SD Permit Practice Test 7

All 20 questions in test 7

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. After a crash involving an unattended parked vehicle, what must you do if you cannot find the owner?

   1. Drive away if the damage appears minor
   2. Leave identifying and crash information where the owner can find it
   3. Wait 24 hours before notifying anyone
   4. Move the parked vehicle before leaving a note
   Show answer

   Leave identifying and crash information where the owner can find it. If you damage unattended property and cannot locate the owner, South Dakota says to contact law enforcement and leave information where the owner can find it. Driving away because damage looks minor is still leaving the scene without the required notice. The cue is an empty parked vehicle after contact: stop, try to locate the owner, call the nearest law enforcement agency, and leave your name, license, plate, date, time, and damage information.

2. 2. What are shared center lanes reserved for?

   1. Passing slow traffic in either direction
   2. Driving straight during rush hour only
   3. Stopping for loading and unloading passengers
   4. Making left turns or permitted U-turns from either direction
   Show answer

   Making left turns or permitted U-turns from either direction. Shared center lanes are for left turns, and for U-turns only where U-turns are allowed, by traffic traveling in either direction. They are not passing lanes, so using one to go around slower traffic creates a head on conflict with drivers preparing to turn from the opposite direction. The cue is the lane's marking pattern and arrows: enter only for the turn movement, check both directions, and avoid using it as a through lane.

3. 3. A South Dakota driver under 21 is convicted of a second Zero Tolerance offense (BAC 0.02% or more). What license loss applies?

   1. A 180 day loss
   2. A 30 day loss
   3. A one year loss
   4. Loss until age 21
   Show answer

   A 180 day loss. Under Zero Tolerance, a first offense is a Class 2 misdemeanor with a fine and a 30-day loss of license. A second or subsequent offense is also a Class 2 misdemeanor, with a fine and a 180-day loss of license. Thirty days is the first offense period. One year is the minimum for a second adult DWI, and revocation until 21 is not in the South Dakota Zero Tolerance rule.

4. 4. Who may supervise a South Dakota Instruction Permit holder under 18?

   1. Only a licensed adult 25 or older
   2. Only a certified driving instructor
   3. Any licensed driver of any age
   4. A parent, legal guardian, or other adult with a valid license and at least one year of driving experience
   Show answer

   A parent, legal guardian, or other adult with a valid license and at least one year of driving experience. The supervising adult must be a parent or legal guardian, or another adult with a valid driver's license and at least one year of driving experience, seated beside the permit holder. South Dakota does not set a 25 year minimum, and a driving instructor is not required. The one year of experience rule is why any licensed driver of any age is wrong. The supervised hours must total 50, including 10 in inclement weather and 10 after dark.

5. 5. What does a yield sign tell a South Dakota driver to do?

   1. Slow down and give right of way to traffic in or entering the conflict area
   2. Stop every time before the sign
   3. Proceed first if driving on the wider street
   4. Turn only in the direction shown by an arrow
   Show answer

   Slow down and give right of way to traffic in or entering the conflict area. A yield sign means slow down and be ready to let other traffic go first in the intersection or roadway you are entering. It differs from a stop sign because a complete stop is required only when traffic or pedestrians make it necessary. The stop every time choice changes the control from yield to stop. The visual cue is the red and white downward triangle, which warns you to check gaps before entering.

6. 6. What should a driver do if the vehicle's headlights suddenly go out at night?

   1. Turn off all exterior lights so other drivers are not confused
   2. Continue at the same speed until reaching a lighted business
   3. Try the switch, use other lights if possible, and pull off the road promptly
   4. Brake hard in the travel lane and wait for traffic to clear
   Show answer

   Try the switch, use other lights if possible, and pull off the road promptly. If headlights fail, first try the switch several times because the failure may be temporary. If the headlights stay out, use emergency flashers, turn signals, or fog lights if they work, then get off the road as soon as possible. Continuing at speed toward a lighted area leaves you nearly invisible and unable to see hazards. A practical cue is simple: no headlights means leave the traffic stream immediately, using any legal light that still works.

7. 7. What is the minimum age for a South Dakota Operator's License?

   1. 14
   2. 15
   3. 16
   4. 18
   Show answer

   16. An Operator's License requires the applicant to be at least 16 and to pass the vision, knowledge, and driving tests. Fourteen is the minimum age for the Instruction Permit and the Restricted Minor's Permit, not the Operator's License. A minor from 16 to under 18 must also complete the permit requirements and have no traffic conviction in the past six months. At 18 a Restricted Minor's Permit converts automatically to an Operator's License.

8. 8. What must an applicant for a South Dakota Operator’s License have passed?

   1. A commercial vehicle skills test
   2. Only the knowledge test
   3. Only a road-sign recognition test
   4. Vision, knowledge, and driving tests
   Show answer

   Vision, knowledge, and driving tests. An Operator’s License requires passing the vision, knowledge, and driving tests. The knowledge-only answer is incomplete because South Dakota separately requires the road skills portion for the full operator credential. A commercial skills test is for a different license class, not the standard Operator’s License. Use the cue of license level: a permit begins with vision and knowledge, but the operator credential adds the driving test before independent privileges are issued.

9. 9. What happens for pedestrians after they push the button for a pedestrian hybrid beacon?

   1. The beacon stays dark and pedestrians cross without a signal
   2. The beacon starts a yellow to red sequence and then shows WALK to pedestrians
   3. Drivers receive a green arrow while pedestrians wait
   4. Only a railroad bell sounds at the crossing
   Show answer

   The beacon starts a yellow to red sequence and then shows WALK to pedestrians. A pedestrian hybrid beacon activates only after a pedestrian pushes the call button. It then gives drivers yellow and red indications and gives the pedestrian a WALK display. Saying the beacon stays dark describes its idle state, not the crossing sequence. The cue is the special beacon with two red lenses above one yellow lens. Pedestrians should still look for traffic because the beacon controls drivers through a sequence, not by a physical barrier.

10. 10. According to the South Dakota manual, what is the second most commonly struck object in the state?

    1. Parked cars
    2. Utility poles
    3. Deer
    4. Bridge abutments
    Show answer

    Deer. Collisions between motor vehicles and deer keep increasing in number and severity, and the manual says deer are the second most commonly struck object in South Dakota, with intersection crashes topping the list and lane departures coming in third. Be especially alert for deer in October and November, and when headlights reflect in deer eyes beside the road, slow down, blow the horn and be ready to stop, since deer often travel in groups.

11. 11. What kind of windshield or mirror clutter should a South Dakota driver avoid?

    1. Sun visors that remain above the windshield line
    2. Any factory rearview mirror adjustment
    3. Clean paper towels kept inside the vehicle
    4. Objects that block the driver's view
    Show answer

    Objects that block the driver's view. South Dakota's visibility advice is direct: do not hang items from the mirror or crowd the windshield with decals when they can block your view. A factory mirror adjustment is not the problem; the issue is extra material in the sight line. Before driving, use the cue of your forward view through the glass and remove anything that hides pedestrians, signals, or the edge of the road.

12. 12. What does this round yellow RXR sign warn you to do?

    
    1. Slow down, look, listen, and be ready to stop for a train
    2. Speed up to clear the tracks before a gate lowers
    3. Stop only after your front bumper reaches the rails
    4. Use the shoulder until the crossing ends
    Show answer

    Slow down, look, listen, and be ready to stop for a train. The round yellow railroad warning sign is placed before a grade crossing and tells drivers to slow, look, listen, and prepare to stop if a train is coming. Waiting until the bumper reaches the rails is dangerous and contrary to the warning's purpose. Treat the RXR symbol as an advance cue to check sight lines, lower speed, and be ready before the tracks.

13. 13. Two vehicles approach an unsigned intersection at different times. Who should yield under South Dakota right-of-way guidance?

    1. The driver who arrives first
    2. The driver who arrives later
    3. The driver on the wider road every time
    4. The driver turning right from the cross street
    Show answer

    The driver who arrives later. At an intersection without a controlling signal or sign, arrival order matters. South Dakota says to yield to the driver who is already there or who arrives before you. The wider-road option may be tempting on a rural route, but the manual rule quoted here is based on who reaches the intersection first. Use the cue of timing: if another vehicle is at the intersection before your vehicle arrives, let that vehicle go before entering.

14. 14. Before a lane change or turn, what does the South Dakota manual say to do about blind spots?

    1. Rely on properly adjusted mirrors alone
    2. Quickly turn your head to look for hidden pedestrians or vehicles
    3. Sound the horn to clear the blind spot
    4. Slow to a stop before moving over
    Show answer

    Quickly turn your head to look for hidden pedestrians or vehicles. Mirrors leave blind spots, so before making lane changes or turns the manual says to quickly turn your head to look for any hidden pedestrians or vehicles. It also advises avoiding driving in other drivers' blind spots and being particularly conscious of blind spots near commercial vehicles, whose No-Zones are much larger than a car's. A horn does not reveal what is beside you, and stopping in a travel lane creates a new hazard.

15. 15. What is the purpose of South Dakota warning signs?

    1. To identify nearby restaurants and hospitals
    2. To mark laws about parking and lane use only
    3. To tell drivers about possible danger or a special roadway situation ahead
    4. To show the route number for a state highway
    Show answer

    To tell drivers about possible danger or a special roadway situation ahead. Warning signs prepare drivers for hazards or unusual roadway conditions ahead, often giving time to slow or stop. Service signs identify places like gas or hospitals, so that choice belongs to a different sign family. Look for yellow diamond signs and symbols showing curves, crossings, merging traffic, animals, or slippery pavement. Warning signs give time to adjust before the hazard, which is why early recognition is more useful than last-second braking.

16. 16. When entering a roundabout, what is the safe entry rule?

    
    1. Enter only when there is a safe gap in traffic
    2. Stop inside the circle to choose your exit
    3. Force circulating traffic to yield to your vehicle
    4. Accelerate across the truck apron
    Show answer

    Enter only when there is a safe gap in traffic. South Dakota lists roundabout entry as a slow, yielding maneuver followed by entry only when a usable gap appears. Forcing traffic already in the circle reverses the rule and raises crash risk. The cue is traffic approaching from the left within the circle; wait for a gap, then enter and keep speed low. Do not stop inside the roundabout unless traffic conditions force it; keep moving toward your exit after entering.

17. 17. What is the minimum driver-license loss listed for a first DWI offense in South Dakota?

    1. 30 days
    2. 10 days
    3. 180 days
    4. One year
    Show answer

    30 days. The South Dakota penalties section says a first DWI offense carries loss of the driver license for a minimum of 30 days. The one-year option is tempting because it appears for later offenses and refusal consequences, but it is not the first-offense minimum in this bullet. The cue is offense count: first DWI starts with a 30-day minimum loss, while repeat offenses and refusals can produce much longer license consequences.

18. 18. When merging into traffic, what speed should you try to reach before entering the lane?

    
    1. At least 10 mph below traffic
    2. A complete stop at the end of the ramp
    3. The same speed traffic is currently moving
    4. Whatever speed lets you stay ahead of trucks
    Show answer

    The same speed traffic is currently moving. South Dakota advises matching the current traffic speed when merging, using the acceleration lane to build speed before entering. Stopping at the end of the ramp is a serious error unless traffic forces it, because drivers behind may not expect a sudden stop and you lose room to accelerate. The cue is the ramp’s purpose: use it to find a gap and blend with the flow, then yield to vehicles already on the road.

19. 19. What roadway condition does this merge sign warn about?

    
    1. A required stop at every lane line
    2. A railroad crossing with several tracks
    3. A road closed by construction barriers
    4. Traffic entering or joining your roadway
    Show answer

    Traffic entering or joining your roadway. South Dakota lists Merging Traffic as one of the common warning signs. The railroad option belongs to RXR and crossbuck signs, not a merge symbol. When you see the merging arrow, expect another traffic stream to join yours, check mirrors and side space, and adjust speed or position so vehicles can enter without forcing a sudden stop. Merging traffic signs are common near interstate entrance ramps, where the joining stream is often moving faster than you expect.

20. 20. Where must an SR22 form be received in South Dakota after a qualifying suspension or revocation?

    1. At any driver exam station
    2. At the central administrative office
    3. At the county treasurer’s counter only
    4. In the glove box of the insured vehicle
    Show answer

    At the central administrative office. The SR22 process is not handled by presenting a form at a local exam station. South Dakota requires the filing to be received at the central administrative office, and the document must come directly from the insurance company. The exam-station choice is tempting because drivers often handle license tasks there, but the manual expressly says those stations cannot accept SR22 forms. The cue is filing source and destination: insurer sends it centrally.