Seat belts, child seats and driving position

Key points

1. All drivers, front seat passengers and children under 18 must wear safety restraints while the vehicle moves.

   Source: Handbook p. 26

   “The law requires that all operators, front seat passengers and children under the age of 18 wear appropriate safety restraints while the vehicle is in motion.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 26

2. Never put a child in the front passenger seat, especially with an air bag.

   Source: Handbook p. 26

   “Never secure a child in the front passenger seat, especially if your vehicle has an air bag.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 26

3. Children 12 and younger should sit in the rear seat to avoid air bag injuries.

   Source: Handbook p. 26

   “Children age 12 and younger should sit in the rear seat of the vehicle to avoid injury from an air bag in the event of a crash.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 26

4. A child under 5 who weighs at least 40 pounds may be secured with a seatbelt instead of a child seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “The requirements of this section are met if the child is under five years of age and is at least forty pounds in weight by securing the child in a seatbelt.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 27

5. Drivers at least 14 and under 18 must always wear a seat belt.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “who is at least fourteen years of age and under eighteen years of age, shall wear a properly adjusted and fastened safety seatbelt system”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 27

6. The child restraint rules do not apply in cars built before 1966 without seat belts.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “do not apply in passenger cars manufactured before 1966 that have not been equipped with seatbelts.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 27

7. Keep about 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “There should be 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 25

8. Hold the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock; 10 and 2 is no longer recommended with air bags.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “Both hands should be placed on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, to maintain control of the vehicle. Placing your hands at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions is no longer recommended”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 29

9. Over half of traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “Over half of all traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home.”
   South Dakota Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 28

Numbers to know

3 questions from the South Dakota practice test

1. 1. Why does the South Dakota manual say never to secure a child in the front passenger seat?

   1. Children cannot see out of the front windshield
   2. If the air bag deploys in a crash, the child could be severely injured
   3. Front seat belts do not fit children
   4. It is illegal for anyone under 21 to ride in front
   Show answer

   If the air bag deploys in a crash, the child could be severely injured. Small children should be secured in the rear seat, and the manual says never to secure a child in the front passenger seat, especially if the vehicle has an air bag, because if you are in a crash and the bag deploys the child could be severely injured. The rule is about air bag force, not belt fit or visibility, and it is not an age 21 rule. Families who cannot afford a child safety device can borrow one from several organizations.

2. 2. Which passenger car is exempt from the listed South Dakota child restraint and youth seatbelt provisions?

   1. A pickup being driven less than five miles from home
   2. A passenger car made before 1966 with no seatbelts installed
   3. A car carrying only passengers age twelve or younger
   4. A vehicle with air bags for every seating position
   Show answer

   A passenger car made before 1966 with no seatbelts installed. South Dakota's exemption is narrow: the listed child restraint and youth seatbelt provisions do not apply to passenger cars manufactured before 1966 that have not been equipped with seatbelts. Air bags do not create an exemption, since the manual says belts still matter with air bags. The cue is the vehicle's age and original or current belt equipment, not trip length or passenger age alone.

3. 3. Where should both hands usually be placed on the steering wheel for best control?

   1. At the 2 and 10 o'clock positions
   2. At the 3 and 9 o'clock positions
   3. Together at the bottom of the wheel
   4. One hand inside the rim and one on top
   Show answer

   At the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. South Dakota recommends both hands on opposite sides of the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock. That position gives control while reducing the air bag risk associated with the older 2 and 10 placement. The 2 and 10 choice is familiar, but the manual specifically says it is no longer recommended in vehicles with air bags. Use the cue of a clock face: hands level across the center of the wheel.

Source: the South Dakota Driver License Manual, Before You Drive. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.