SD Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

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. What is the penalty class for simply failing to move over or slow down for a stopped vehicle using amber, yellow, or blue warning lights in South Dakota (no crash)?

   1. A Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and/or county jail
   2. A petty offense
   3. A Class 6 felony
   4. No penalty unless an officer is hurt
   Show answer

   A Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and/or county jail. Violating South Dakota's stopped-vehicle law is a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by a fine and/or time in county jail. If the violator causes a crash with the stopped vehicle, the charge rises to a Class 1 misdemeanor. It is not a petty offense or a felony, and no injury is required. The rule is to move to the far lane at least 300 feet before the vehicle on multilane roads, or slow to 20 mph under the limit on two lane roads.

2. 2. How does South Dakota classify a third DWI offense in the manual?

   1. Class 6 felony
   2. Class 2 misdemeanor
   3. Petty offense
   4. Civil insurance violation
   Show answer

   Class 6 felony. The third DWI listed in the manual is no longer treated as the same misdemeanor level as earlier offenses. It is a Class 6 felony, with possible imprisonment and license loss for no less than one year after release from incarceration. The Class 2 misdemeanor option belongs to different violations, including underage Zero Tolerance and some traffic offenses, not a third DWI. The cue is count escalation: third offense means felony treatment in this penalty list.

3. 3. At an intersection, how should a South Dakota driver treat right-of-way rules?

   1. Assume the listed driver may go first every time
   2. Use the rules as a guide, but judge the actual situation
   3. Enter first whenever no stop sign faces your lane
   4. Rely on other drivers to give extra space
   Show answer

   Use the rules as a guide, but judge the actual situation. Right-of-way rules tell drivers who should yield, but South Dakota warns against treating them as automatic permission to move. The option that says to assume a listed driver may go first ignores the manual's caution that conditions at the intersection still control. A practical cue is hesitation or movement from another road user; slow enough to yield or stop if that person enters your path.

4. 4. At a South Dakota intersection, who must be yielded to if they are still in the intersection?

   1. No one after your signal turns green
   2. Only motor vehicles larger than yours
   3. Only pedestrians inside painted crosswalk lines
   4. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers
   Show answer

   Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers. South Dakota includes pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers in its yield rule for anyone still occupying the intersection. A green signal or an opening does not erase the need to let the intersection clear. The painted-crosswalk choice is too narrow because the manual phrase includes more than pedestrians and does not limit the duty to marked lines. The cue is occupancy: before moving, scan the whole intersection for people or vehicles that have not cleared.

5. 5. If a posted minimum speed is too fast for your vehicle or conditions, what does the South Dakota manual advise?

   1. Ignore the minimum speed sign
   2. Stay in the left lane with hazard flashers
   3. Stop on the shoulder until traffic clears
   4. Use another road
   Show answer

   Use another road. Minimum speed signs are used so slow vehicles do not become hazards on high-speed roads. If that posted minimum is too fast for you, the manual says to take another road. The hazard-flasher choice might seem cautious, but it still leaves you traveling below the required speed in traffic that expects a faster pace. The cue is inability to keep up: when you cannot meet the posted minimum without risk, choose a route with slower traffic.

6. 6. If you come upon an accident, fire, or disaster scene just to look, what should you do?

   1. Drive to the scene and park where you can see
   2. Keep moving unless you are involved or help has not arrived
   3. Stop in the nearest lane until responders direct traffic
   4. Block the shoulder so other drivers slow down
   Show answer

   Keep moving unless you are involved or help has not arrived. South Dakota warns drivers not to become spectators at emergency scenes. Unless you are involved or emergency help has not arrived, keep attention on driving and continue past safely. Stopping simply to look can block responders, so the parking choice creates the problem the manual warns about. Scan for people near the roadway as you pass. Keep lanes and shoulders available for police, firefighters, ambulances, tow trucks, and other rescue vehicles working there.

7. 7. What should you do before entering an intersection after stopping?

   1. Check only for pedestrians on your side
   2. Watch only the signal facing you
   3. Enter immediately when the vehicle ahead moves
   4. Look left, right, and left again
   Show answer

   Look left, right, and left again. After stopping at an intersection, take the extra moment to look left, right, and left again before entering. A fresh green light or another driver's movement cannot prove the cross path is clear. The signal only choice fails because some road users run lights or stop signs. Use the cue of your final glance: left again catches traffic nearest your lane before your vehicle moves into the crossing area.

8. 8. Which violation does NOT add points to a South Dakota driving record?

   1. Reckless driving
   2. Failure to yield right-of-way
   3. Speeding
   4. A stop sign violation
   Show answer

   Speeding. South Dakota's point system states that no points are assessed for speeding, standing, parking, equipment, size, or weight violations. That makes speeding the exception here, which surprises many drivers. Reckless driving, failure to yield, and stop sign or light violations are all on the point schedule. Speeding is still a violation; it simply does not count toward the 15 point and 22 point suspension thresholds.

9. 9. What does this signal-ahead warning sign tell you?

   
   1. All turns are prohibited
   2. The next intersection has no traffic controls
   3. A traffic signal is ahead
   4. The road becomes a divided highway
   Show answer

   A traffic signal is ahead. South Dakota's common warning signs include a Traffic Signal sign, so this symbol warns of a signal ahead. It is not saying the intersection has no controls; it is doing the opposite by preparing you for a light. Use the signal-head symbol as the cue to check your speed, watch for stopped traffic, and prepare for red, yellow, or green indications.

10. 10. What kind of sign is this KEEP RIGHT instruction?

    
    1. A service sign showing nearby roadside help
    2. A regulatory sign about traffic direction or lane use
    3. A warning sign for a slippery pavement surface
    4. A destination sign giving distance to cities
    Show answer

    A regulatory sign about traffic direction or lane use. A Keep Right sign tells traffic which side of an obstruction or divider to use, so it fits South Dakota's regulatory sign category for traffic direction and lane use. The service-sign option is wrong because service signs point to rest areas, fuel, hospitals, or similar facilities. The cue is the required arrow movement; steer to the indicated side unless an officer directs otherwise.

11. 11. According to the South Dakota manual, which driving sense is affected at 0.02% BAC?

    1. Vision
    2. Hearing
    3. Smell
    4. Balance only while walking
    Show answer

    Vision. The manual identifies vision as the key sense that can already be harmed at 0.02% BAC. That matters for judging distance, vehicle movement, and roadway hazards before a driver may feel obviously drunk. Hearing is a plausible distractor because horns and sirens are important, but the cited alcohol effect is visual, not auditory. On the road, use the cue that alcohol first steals the information you need to see lanes, gaps, pedestrians, and changing traffic clearly.

12. 12. What does this divided-highway warning sign announce?

    
    1. A mandatory U-turn point
    2. An end to every posted speed limit
    3. A physical separation or divided highway condition ahead
    4. A shoulder reserved for passing
    Show answer

    A physical separation or divided highway condition ahead. South Dakota's warning sign table includes Divided Highway signs, which alert drivers before the roadway pattern changes. The mandatory U-turn option conflicts with the warning purpose and with the separate rules limiting U-turns. Use the split-arrow median symbol as the cue to expect traffic streams separated by a divider and position your vehicle for the proper side. Divided highway signs also remind you not to make a left turn or U-turn across the median except where an opening is provided.

13. 13. Your vehicle has broken down on a South Dakota highway. Why does the manual say to place flares or triangles behind it?

    1. So other drivers can see the vehicle and change lanes if necessary
    2. So the towing company can find the vehicle faster
    3. Because the law requires three devices for every stop
    4. So you can wait inside the vehicle without using flashers
    Show answer

    So other drivers can see the vehicle and change lanes if necessary. After a breakdown, the manual's concern is that other road users see the disabled vehicle in time. Crashes happen because drivers did not notice a stalled vehicle until it was too late to stop. Placing emergency flares or triangles behind the vehicle warns approaching traffic and gives drivers room to change lanes if necessary. The devices are about visibility, not about towing or a fixed count. Use the flashers as well, and if you have a phone, notify authorities that the vehicle is disabled.

14. 14. How long is a South Dakota driver license valid, and when does it expire?

    1. 10 years, expiring on the issue date
    2. 4 years, expiring on the issue date
    3. 8 years, expiring on your birthday
    4. 5 years, expiring on your birthday
    Show answer

    5 years, expiring on your birthday. A South Dakota driver license is valid for 5 years and expires on your birthday, or 30 days after your birthday for a driver reaching certain ages. Renewal costs $38.00. The instruction permit is likewise valid for five years, or until the expiration of the documents authorizing an applicant's presence in the United States if that comes first. Four, eight and ten year cycles belong to other states.

15. 15. When approaching a South Dakota roundabout with two or more lanes, what does the manual say is very important to do before entering?

    1. Stop completely at the entrance
    2. Move to the inside lane in every case
    3. Observe the signs and arrows to determine which lane to use
    4. Turn on the hazard lights
    Show answer

    Observe the signs and arrows to determine which lane to use. As you get closer to a multi-lane roundabout entrance, the manual says it is very important to observe the signs and arrows to determine which lane to use before entering. Lane choice depends on your exit, so the inside lane is not always right. Entry is a yield, not a mandatory stop, and hazard lights have no role. Once inside, keep your lane, and if an emergency vehicle approaches, continue to your exit and then pull over.

16. 16. Before starting through a South Dakota intersection, what does the manual say to do besides looking left and right?

    1. Look across the intersection to make sure the path is clear all the way through and you will not block it
    2. Sound the horn
    3. Wait for the vehicle behind to honk
    4. Turn on the hazard lights
    Show answer

    Look across the intersection to make sure the path is clear all the way through and you will not block it. Before entering an intersection, look to both the left and right for approaching vehicles and crossing pedestrians, and if stopped, look left and right again just before moving. The manual adds a step drivers skip: look across the intersection before you start to move to make sure the path is clear all the way through and that you will not block it if traffic ahead stops. Entering a blocked intersection leaves you stranded in cross traffic.

17. 17. When should you signal before an intended turn in South Dakota?

    1. Only after entering the intersection
    2. Exactly 25 feet before the turn
    3. At least 100 feet before the turn
    4. Only when another vehicle is visible
    Show answer

    At least 100 feet before the turn. Signal 100 feet before the intended turn so people behind, beside, and approaching you have time to understand your plan. Signaling only when another vehicle is visible is a poor habit because motorcycles, pedestrians, and vehicles in blind spots are easy to miss. The 25 foot choice gives too little notice at normal traffic speeds. Watch for driveways or streets before your turn, because signaling too early can make another driver think you are turning sooner.

18. 18. At a school crossing with a traffic patrol signal to stop, what should you do?

    1. Proceed if no adult is in your lane
    2. Stop and yield as signaled
    3. Wave children across while rolling forward
    4. Use the horn and continue slowly
    Show answer

    Stop and yield as signaled. A school crossing patrol signal controls your movement at that crossing. Stop and yield when directed, even if you do not immediately see a child in the lane. Proceeding because no adult is standing in your lane ignores the patrol's function. The cue is a patrol member or school crossing control giving a stop signal. Do not restart until the patrol signal and the crossing area both show that movement can resume without crowding students.

19. 19. As you approach an intersection, what does a flashing yellow signal require?

    1. Stop until an officer waves you through
    2. Slow, stay alert, and proceed cautiously
    3. Turn right because cross traffic must stop
    4. Treat it exactly like a railroad crossbuck
    Show answer

    Slow, stay alert, and proceed cautiously. For a flashing yellow light, South Dakota uses the simple rule to slow down and proceed with caution. It is not a stop-until-directed signal, and it is not a railroad crossing sign. The cue is the yellow light flashing rather than steady; ease off the accelerator, search for traffic or pedestrians, and continue only at a speed that lets you respond.

20. 20. How long does a new South Dakota resident have to register a vehicle brought in from another state?

    1. Within 30 days
    2. Within 60 days
    3. Within one year
    4. Within 90 days
    Show answer

    Within 90 days. All motor vehicles, motorcycles, and trailers owned by South Dakota residents and used on public highways must be registered with the County Treasurer of the owner's county of residence, and a vehicle brought in from another state must be registered within 90 days. Thirty and sixty days are shorter than the rule, and one year is far longer. The 90 day figure matches the deadline for converting a non-commercial out-of-state license.