South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 25
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. A sign showing a figure with an outstretched thumb inside a red circle with a slash means that
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Answer B: soliciting a ride is prohibited there
The no hitchhiking sign bars standing beside the road to solicit a ride, and it is common along freeway ramps and shoulders.
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2. Why is an inexperienced rider a poor choice to lead a group?
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Answer C: The leader picks the pace, the gaps and the hazards for everyone behind
Every decision the leader makes is imposed on the riders behind, so leading demands more traffic judgment than any other position in the group.
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3. Your vehicle has broken down at night on a rural road and your phone has no signal. What is the safest thing to do?
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Answer C: Stay with the vehicle, keep the hazard lights on and wait for help
A lit vehicle is far easier to find than a person walking in the dark, and running the engine while you sleep risks carbon monoxide.
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4. A sign with a green background and a white legend normally provides
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Answer A: directions, distances and destinations
Green is the background color of the guide sign series, which names routes and destinations and gives the distance to them.
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5. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?
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Answer C: Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
Alternating one for one at the merge point keeps both lanes moving and is the safest way to combine slow traffic.
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6. How does going a long time without sleep compare with drinking?
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Answer A: It can impair a driver in much the same way
Long periods awake produce slow reactions, poor judgment and lapses of attention that resemble the effects of alcohol, which is why fatigue counts as impairment.
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7. What is lane splitting?
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Answer B: A motorcycle riding between two lanes of traffic moving the same way
Lane splitting means riding along the line between two lanes of traffic going in the same direction rather than staying within a lane.
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8. When downshifting as the motorcycle slows, what keeps the rear tire from skidding?
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Answer A: Easing the clutch lever out smoothly instead of releasing it abruptly
Letting the clutch out gradually lets engine speed and road speed match, so the rear wheel is not forced to slow suddenly.
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9. A high truck ahead of you hides the traffic signal as you approach the intersection. What should you do?
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Answer A: Drop back so you can see the signal and the truck's brake lights
Extra following distance restores your view of the signal, so you are reacting to the light yourself rather than copying the truck driver.
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10. What has to be done with the helmet chin strap on every ride?
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Answer B: Fastened snugly, because an unfastened helmet comes off in a crash
A helmet only protects while it stays on the head, and an unfastened or loose strap lets it leave the head in the first moments of a crash.
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11. Why is hearing protection recommended even under a full face helmet?
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Answer D: Long term exposure to wind and road noise can cause permanent hearing damage
Airflow around a helmet produces high noise levels, and good hearing protection lowers that noise while still letting the rider hear horns and sirens.
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12. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?
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Answer A: Stay out of that area, because it is not meant to be driven on
Chevron and diagonal markings fill paved areas that traffic is not intended to use, so drivers should keep out of them.
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13. Your light is green but the traffic beyond the intersection is stopped and there is no room on the far side. What should you do?
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Answer A: Wait behind the line until you can clear the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks the cross traffic when their signal turns green, so you wait behind the line.
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14. Someone has stepped into a marked crosswalk in the middle of a block ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down, stop before the markings and let the person cross the street
A marked mid-block crosswalk carries the same duty as one at a corner: give way to the person crossing, stopping if that is what letting them cross safely takes.
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15. At roughly what speed can hydroplaning begin when a lot of water is lying on the road?
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Answer C: At speeds as low as about 35 mph
With enough water and less than perfect tread, a tire can start to ride on the water at around 35 mph, well below normal highway speeds.
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16. How many points does a stop sign or stop light violation add to a South Dakota driving record?
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Answer D: Three points
Failing to obey a stop sign or signal is assessed three points under the state's schedule.
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17. On a clear day with light traffic, a driver stays far below the maximum this sign sets. What can that cause?
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Answer B: Obstruction of the normal flow of traffic, which is prohibited in itself
Driving so slowly that other traffic is impeded is an offense in its own right when nothing about safety, weather or the road calls for it.
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18. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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19. A train has just passed a crossing that carries more than one set of tracks. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait until the warning devices stop and you can see clearly along every track
A passing train can hide a second one coming on another track, so wait for the signals to clear and check each track before moving.
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20. The driver of a slow farm vehicle moves partly onto the shoulder and waves you past. Who is responsible for the pass?
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Answer A: You are, so pass only if you can see that the road is clear
A courtesy wave is not a traffic control, and the driver who changes lanes is the one answerable for the maneuver.
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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. Which sequence describes a well-made turn?
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Answer A: Signal, move into the correct lane, slow down, check, then turn
Tell others first, take your position, lose the speed before the corner, take a final look, and only then steer through the turn.
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23. A strong wind is blowing steadily across the road from your left. How should you ride?
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Answer A: Move toward the left of the lane and lean into the wind
Riding on the windward side of the lane leaves room to be pushed without leaving the lane, and a slight lean into the wind holds the line.
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24. In a staggered formation, where does the second rider belong?
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Answer C: In the right portion of the lane, about one second behind the leader
The second rider uses the opposite side of the lane roughly one second behind the leader, which staggers the group without stretching it out or putting the two riders alongside each other.
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25. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?
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Answer B: Move into the lane to your left
An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.