights go out
Lowered gates mean rail traffic is expected, and driving around them removes the only protection the crossing provides.
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15. A tow truck with flashing amber lights is loading a car on the shoulder ahead. How should you treat it?
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Answer B: Give it the same room as an emergency vehicle
Tow operators, utility crews and highway workers face the same danger from passing traffic, so move over or slow down for their flashing amber lights too.
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16. You realize at the last moment that you have passed the street where you meant to turn. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going and turn around where it is safe and legal
A missed turn is a minor inconvenience; braking suddenly, backing up or turning across traffic to recover it causes crashes.
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17. A snow squall cuts visibility to almost nothing while you are on a highway. What must you not do?
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Answer D: Stop in a travel lane and wait for the squall to blow through
A vehicle stopped in a lane in a whiteout is invisible until someone hits it. Slow gradually and keep moving until you can leave the roadway completely.
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18. At an intersection where turning right on red is permitted and no sign prohibits it, what must you do before turning?
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Answer A: Come to a complete stop and yield to pedestrians and cross traffic
A right turn on red is allowed only after a full stop, and the turning driver must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to traffic already using the intersection.
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19. Why should two riders never travel side by side in the same lane?
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Answer B: Because neither rider has room to swerve if a hazard appears
Riding directly alongside another motorcycle removes the escape path each rider needs to avoid a hazard, a pothole or another vehicle.
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20. A center lane is bordered by a solid yellow line on the outside and a broken yellow line on the inside, with turn arrows painted inside it. What is that lane for?
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Answer C: Left turns made by traffic traveling in either direction
That marking pattern identifies a two-way left-turn lane, which drivers approaching from both directions may use to prepare for a left turn.
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21. A yellow sign reads SOFT SHOULDER. What is it telling you?
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Answer C: The shoulder may not carry the weight of a vehicle
A soft shoulder is unpaved and can let a wheel sink, so a driver who leaves the pavement there may lose control or become stuck.
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22. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish
Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.
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23. What do zero tolerance laws mean for a driver who is under 21?
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Answer B: They commit a violation at an alcohol level far below the adult limit
Drivers under 21 may not legally drink, so every state sets a limit far below the adult one and treats even a trace reading as a violation. The exact figure is set by each state, and the penalty usually includes losing the license.
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24. 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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25. What alcohol level makes it an offense for a South Dakota driver under 21 to be in control of a vehicle?
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Answer A: 0.02 percent or more
South Dakota's zero tolerance rule makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor for a driver under 21 to drive with physical evidence of 0.02 percent or more alcohol.