Impaired Driving & Penalties — 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. Impaired Driving & Penalties: 20 questions.
Blood alcohol limits, drugs and fatigue, licence suspensions, demerit points and fines.
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 | Impaired Driving & Penalties |
| License test | South Dakota CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 20 (4% 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 (20)
1. When driving, you should stop and take a break ____ to avoid becoming too tired.
- Every half hour
- Every hour
- Every two hours ✓
- Every six hours
Answer: C. Every two hours
You should stop and take a break about every two hours during a long trip to keep from getting too tired. The handbook's list of ways to stay alert on the road includes taking periodic breaks, and it puts the timing at roughly every 100 miles or 2 hours on long trips. The same section warns that trying to push on while tired is a major cause of fatal accidents, and it tells you to stop driving and rest or nap once you notice signs of fatigue. So the two-hour mark is the book's own break interval, not a guess.
2. In cold weather, an alcohol evaporator should be checked and filled:
- Once a week.
- Every day. ✓
- Every hour.
- Once a month.
Answer: B. Every day.
Check and fill the alcohol evaporator every day during cold weather. The handbook says some air brake systems use an alcohol evaporator to put alcohol into the air system, which helps lower the chance of ice forming in valves and other parts in cold weather. Ice in the system can stop the brakes from working. For that reason, the cold-weather instruction is to check the alcohol container and fill it as needed each day. Daily air tank drainage is still required unless the system has automatic drain valves.
3. Distracted driving:
- Always comes as a result of physical distraction, not mental distraction.
- Can be elevated by pre-programming radio stations.
- Can be avoided by eating while driving.
- Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations while driving. ✓
Answer: D. Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations while driving.
You can avoid distracted driving by not engaging in complex conversations while driving. The handbook's driving-safely section lists ways to reduce distraction before and during a trip. It says to pre-program radio stations, review maps, and plan your route before you begin driving. While driving, it says not to read or write, to avoid smoking, eating, and drinking, and not to engage in complex or emotionally intense conversations with other occupants. Choosing not to have complex conversations removes one of the distractions the handbook specifically names, so it is a valid way to help avoid distracted driving.
4. Distracted driving:
- Can be avoided by eating while driving.
- Can be increased by pre-programming radio stations.
- Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations with others. ✓
Answer: C. Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations with others.
Distracted driving can be avoided by staying out of complex conversations with other people. The handbook advises drivers not to take part in complex or emotionally intense conversations with others in the vehicle. It places that advice in a list of steps for reducing distraction, together with setting up radio stations and route planning before driving and avoiding eating, drinking, and smoking at the wheel. The common thread is to keep driving from competing with a demanding side activity.
5. When dealing with a drunk passenger, you should:
- Stop immediately and have them exit the bus.
- Wait until an appropriate area, such as a regularly scheduled stop, and have them exit the bus. ✓
- Have other passengers keep the drunk passenger in line.
- Give them coffee to help them sober up.
Answer: B. Wait until an appropriate area, such as a regularly scheduled stop, and have them exit the bus.
Wait for a suitable place, like a regular scheduled stop, and have the drunk passenger leave the bus there. The handbook says that when a drunk or disruptive rider is on board, the driver must protect that person and everyone else. It warns not to put such a rider off where it would be unsafe. A better choice is the next scheduled stop or a well-lit place where other people are present. That matches waiting for an appropriate area instead of acting at once. The passage does not mention using coffee or asking other riders to manage the person.
6. If feeling tired and frequently yawning, you should:
- Press on and continue driving.
- Get some coffee.
- Drive faster.
- Pull over and take a nap. ✓
Answer: D. Pull over and take a nap.
You should pull over and take a nap. The handbook treats tiredness as a serious driving risk and says trying to push on is more dangerous than many drivers think, even a major cause of fatal accidents. When you notice signs of fatigue, it says to stop driving and either sleep for the night or take a short nap. Frequent yawning is a fatigue sign, so the right response is to stop and rest, not keep driving. The handbook also says caffeine may help for a short while but should not be relied on to prevent fatigue.
7. If you identify a distracted driver on the road, you should:
- Tailgate them.
- Flash your lights at them.
- Give them plenty of space. ✓
Answer: C. Give them plenty of space.
When you spot a distracted driver, give them plenty of space and keep your safe following distance. The handbook says you first need to recognize drivers who are distracted, then give them plenty of room while holding your normal safe following distance. It adds that you should be very careful when passing such a driver, because they may not notice you and may drift in front of you. That guidance points to putting distance between your vehicle and theirs, not staying close or trying to signal them.
8. Alcohol begins to affect the body:
- After only one drink. ✓
- After several drinks have been consumed.
- At the legal limit.
Answer: A. After only one drink.
Alcohol begins to affect the body after only one drink. The handbook explains that alcohol enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, and it lists mild effects such as a mellow feeling and slight body warmth among the early BAC effects. It also says the liver handles only about one drink per hour, so alcohol from a single drink is present and can affect you before it clears. The effects are tied to rising BAC, not to reaching the legal limit or to having several drinks first.
9. Texting while operating a CMV is:
- Illegal. ✓
- Acceptable on rural roads.
- Acceptable for drivers contacting their employers.
Answer: A. Illegal.
Texting while operating a CMV is illegal. The handbook's texting section says federal rules prohibit CMV drivers from texting while driving in interstate commerce, and it adds that motor carriers may not require or allow drivers to text. Another passage ties texting violations to CDL disqualification and civil penalties, with only an emergency exception for contacting law enforcement or emergency services. So texting is not permitted based on road type or because an employer wants contact. The answer is the choice saying it is illegal.
10. A distracted driver:
- Usually reacts well to hazards.
- Usually has slowed perception. ✓
- Is usually aware of what is happening around them.
- Is a good person to follow.
Answer: B. Usually has slowed perception.
A distracted driver usually has slowed perception, so they may notice hazards late or miss them entirely. The handbook lists slowed perception as an effect of distracted driving. It says this can delay you in perceiving an important traffic event or make you fail to perceive it at all. The same section also mentions delayed decision making and improper action, which means distraction affects how you take in and respond to what is happening. Because the handbook ties distracted driving to slowed perception and increased risk, the answer that says perception is usually slowed fits directly.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook