Bad Weather & Night Driving — South Dakota
South Dakota CDL practice test: 460 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Bad Weather & Night Driving: 27 questions.
Rain, snow, ice, fog and night driving: visibility, traction and headlight use.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Bad Weather & Night Driving |
| License test | South Dakota CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 27 (6% of 460 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
Not yet verified
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Questions (27)
1. When it is difficult to see other vehicles, such as at dawn or dusk, you should:
- Keep your lights off.
- Turn your lights on. ✓
- Drive on the shoulder.
Answer: B. Turn your lights on.
Turn your lights on when it is hard to see other vehicles, such as at dawn or dusk. The handbook says that at dawn, dusk, rain, or snow you need to make yourself easier to see. It adds that if you are having trouble seeing other vehicles, other drivers will have trouble seeing you. The instruction is to turn on your lights, using headlights rather than only identification or clearance lights, and to use low beams because high beams can bother people. That directly supports turning your lights on when visibility is poor.
2. When it is difficult for others to see your vehicle, such as at dawn or dusk, you can help other drivers by:
- Keeping your lights off.
- Turning your lights on. ✓
- Driving on the shoulder.
- Waving an arm out the window.
Answer: B. Turning your lights on.
When visibility is poor, you can help other drivers see you by turning your lights on. The handbook's section on communicating your presence says that at dawn, dusk, in rain, or snow you should make yourself easier to see. It explains that when your own view of other vehicles is poor, theirs of you is likely poor too, and it tells you to turn on your lights. It specifically calls for the headlights rather than only clearance or identification lights, and for low beams because high beams can bother people. Turning the lights on is the action the handbook gives for being seen in poor visibility.
3. When preparing to drive in the winter, be sure to check:
- The coolant level.
- The defrosting and heating equipment.
- The windshield wipers.
- All of the above. ✓
Answer: D. All of the above.
You should check all of the above: the coolant level, the defrosting and heating equipment, and the windshield wipers. The handbook says to make a regular vehicle inspection before winter driving and pay extra attention to certain items. It lists checking the coolant level and antifreeze amount, making sure the defrosters and heater work, and making sure the windshield wiper blades are in good condition and the washers work. Since the question asks what to check and all three listed items are part of that winter inspection, the answer that includes all of them fits the handbook.
4. Hydroplaning:
- Rarely happens to trucks.
- Usually happens when vehicles are traveling at speeds above 65 mph.
- Can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway. ✓
Answer: C. Can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway.
Hydroplaning can occur with a minimal amount of water on the roadway. The handbook says it does not take much water to cause hydroplaning, so a small amount on the road can be enough. It describes hydroplaning as the tires losing contact with the road and having little or no traction, which can leave you unable to steer or brake. The same passage also notes it can happen at speeds as low as 30 mph when there is a lot of water, so high speed is not required. That makes the minimal-water statement the one that matches the handbook.
5. Using the trailer hand valve while driving:
- Will help you turn safely.
- Will stop your trailer safely.
- Can cause a skid. ✓
- Is impossible.
Answer: C. Can cause a skid.
Using the trailer hand valve while driving can cause a skid. The handbook says the trailer hand valve (also called the trolley valve or Johnson bar) should be used only to test the trailer brakes. You should not use it in driving, because it creates a danger of making the trailer skid. The foot brake applies air to all the brakes on the vehicle, including the trailer, and the handbook states there is much less danger of a skid or jackknife with the foot brake alone. That is why the hand valve stays a testing tool, not a driving control.
6. Skids caused by over-acceleration can usually be resolved by:
- Removing your foot from the accelerator. ✓
- Braking.
- Swerving to the right.
Answer: A. Removing your foot from the accelerator.
The correct action is to remove your foot from the accelerator. The Texas CDL handbook says the most common skid is a drive-wheel skid, where the rear wheels lose traction from too much braking or acceleration. For an acceleration-caused skid, it says easing off the gas can stop it easily. It adds that on very slippery surfaces you may push the clutch in so the engine does not keep the wheels from rolling freely and regaining traction. Braking or steering harder is not the remedy it gives for this kind of skid.
7. When carrying Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives, your vehicle should not be:
- Parked within 300 feet of a bridge. ✓
- Parked within 40 feet of the road.
- Driven in rain or snow.
Answer: A. Parked within 300 feet of a bridge.
You should not park within 300 feet of a bridge when carrying Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 explosives. The handbook's parking rule for these explosives forbids parking within 300 feet of a bridge, tunnel, building, place where people gather, or open fire, except for short operational stops such as fueling. It also says never park within five feet of the traveled part of the road. That makes the bridge-distance choice the one that matches the rule. The passages do not set a 40-foot road distance and do not ban driving in rain or snow.
8. When entering a foggy area, you should:
- Stop on the side of the roadway.
- Pass other vehicles.
- Slow down. ✓
- Use your high beam headlights.
Answer: C. Slow down.
When you enter a foggy area, you should slow down. The handbook says fog is often unexpected and visibility can drop fast, so you should watch for it and be ready to reduce speed. Its specific instruction is to slow down before you enter the fog, and it warns you not to count on the fog thinning out once you are inside it. It also says the best choice is not to drive in fog at all, and if you must, to obey fog warning signs and use low-beam headlights and fog lights for the best visibility, even in daytime.
9. When driving in fog, you should:
- Use your horn.
- Use the low beam lights. ✓
- Use the high beam lights.
- Use the heater.
Answer: B. Use the low beam lights.
When driving in fog, use your low beam headlights (along with fog lights) for the best visibility, even during the day. The fog section of the handbook says that if you must drive in fog, you should slow down before entering it and use low-beam headlights and fog lights for the best visibility, even in daytime. It also tells you to watch for other drivers who have not turned their lights on. The separate lighting passage about high beams is about clear conditions where high beams are safe and legal, not fog, so the fog guidance points to low beams.
10. When you need to stop in an emergency, you should:
- Lock the wheels and skid to a stop.
- Stop in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line. ✓
- Stop in a way that turns your vehicle.
- Expect your vehicle to slow down more quickly than usual.
Answer: B. Stop in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line.
When you need to stop in an emergency, you should brake in a way that keeps your vehicle in a straight line. The handbook's quick-stop section says to brake so the vehicle stays straight and can still be steered if you need to turn. It gives two methods, controlled braking and stab braking. With controlled braking you press as hard as you can without locking the wheels, keep steering movements small, and release and re-apply the brakes if the wheels lock or you need a bigger steering change. Staying straight keeps you able to steer around the problem and avoids a skid.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook