SD Permit Practice Test 18

All 20 questions in test 18

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. Ideally, how far ahead in time should you try to look while driving?

   1. About 5 seconds ahead of the vehicle on the road in front of you
   2. Only to the next intersection line
   3. What is occurring 20 to 30 seconds in front of the car
   4. Two car lengths in city traffic
   Show answer

   What is occurring 20 to 30 seconds in front of the car. Aiming your search at events twenty to thirty seconds ahead buys decision time that last second reactions never have, letting speed and lane changes happen gradually. Five seconds shrinks that planning window to emergency territory. The next intersection line is a point, not a scanning distance. Two car lengths vanish in a moment at any real speed. City buildings may shorten what is visible, yet the habit of hunting as far as the street allows keeps surprises arriving as information instead of emergencies, and traffic behind you benefits from your early, gentle moves.

2. 2. How does steering wheel direction relate to vehicle movement when backing?

   1. Turn the wheel opposite the direction you want the rear to travel
   2. Backing uses the mirrors to steer the wheels
   3. Steering has no effect below 5 mph
   4. The wheel is turned in the direction you want the vehicle to move, forward or in reverse
   Show answer

   The wheel is turned in the direction you want the vehicle to move, forward or in reverse. The wheel always points the vehicle where you want it to go, in reverse as in forward travel, which is why slight turns toward the target move the rear correctly. Opposite steering folklore confuses drivers into swinging the back end across lanes. Steering works at crawling speeds, where backing happens. Mirrors inform your hands; they never turn wheels themselves. Back slowly, aim the wheel at the intended path of the rear, and the vehicle follows the same honest geometry it uses going forward.

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

3. 3. In a reverse two-point turnabout, how far do you back before steering all the way to the right?

   1. Until the front tires reach the road edge
   2. Until the front bumper reaches the far edge of the driveway
   3. Until the vehicle has backed across the driveway
   4. Until the rear bumper reaches the near edge of the driveway
   Show answer

   Until the rear bumper reaches the near edge of the driveway. For a reverse two-point turnabout, the manual says to move back until the rear bumper reaches the near edge of the driveway. While backing slowly at that point, steer all the way to the right. The instruction does not call for stopping when the rear bumper reaches the edge before steering. The front bumper and the far edge are not the reference points given for this maneuver.

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

4. 4. Until what stage should an infant carrier be used for a baby?

   1. Until the child reaches 40 pounds
   2. Until the first birthday regardless of sitting ability
   3. From birth until the child can sit well alone, at about 9 months of age
   4. Only for the ride home from hospital
   Show answer

   From birth until the child can sit well alone, at about 9 months of age. The rear-facing carrier serves from birth until the baby can sit well alone, around nine months, when many models convert to upright forward facing toddler seats. Forty pounds belongs to other restraint stages and limits. A rigid first birthday rule ignores the sitting milestone the guidance uses. Hospital-only use would abandon months of the carrier's protective window. Development, not the calendar, graduates the child: sitting competence signals the body can handle the next seat configuration safely.

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

5. 5. When checking tire pressure with a gauge, when should you take the reading?

   1. Check it after a long highway drive has warmed the tires.
   2. Check it immediately after adding air to the tires.
   3. Check it only while the vehicle is carrying a full load.
   4. Check it when the tires are cold.
   Show answer

   Check it when the tires are cold.. Take the gauge reading with the tires cold, then compare it with the PSI listed on the vehicle's door-jamb sticker. A reading after a long drive uses warmed tires, so it does not match the manual's condition. Adding air is not the condition that makes the reading accurate; the tires still need to be cold. Vehicle load also is not the deciding factor in the passage. Check the tires before driving or after they have cooled, then match the gauge reading to the sticker.

6. 6. Where is the railroad Emergency Notification System number typically found?

   1. On a blue sign on the railroad crossing sign or near the crossing
   2. Painted on the train locomotive side
   3. Posted on a sign at the nearest highway rest area
   4. On the back of your driver license
   Show answer

   On a blue sign on the railroad crossing sign or near the crossing. The ENS number rides at the scene on a blue sign mounted on the crossing post or nearby, so a driver reporting a stalled vehicle or damaged track can read it on the spot. Locomotives carry numbers useless for identifying a fixed crossing. A rest area sign sits miles away and cannot help you at the tracks. Your license documents you, not the crossing. Blue is the color to hunt when a crossing blocks or malfunctions; that call can slow or stop trains heading for the problem.

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

7. 7. Why should you avoid the right lane near a steep hill where large vehicles are traveling?

   1. Large vehicles use it because they slow to about 35 mph
   2. It is reserved for vehicles towing long trailers
   3. It becomes an extra passing lane on grades
   4. It closes to cars whenever trucks are present
   Show answer

   Large vehicles use it because they slow to about 35 mph. On climbs and descents, heavy vehicles lose speed and often travel near 35 mph, so they keep to the right lane. That lane also serves trucks leaving weigh stations and trying to rejoin faster traffic. A driver who stays there may close quickly on a slow rig or meet one merging. The reserved-for-trailers claim is not a rule, and the lane does not become a passing lane or close when trucks appear. When a grade or weigh station is signed, consider the left lane for smoother travel and give the heavy vehicle room.

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

8. 8. You leave your vehicle parked on a dark rural road overnight. What lighting does the handbook require?

   1. Headlights left on bright until morning
   2. Parking lights and taillights turned on
   3. Four-way flashers running all night
   4. No lights, because reflectors are enough alone
   Show answer

   Parking lights and taillights turned on. A vehicle left standing after dark must announce itself, so the parking lights and taillights stay on whenever it is dark outside. Bright headlights all night would blind approaching drivers and drain the battery long before morning. Flashers signal a temporary hazard or a moving emergency stop, not an overnight parked vehicle. Reflectors help only when another vehicle lights them up, which arrives too late for a driver scanning a black roadway. The steady front and rear lamps mark both ends of your outline early.

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

9. 9. Who must maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle in South Dakota?

   1. Any licensed driver who borrows a vehicle
   2. The owner of any motor vehicle that is required to be registered
   3. Only an owner whose driver license has been suspended
   4. Only an owner of a commercial vehicle
   Show answer

   The owner of any motor vehicle that is required to be registered. South Dakota requires the owner of any motor vehicle that must be registered to maintain financial responsibility. The rule is tied to ownership of a vehicle required to be registered, not to the driver's license status, whether the driver borrowed the vehicle, or whether the vehicle is commercial. The manual lists several forms that may satisfy this responsibility, but this question asks which owner is subject to the requirement.

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

10. 10. Why can slouching in the driver seat reduce your safety in a crash?

    1. Slouching improves air bag timing slightly in a hard frontal crash
    2. Slouched drivers see over the hood better
    3. Improper seating positions can reduce the effectiveness of the restraint system
    4. Restraints work best when the body stays loose
    Show answer

    Improper seating positions can reduce the effectiveness of the restraint system. Restraints are engineered around an upright body; slouching shifts the pelvis and torso out of the belt geometry, reducing how effectively the system can catch and hold you. Air bag timing does not improve from poor posture. Hood visibility from a slouch actually worsens as eye height drops. Loose positioning is precisely what belts are designed to eliminate before forces peak. Sit upright with your back against the seat before moving; posture set at the curb decides how the safety systems meet you later.

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

11. 11. Why should household baby seats never be used to carry a baby in a vehicle?

    1. They place the baby too low to see outside
    2. They are not made to protect a baby in the vehicle
    3. Vehicle belts cannot reach around them
    4. They are illegal to transport in cars
    Show answer

    They are not made to protect a baby in the vehicle. Household baby seats are furniture, not crash equipment: they are not made to protect a baby inside a vehicle and should not be used there, however sturdy they look on a kitchen floor. How low a baby sits for a window view has nothing to do with crash protection. Belt reach is a fit issue, not the fundamental design failure. Transporting one in a car is legal; riding a baby in it is the unsafe act. Purpose-built carriers cushion the head and body with impact materials and harness geometry a household seat never attempts.

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

12. 12. Which set of areas describes where a car can disappear from a truck driver's view?

    1. Behind the trailer doors, but not near the cab
    2. Beside the cab, but not in front or behind
    3. Up to 20 feet ahead, alongside the cab, and 200 feet behind
    4. Far ahead of the truck, beyond 500 feet
    Show answer

    Up to 20 feet ahead, alongside the cab, and 200 feet behind. The truck's blind areas can include up to 20 feet in front of the cab, either side of the truck especially alongside the cab, and up to 200 feet behind. The rear area is only one part of the No-Zone. The first two choices leave out other areas, while the far-ahead choice places the blind area in the wrong direction. If you cannot see the truck driver's face, assume the truck driver may not see you and change position safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and signaling

13. 13. What shape and color combination marks a work zone sign?

    1. Blue rectangles with white service symbols and lettering
    2. Red octagons with white borders
    3. Green pentagons with white route numbers
    4. Diamond or rectangular, orange with black symbols
    Show answer

    Diamond or rectangular, orange with black symbols. Work zone signs are generally diamond or rectangular and orange with black letters or symbols, so the color alone warns you before the message reads clearly. Blue rectangles guide services like fuel and lodging. Green carries direction and route guidance on ordinary roads. The red octagon belongs only to the stop command. Orange should trigger an automatic response in your hands and foot: ease off, widen your scan for workers and equipment, and expect lane shifts or rough pavement in the next stretch.

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

14. 14. When should you first reduce speed as weather turns wet or icy?

    1. At the first sign of rain, snow, sleet, or ice
    2. Only after the vehicle begins to skid on the slick surface
    3. When the posted limit drops on the next sign
    4. After passing three other slowing vehicles
    Show answer

    At the first sign of rain, snow, sleet, or ice. Slow at the very first sign of rain, snow, sleet, or ice, because grip fades before the road looks fully coated. Waiting for a skid means you have already spent the traction you needed for a gentle slowdown. Posted limits assume decent surfaces and do not adjust themselves to a fresh glaze. Counting other vehicles turns your safety into a vote. The early cue is the first speckle on the windshield or shimmer on asphalt: lift off then, while braking and steering still answer normally.

    Study this in the handbook: Controlling speed

15. 15. What does the handbook call the best way to avoid fatigue while driving?

    1. Drink energy drinks hourly
    2. Open the window for cold air
    3. Turn the radio up loudly
    4. Get plenty of rest
    Show answer

    Get plenty of rest. Plenty of rest beforehand is the best defense against fatigue; everything else rents alertness at high interest. Cold air startles you awake for minutes while sleep debt remains untouched. Loud radio masks the sensation without restoring judgment or reaction time. Energy drinks borrow from a crash that arrives with interest later. Plan sleep like fuel: a rested driver notices the drifting lane position that a tired driver explains away, and that difference is where fatigue crashes are prevented or born.

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

16. 16. In a roundabout, who may use the paved truck apron on the inside?

    1. Cars and SUVs that need a tighter turning path through the circle
    2. Pickup trucks hauling small trailers
    3. The rear wheels of large trucks when turning
    4. Any vehicle when the roundabout is empty
    Show answer

    The rear wheels of large trucks when turning. The apron exists so the rear wheels of large trucks can off-track across the inside while the cab follows the lane, and smaller vehicles are told to stay off it. A car or SUV cutting across gains nothing but a jolt and a path conflict with the truck beside it. A pickup remains on the banned list even with a trailer attached. Empty conditions do not rewrite a physical design rule. Keep your wheels in the circulating lane and give long vehicles the apron room they need.

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

17. 17. What have studies shown about drivers who use marijuana?

    1. They adjust to glare better than others
    2. They make more mistakes and have more trouble adjusting to glare
    3. They receive fewer traffic citations overall than other drivers studied
    4. They react faster at intersections
    Show answer

    They make more mistakes and have more trouble adjusting to glare. Studies link marijuana use with more driving mistakes, more trouble adjusting to glare, and more arrests for traffic violations than other drivers show. Glare recovery actually worsens, which makes night driving after use doubly hazardous. Citations rise rather than fall in the studied pattern. Intersection reactions slow along with the rest of the impaired profile. The findings dismantle the relaxed image some users claim; the measured outcomes are errors, glare problems, and enforcement contact, all pointing the same direction.

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

18. 18. What license must a moped operator possess in South Dakota?

    1. A valid Operator's License
    2. Any class of instruction permit
    3. Only a state identification card
    4. No license if the moped stays under 30 mph
    Show answer

    A valid Operator's License. Operating a moped requires being in possession of a valid Operator's License, placing mopeds under the same credential umbrella as other motor vehicles on public roads. An instruction permit is a supervised learner stage, not an operator credential for solo moped use. An identification card proves who you are and authorizes no driving at all. Engine modesty and low top speed create no licensing exemption. Small vehicles share big traffic; the state answers that mismatch by licensing the rider fully.

19. 19. For a first alcohol violation conviction, what fine range does the handbook list besides court costs?

    1. $150 to $250 plus court costs
    2. $300 to $1,000 plus court costs
    3. $2,000 to $5,000 plus court costs
    4. No fine is allowed on a first conviction
    Show answer

    $300 to $1,000 plus court costs. The handbook lists a $300 to $1,000 fine plus court costs for a first conviction. The $150 to $250 choice starts below the stated minimum. The $2,000 to $5,000 choice exceeds the stated first-conviction range. The passage also directly permits a fine, so the no-fine choice is incorrect. These figures describe the fine range only; the same passage separately lists possible jail time and license action.

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

20. 20. A driver cannot see clearly with the right eye. What license restriction may apply?

    1. The driver must use a vehicle with a left outside rearview mirror
    2. The driver must use a vehicle with an automatic transmission
    3. The driver may drive only within 50 miles of home
    4. The driver may not drive after sunset
    Show answer

    The driver must use a vehicle with a left outside rearview mirror. South Dakota may restrict a driver who cannot see clearly with the right eye to a vehicle equipped with a left outside rearview mirror. An automatic transmission, a 50-mile radius, and no night driving are separate restriction examples, not the mirror restriction described here. The condition concerns the vehicle's equipment and the driver's ability to see traffic beside the vehicle. Read the restriction on the license and operate only a vehicle that meets it.