South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 4
Test 4 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. The drive chain breaks or comes off while you are riding. What should you do first?
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Answer A: Close the throttle and brake to a stop clear of the roadway
A broken chain or belt takes the drive away at once, so the rider closes the throttle, slows under control with both brakes and stops well off the roadway.
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2. In the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection, what does the first item cover?
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Answer C: Tires and wheels
T stands for tires and wheels, where the rider checks pressure, tread, damage, rims, spokes and bearings before anything else.
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3. A yellow diamond shows an arrow bent into a series of reversing turns. What does it warn about?
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Answer A: Three or more changes of direction close together
The winding road sign replaces a string of separate curve signs where several bends follow one another with only short straights between them.
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4. You reach a stop-controlled intersection at the same time as a driver on your left, but that driver is already moving through the crossing. Who goes first?
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Answer C: The driver who is already inside the intersection
A vehicle already in the intersection has the right of way, and the rule about yielding to the right applies only before anyone has entered.
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5. After how many days of South Dakota residency must a new resident obtain a South Dakota driver license?
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Answer D: 90 days
A person who has resided in South Dakota for 90 days is considered a resident for driver licensing purposes and must be licensed.
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6. How does South Dakota law classify a third DUI conviction?
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Answer A: A Class 6 felony
A third DUI conviction is elevated to a Class 6 felony under state law, unlike the misdemeanor classification of a first or second offense.
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7. On a multi-lane South Dakota highway, how may a driver who is not part of a funeral procession legally pass it?
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Answer B: On the left, if it can be done safely, or on the right if the procession occupies the leftmost lane
On a multi-lane highway, passing a funeral procession is allowed on the left when safe, or on the right if the procession itself occupies the leftmost lane.
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8. Except for specific situations named in the law, what is the maximum length of time the Department of Public Safety may suspend a South Dakota driver license under its general suspension authority?
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Answer C: One year
The department's general suspension authority caps a suspension at one year, apart from listed statutory exceptions.
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9. You are riding up an entrance ramp to merge onto a freeway. What should you do?
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Answer D: Build up to traffic speed on the ramp, then signal and check the blind spot
Matching the speed of freeway traffic before merging avoids forcing others to brake, and a head check covers the area the mirrors do not show.
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10. Where is the oil and grease strip in a lane usually widest and most slippery?
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Answer D: At toll plazas, bus stops and intersections where vehicles sit and idle
Oil and coolant drip most where vehicles stop, idle and pull away, so the center strip is widest and slickest at toll booths, bus stops and busy intersections.
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11. Besides an owner's liability insurance policy, what is one alternative method South Dakota law accepts for maintaining financial responsibility on a vehicle?
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Answer A: A certificate of deposit of money or securities in the amount of fifty thousand dollars
State law lists a $50,000 certificate of deposit of money or securities as one accepted alternative to a liability insurance policy, alongside a bond or self-insurance certificate.
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12. 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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13. Why do streetcar or light rail rails set into a street deserve extra care from a rider?
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Answer B: The groove alongside the rail can catch a front tire crossed at a shallow angle
The groove beside an embedded rail is just wide enough to trap a motorcycle tire, so cross rails at as steep an angle as your lane allows.
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14. Under South Dakota's mobile electronic device law, which use is still allowed while driving?
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Answer D: Operating the device in a voice-operated or hands-free mode
The statute exempts use in a voice-operated or hands-free mode as long as the driver does not use their hands except to activate or deactivate a feature.
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15. 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.
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16. On South Dakota's point schedule, how many points does a moving violation carry if it is not one of the offenses specifically named in the statute?
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Answer A: Two points
Moving violations not individually named on the schedule default to two points each.
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17. May a South Dakota driver cross an unprotected fire hose laid across a street during a fire response?
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Answer D: No, unless the fire department official in command consents
Driving over an unprotected fire department hose is prohibited unless the fire official in command gives consent.
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18. You pass into a work zone with a reduced speed limit but you see no workers. What speed applies?
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Answer D: The posted work zone limit, whether or not workers are present
A posted work zone speed limit is a regulatory limit in force at all times, and narrow lanes and uneven surfaces remain dangerous when nobody is working.
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19. You are driving at night through heavy falling snow. Which headlight setting works better and why?
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Answer C: Low beams, because high beams bounce off the falling flakes back at you
Falling snow reflects light the way fog does, so high beams build a white wall of glare while low beams still give a usable view.
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20. Under South Dakota law, where may a passenger ride on a motorcycle?
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Answer D: On the permanent seat if it is designed for two, or on another seat firmly attached at the rear or side
A passenger may ride only on a permanent seat designed for two people or on another seat firmly attached at the rear or side of the operator.
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21. Under South Dakota's mobile device law, which use of a handheld phone remains lawful while driving?
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Answer B: Calling 911 or another emergency number to report a crash or hazard
The law exempts using a device to contact 911 or emergency services or to report a fire, accident, hazard, unsafe driver, or crime.
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22. Does South Dakota generally require a moped, as legally defined, to be registered like a car?
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Answer B: No, mopeds are exempt from vehicle registration unless the owner chooses to register one
Mopeds meeting the statutory definition are exempt from the vehicle registration chapter, though an owner may choose to register one anyway.
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23. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
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Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
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24. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?
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Answer C: A steady yellow
The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.
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25. How long does a South Dakota registration or license suspension under the financial responsibility law last?
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Answer B: Until the person gives and maintains proof of financial responsibility for the future, with no fixed end date
Unlike the one-year cap that applies to most suspensions, a financial-responsibility suspension continues indefinitely until the required proof is filed and maintained.