South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 18
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. What is the most common cause of rear-end collisions?
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Answer C: Following too closely to stop in time
A driver who leaves too little space has no room to perceive, react and brake when the vehicle ahead slows, which is why space management prevents rear-end crashes.
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2. A rider adjusts the mirrors and finds each one mostly filled with a view of an elbow. What should be done?
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Answer D: Readjust them outward so that more of the lane behind becomes visible
Mirrors are useful only for the road behind, and half a mirror filled with the rider is half of an already limited view thrown away.
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3. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?
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Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop
Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.
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4. A hands free phone conversation is which kind of distraction?
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Answer C: Cognitive, because your mind leaves the road
Hands free equipment removes the manual and visual parts of a call but not the mental load, and it is the mental load that makes a driver miss hazards.
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5. You feel dizzy, weak and clammy after an hour of riding in high heat. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop in the shade, drink water and cool down before riding further
Those are early signs of heat illness and they get worse with continued exertion, so get out of the sun, rehydrate and cool off before you ride on.
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6. How should you position your vehicle for a right turn from a two-way street?
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Answer B: As close as practical to the right curb or edge, then turn into the nearest right lane
Right turns are made from the lane nearest the right edge into the nearest available lane, which keeps the turn tight and prevents a wide sweep into other traffic.
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7. A regulatory sign posted at the start of a road reads LENGTH LIMIT 30 FEET. What does it control?
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Answer B: The overall length of vehicle allowed on that road
Some states post a length limit where tight curves or narrow structures lie ahead; it bars vehicles or combinations longer than the figure shown from using that road.
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8. You are on an entrance ramp joining a busy freeway. What should you do with your speed in the acceleration lane?
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Answer D: Build it up to about the speed of the traffic you are joining
Merging works when your speed matches the traffic stream, because a large speed difference forces the drivers already on the freeway to brake or swerve.
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9. Why is a pothole a bigger problem for a motorcycle than for a car?
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Answer C: A motorcycle has only two wheels, so an impact can deflect it off line
A car crosses a hole on four wheels and stays balanced, while a hole can knock a motorcycle off its line or damage a wheel, so scan the pavement well ahead and plan a path around holes.
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10. You are turning right on a red light where that is permitted. What does the law require first?
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Answer B: A full stop, then yielding to traffic and pedestrians
A right turn on red is allowed only after stopping completely and giving way to everyone who has the green, including people in the crosswalk.
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11. What should a passenger be told about moving around on the motorcycle?
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Answer A: To stay directly behind the operator and avoid sudden or unnecessary movement
Unexpected movement by a passenger upsets the balance of the machine, most of all at low speed and while the motorcycle is leaned over in a turn.
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12. How closely may a South Dakota driver follow fire apparatus responding to an alarm?
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Answer C: No closer than 500 feet
State law prohibits following fire apparatus responding to a fire alarm any closer than 500 feet.
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13. What is the driver expected to do after passing this sign?
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Answer A: Begin slowing so that a complete stop can be made at the intersection ahead
It is used where the control at the intersection stays hidden until late, so braking should begin here rather than at the stop line.
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14. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?
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Answer B: Low beams
High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.
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15. You are driving through patchy fog on a highway. What should you be ready for?
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Answer B: Sudden dense banks where visibility drops within a few car lengths
Patchy fog can go from clear to nearly blind in a moment, so keep your speed low enough that a sudden bank does not leave you without room.
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16. The circular sign shape is reserved for which warning?
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Answer C: Advance warning of a highway-rail grade crossing
A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR is the grade crossing advance warning sign, and the circular outline is used for no other message.
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17. Which helmet style gives the rider the most coverage?
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Answer C: A full face helmet
A full face helmet covers the chin and jaw as well as the skull, protecting the area that open styles leave exposed.
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18. Why do watering eyes matter so much to a rider?
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Answer D: Blurred vision delays the moment you see and react to a hazard
Wind makes unprotected eyes water, and even a brief loss of clear vision at road speed costs you the distance you need to react.
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19. You are driving on a divided highway and see a solid yellow line along the left side of your lanes. What does it tell you?
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Answer D: It marks the left edge of the roadway for your direction
On a divided highway or a one-way roadway, the left edge of the traveled way is marked with a solid yellow line.
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20. If a conviction that would normally trigger a financial-responsibility suspension occurred while a person drove a government-owned vehicle, what happens under South Dakota law?
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Answer D: The suspension is limited to the person's privately owned vehicles, sparing government vehicles
When the underlying conviction involved a government-owned or leased vehicle used with permission, the resulting suspension reaches only the person's privately owned vehicles.
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21. Your vehicle breaks down on a busy highway. What is the safest course of action?
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Answer D: Get it as far off the roadway as possible, switch on the hazard lights and keep clear of the traffic lanes
A vehicle left in or beside a travel lane is a hazard, so move it well off the road, make it conspicuous with hazard lights and keep yourself away from passing traffic.
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22. A pedestrian near the curb is staring at a phone and not looking at traffic. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready to stop, because the pedestrian may step out without looking
Distracted pedestrians step into the street without checking. Assume they have not seen you and give yourself time and space to stop.
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23. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?
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Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.
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24. You are stopped at a steady red arrow pointing right, and no sign or state rule permits turning on a red arrow. May you turn right?
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Answer A: No, you must wait until the red arrow goes out and a green signal appears
A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to until a signal permitting it appears. Only a posted sign or a specific state rule allows a turn on a red arrow after a complete stop, so without one you must wait.
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25. A deer crosses the road ahead of you and disappears into the trees. What should you expect?
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Answer A: More animals may follow, since deer usually move in groups
Deer commonly travel in groups, so one animal crossing is a warning that others are close by. Slow down and stay ready to stop well past the point where it crossed.