SD Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

Every question below comes from the South Dakota question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. Why must you check for more than one track at every highway-railroad grade crossing?

   1. Every crossing hides a second track behind the bulk of the first long freight train
   2. Some multi-track crossings lack signs, so another train may be crossing
   3. Crossing gates indicate how many tracks lie ahead
   4. A second train uses the nearest track only
   Show answer

   Some multi-track crossings lack signs, so another train may be crossing. Some crossings with several tracks never post a track count sign, so your own look down both directions must confirm that a second train is not masked by the first. A hidden second track is possible, yet the duty exists because signing is incomplete, not because every crossing hides one. Gates guard a crossing without revealing a track count, and many crossings have no gates at all. A following train may ride the far rails, hidden beyond the first consist. After one train passes, wait, look along the far track, and only then roll across both sets of rails.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, railroad and work zone signs

2. 2. What does giving dispatchers the DOT numbers from a crossing sign accomplish?

   1. It lets dispatchers know exactly where the crossing is
   2. It automatically lowers every crossing gate across the statewide network
   3. It fines the railroad for the blockage
   4. It transfers the crossing to highway patrol control
   Show answer

   It lets dispatchers know exactly where the crossing is. The DOT numbers identify one specific crossing, so dispatchers receiving them know exactly where the problem sits and can warn or slow trains headed that way. A phone call cannot lower gates across a state network. Fines play no part in an emergency notification call. Control of the crossing does not change hands through a report. Read those numbers off the blue sign when you call; a mile marker guess can send help to the wrong stretch while a train keeps coming toward the blockage.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, railroad and work zone signs

3. 3. Where must the supervising adult sit while an Instruction Permit holder drives?

   1. In the rear seat directly behind the driver
   2. In a following vehicle using a phone link
   3. Seated beside the Instruction Permit holder
   4. Anywhere, as long as they hold a license
   Show answer

   Seated beside the Instruction Permit holder. The supervising adult rides in the seat beside the permit holder, close enough to coach, warn, and physically reach the controls in a developing emergency. The rear seat puts advice behind a headrest with no access to intervene. A following vehicle with a phone adds delay and distraction to every instruction. Merely holding a license from somewhere else in the car satisfies nothing. That front passenger seat is a working position, not a ride; the adult sitting there shares responsibility for every mile the learner drives.

   Study this in the handbook: Instruction and Restricted Minor's Permits

4. 4. Why must you never drink alcohol while taking other drugs?

   1. Drug labels only warn about food interactions
   2. Alcohol cancels out most drug side effects
   3. Mixing keeps the blood alcohol level from rising at all
   4. The drugs could multiply alcohol's effects or add effects of their own
   Show answer

   The drugs could multiply alcohol's effects or add effects of their own. Other drugs can multiply what alcohol does to you or stack additional effects on top, so the combination outruns what either substance would cause alone. Alcohol cancels nothing; it compounds sedation, judgment loss, and reaction delay. Blood alcohol keeps rising on schedule regardless of pills in the system. Labels warn about driving and alcohol precisely because the pairing is dangerous. The arithmetic of mixing is never one plus one equals two; treat any drug in your system as a reason the first drink stays unpoured.

   Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue, distraction and aggressive driving

5. 5. You want to pass a vehicle ahead, and a railroad grade crossing is just beyond it. What should you do?

   1. Do not pass if a railroad grade crossing is ahead
   2. Pass quickly before reaching the crossing tracks
   3. Pass only while the crossing signals stay dark
   4. Follow the other vehicle closely across the tracks
   Show answer

   Do not pass if a railroad grade crossing is ahead. Hold back and skip the pass when a railroad grade crossing lies ahead. A pass near tracks can leave you beside another vehicle, short of room to return, or stopped on rails if traffic ahead slows. Hurrying to finish before the tracks, as one choice suggests, adds speed exactly where you may need to stop for a train. Wait until you are past the crossing, can see the road clearly, and have full room to return.

   Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and large vehicles

6. 6. You park beside a curb on a quiet street. Which side should you use to get out when possible?

   1. The street side, to check traffic sooner
   2. Either side, since the street is quiet
   3. The curb side, away from moving traffic
   4. The driver side regardless of traffic flow
   Show answer

   The curb side, away from moving traffic. Leaving by the curb side keeps your body out of the travel lane while you close the door and step away. The street side puts you beside passing vehicles before you can judge their speed or distance. A quiet street still carries the one driver who rounds the corner while your door hangs open. Driver side means street side on most parking positions, so naming a door does not settle safety. Use the sidewalk as your exit platform whenever the curb gives you that choice.

   Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and school buses

7. 7. Which sense does the handbook call the most important one used while driving?

   1. Hearing, for sirens and horns
   2. Balance, for sensing vehicle roll
   3. Smell, for fuel and smoke warnings
   4. Vision
   Show answer

   Vision. Vision carries the driving task: lanes, gaps, signals, pedestrians, and hazards all arrive through the eyes, which is why alcohol attacking sight strikes at the core skill. Hearing helps with sirens and horns, but it supplements rather than leads the information stream. Smell occasionally warns of mechanical trouble, a rare input by comparison. Balance senses motion yet cannot read a stop line or a child at the curb. Guard your eyes accordingly, from impairment, glare, dirty glass, and fatigue, because every other input is a backup channel.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, zero tolerance and implied consent

8. 8. Where should children age 12 and younger be restrained in a vehicle?

   1. In the front seat if the ride is short
   2. Properly restrained in the back seat
   3. In an adult's lap in the rear seat
   4. Standing between the front seats briefly
   Show answer

   Properly restrained in the back seat. Children twelve and younger belong properly restrained in the back seat, away from the passenger air bag whose deployment can severely injure a small body. Trip length does not shrink physics; most crashes happen close to home anyway. A lap is not a restraint system at any seat position. Standing between seats turns a child into an unrestrained projectile. The rear seat rule pairs with the right restraint for the child's size; together they stack distance, structure, and webbing between children and crash forces.

   Study this in the handbook: Seat belts, child seats and driving position

9. 9. You wear glasses during the vision test at the exam station. What driving requirement follows?

   1. Corrective lenses are needed only when driving after sunset
   2. The requirement ends when the license arrives
   3. Only the glasses used in the test may be worn
   4. You will be required to wear corrective lenses whenever driving
   Show answer

   You will be required to wear corrective lenses whenever driving. If glasses or contact lenses are used during the vision test, the driver must wear corrective lenses whenever driving. The restriction applies during daytime as well as at night, and it continues with the license rather than ending when the card is issued. The driver may use suitable corrective lenses, so the exact glasses worn during testing are not the only option. Keep the required correction available before starting any trip.

   Study this in the handbook: License rules, insurance and the point system

10. 10. Oncoming traffic is on your left and parked cars are on your right. What steering approach does the handbook suggest?

    1. Steer midway between both hazards
    2. Steer close beside the parked cars
    3. Stop until both hazards are gone
    4. Steer close beside the oncoming lane
    Show answer

    Steer midway between both hazards. When hazards occupy both sides, the handbook advises splitting the difference by steering a middle course between them. That gives the vehicle usable space on each side instead of crowding either the parked cars or oncoming traffic. Driving close to parked cars leaves little room for a door or person, while hugging the center line reduces the margin beside the approaching vehicle. Stopping until every hazard disappears is not the suggested space-management technique. Keep scanning and adjust slightly toward the more dangerous side if needed.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and large vehicles

11. 11. Your winter route crosses icy patches and packed snow. How should you treat cruise control?

    1. Use cruise control only when the road is icy and your speed stays above forty
    2. Use your head and your feet, never cruise control on slippery roads
    3. Use cruise control so speed stays perfectly steady while tires slide on ice
    4. Use cruise control on icy hills, where steady power matters more than feel
    Show answer

    Use your head and your feet, never cruise control on slippery roads. Cruise control keeps feeding speed while your tires hunt for grip, and it reacts to a slide by holding the very pace that started it. On ice or packed snow your feet need to own every change, easing off the instant the steering feels light. A steady set speed sounds safer, yet the system cannot feel traction letting go. Hills make the hazard worse, since the system adds power on climbs and holds speed down grades. Cancel it early, slow down, and drive the surface with your own right foot.

    Study this in the handbook: Night, winter, deer and work zones

12. 12. After passing a large truck, when is it safe to pull back in front of it?

    1. As soon as your rear bumper clears the front bumper of the truck cab
    2. After signaling for one full second
    3. When you can see the whole front of the vehicle in your rearview mirror
    4. When the truck flashes its headlights at you
    Show answer

    When you can see the whole front of the vehicle in your rearview mirror. Wait until the whole front of the truck shows in your rearview mirror before returning, which guarantees the long stopping zone ahead of it stays intact. Bumper clearance puts your tail inside the distance that driver needs to avoid rear-ending you at the first slowdown. A one second signal announces intent but creates no space. Headlight flashes are informal courtesy at best, never a measurement. The mirror full of grille is your gauge; anything less means the pass is not finished yet.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and large vehicles

13. 13. At night, why should you glance to the right and left as you drive?

    1. To check whether oncoming drivers have dimmed their beams
    2. To locate the edge of the pavement and side hazards
    3. To read street name signs posted at intersections
    4. To rest your eyes from the brightness of dashboard lights
    Show answer

    To locate the edge of the pavement and side hazards. Headlights light only a narrow path ahead, so brief glances to each side tell you where the pavement edge sits and what might enter from the sides. Checking whether others dimmed their beams tempts your eyes toward the glare you should avoid staring into. Street name signs matter at decision points, yet they are not the reason for the steady side scan. Dashboard brightness cannot be cured by looking away from the road. Practice the pattern on familiar streets: forward scan, quick side glance, then forward again without lingering.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and large vehicles

14. 14. You see clearly in daylight but struggle to see at night. What driving advice applies?

    1. Do not drive more than necessary at night and be very careful when you do
    2. Drive at night only along familiar well lit highway routes
    3. Night vision problems disappear above 45 mph speeds
    4. Wear dark sunglasses to cut oncoming headlight glare
    Show answer

    Do not drive more than necessary at night and be very careful when you do. Daytime clarity can hide night blindness, so drivers who see poorly after dark should limit night driving and treat the necessary trips with extra care. Familiar highways still contain unlit hazards, animals, and pedestrians in dark clothing. Speed does nothing to restore night vision. Sunglasses at night deepen the darkness that is already the problem. Honest self-knowledge is a safety device: schedule around your eyes, keep speeds matched to your headlights, and let someone else drive the late miles when possible.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue, distraction and aggressive driving

15. 15. What simple backup should corrective lens wearers keep in the vehicle?

    1. A magnifying glass for reading distant road signs
    2. A written note explaining your lens restriction clearly
    3. An extra pair of glasses in the vehicle
    4. Tinted spare lenses for driving on bright mornings
    Show answer

    An extra pair of glasses in the vehicle. A spare pair of glasses in the vehicle rescues the day your regular pair breaks, drops, or vanishes, letting you drive legally and safely instead of squinting home. A magnifier cannot correct distance vision for driving. An explanatory note has no optical power at all. Tinted spares fail the night test the backup may face. Glasses are easy to misplace precisely because some drivers wear them only for driving; a dedicated vehicle pair ends the search and the illegal, unsafe drive that follows a loss.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue, distraction and aggressive driving

16. 16. You are on an entrance ramp joining an interstate highway. Who must you yield to?

    1. Drivers entering behind you on the same ramp
    2. Drivers stopped on the shoulder of the highway
    3. Drivers on the exit ramp leaving the highway
    4. Drivers already on a limited access or interstate highway
    Show answer

    Drivers already on a limited access or interstate highway. Traffic already rolling on the main line holds priority over traffic trying to join it. Use the acceleration lane to match speed, watch for a gap over your shoulder, and slide in without forcing anyone to brake. Drivers behind you on the ramp are in your same position, waiting for the same opening. Exit ramp traffic is leaving the flow, not competing for your gap. A vehicle on the shoulder is out of the travel lanes entirely. The merge works when the newcomer adjusts, so build speed early and take the opening that costs nobody a hard stop.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way, funerals and intersections

17. 17. You are leaving a roundabout at your exit. Who must you yield to there?

    1. Vehicles still circulating two exits behind you
    2. Drivers waiting to enter at the next entrance
    3. Only motor vehicles approaching from your right
    4. Pedestrians and bicycles when exiting
    Show answer

    Pedestrians and bicycles when exiting. The exit crossing is part of the roundabout, and people walking or riding across it hold priority as you leave. Signal right as your exit approaches, keep speed low, and yield at that crossing before you accelerate away. Vehicles circulating far behind you pose no conflict at your exit point. Drivers waiting at the next entrance must find their own gap and cannot claim yours. Limiting your scan to motor vehicles on the right misses the crossing directly ahead. A walking pace at the exit protects the people the circle was designed to serve.

    Study this in the handbook: Turns, U turns and roundabouts

18. 18. How far may a bus require to come to a complete stop?

    1. About 158 feet
    2. A minimum of 300 feet
    3. About 200 feet
    4. More than 800 feet
    Show answer

    A minimum of 300 feet. The manual warns that a bus may require a minimum of 300 feet to come to a complete stop. The 158-foot figure is associated with braking for a car at 50 mph on dry pavement, not the bus statement. Two hundred feet is shorter than the listed minimum, while more than 800 feet greatly overstates it. Because large vehicles need substantial stopping room, avoid cutting in closely ahead of a bus and leave a generous cushion.

    Study this in the handbook: Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and school buses

19. 19. A vehicle breaks down on a highway and must stop. What should the driver do?

    1. Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic
    2. Leave the vehicle in the travel lane with the hazard lights off
    3. Stop beside the center line to remain visible
    4. Keep driving until the vehicle stops on its own
    Show answer

    Get the vehicle off the road and away from traffic. When a vehicle breaks down and must stop, the handbook says to get it off the road and away from traffic. Leaving it in a travel lane exposes the disabled vehicle to approaching drivers, while stopping beside the center line keeps it in a dangerous position. Hazard lights help show that a vehicle is disabled, but visibility does not make the travel lane a safe place to remain. Move out of the traffic path first, then make the disabled vehicle visible.

    Study this in the handbook: Skids, brake failure and other vehicle emergencies

20. 20. How should you handle a railroad crossing with a rough, bumpy surface?

    1. Speed up quickly to float over the bumpy crossing surface
    2. Stop on the tracks to inspect the rough crossing surface
    3. Slow down to cross the bumpy crossing safely
    4. Cross slowly using only the oncoming traffic lane
    Show answer

    Slow down to cross the bumpy crossing safely. Bumpy crossings unsettle tires and steering, so slow down and roll across under control, after confirming no train approaches and room exists beyond the rails. Speed amplifies every bounce and can throw the vehicle sideways at the far rail. Stopping on tracks for inspection creates the deadliest parking place in driving. The oncoming lane offers no smoother promise and adds head-on risk. Gentle speed plus a clear exit past the crossing is the recipe; never let roughness hurry you into lingering between the rails.

    Study this in the handbook: Crashes, emergency vehicles and traffic stops