Bad Weather & Night Driving — South Dakota
South Dakota motorcycle permit practice test: 299 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: 12 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 Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 12 (4% of 299 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
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Questions (12)
1. Noise created by wind:
- Is easy to get used to.
- May cause irreversible hearing damage. ✓
- Is never a danger.
Answer: B. May cause irreversible hearing damage.
Wind noise may cause irreversible hearing damage. The manual warns that long-term exposure to engine and wind noise can cause permanent hearing damage, and it notes this can happen even with a full-face helmet. That supports the choice saying wind noise may cause irreversible hearing damage. The same passage recommends hearing protection that still lets you hear horns and sirens, which shows the manual treats noise as a real hazard.
2. Long-term exposure to wind noise:
- Is not a danger.
- Can cause irreversible hearing damage. ✓
- Is just part of riding a motorcycle.
Answer: B. Can cause irreversible hearing damage.
Long-term exposure to wind noise can cause irreversible hearing damage. The manual warns that engine and wind noise, over a long period, may permanently damage hearing even with a full face helmet. That makes wind noise a real hearing hazard rather than something harmless. It also says hearing protection can cut noise while still letting you hear horns or sirens, so you can guard your hearing without shutting out traffic sounds. Because the manual links steady wind noise to lasting damage, the answer about irreversible hearing damage fits best.
3. Which of the following is an example of a potentially slippery surface?
- A gravel road ✓
- A paved driveway
- Dry pavement
Answer: A. A gravel road
A gravel road is the example of a potentially slippery surface. The manual says motorcycles handle better on surfaces with good traction, then names surfaces that give poor traction. Gravel roads, and places where sand and gravel collect, are on that poor-traction list under slippery surfaces. That makes a gravel road the example among these choices of a surface that may be slippery. The manual does not put dry pavement or a paved driveway in that list.
4. A plastic, shatter-resistant face shield can protect you from:
- Noise.
- Dust. ✓
- Glare.
Answer: B. Dust.
A plastic, shatter-resistant face shield protects you from dust, along with wind, dirt, rain, insects and pebbles thrown up by cars ahead. The manual lists what a face shield shields you from, and dust is on that list, along with wind, dirt, rain, insects and pebbles thrown up from cars ahead. It adds that these things are distracting and can be painful, so dealing with them takes your attention away from the road. That is why the shield is worth wearing. It also protects your whole face in a crash, while goggles only cover your eyes and a windshield is not a substitute.
5. What should you do if you must ride on a slippery surface?
- Slow down ✓
- Accelerate
- Make sudden moves
Answer: A. Slow down
When you have to ride on a slippery surface, slow down — reduce your speed before you reach it. The manual's slippery-surface advice starts with reducing speed: slow down before you get to the slick spot to lessen your chances of skidding, because the motorcycle needs more distance to stop. It adds that cutting speed before entering wet curves matters a lot. The other guidance on that page (smooth inputs, gradual brake pressure) works only if you have already slowed down, so speed reduction comes first.
6. If your motorcycle begins to weave while you are riding over rain grooves or bridge gratings, you should:
- Speed up to get over the surface faster.
- Exaggerate the zigzag motion to get the attention of other drivers.
- Maintain a steady speed and ride straight across the grooves or gratings. ✓
Answer: C. Maintain a steady speed and ride straight across the grooves or gratings.
Maintain a steady speed and ride straight across the grooves or gratings. The manual says rain grooves and bridge gratings can make a motorcycle weave, but the wandering feeling is usually not dangerous. Its advice is to relax, keep a steady speed, and ride straight across. It also warns that crossing at an angle makes riders zigzag to stay in the lane, and that zigzagging is more hazardous than the wandering feeling itself. So the safe response is not to hurry or swerve, but to stay steady and go straight.
7. When traveling at night, you should:
- Ride as fast as you would if riding during the day.
- Ride more slowly than you would if riding during the day. ✓
- Ride faster than you would if riding during the day.
Answer: B. Ride more slowly than you would if riding during the day.
At night you should ride more slowly than you would during the day. The manual explains that at night it is harder for you to see and to be seen, so you ride slower than you would in daylight. It points out that this matters most on roads you don't know well, and says the slower pace raises your chances of avoiding a hazard. The same night section also asks for more following distance because distances are harder to judge in the dark. Slowing down is the manual's own listed way to make up for reduced nighttime visibility.
8. When it starts to rain, it is usually best to:
- Ride in the center of the lane.
- Ride in the tire tracks left by cars. ✓
- Pull to the side of the road until the rain stops.
Answer: B. Ride in the tire tracks left by cars.
When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The manual warns that the center of a lane can be hazardous when wet, and tells you that once rain begins you should ride in the tire tracks left by vehicles. It notes the left tire track is often the best spot, depending on traffic and road conditions. The general slippery-surface guidance in the same section backs this up: slow down before the surface gets slick, stay smooth with speed, direction and braking, and ride on the least slippery part of the lane.
9. It can be difficult to ride right after it starts raining because:
- Some other drivers may not react quickly enough to the rain.
- Pavement will be especially slippery. ✓
- Other drivers do not drive fast enough in wet weather.
Answer: B. Pavement will be especially slippery.
Riding right after it starts raining is difficult because the pavement will be especially slippery. The manual lists wet pavement as a poor-traction surface and singles out the period just after rain begins, before surface oil has washed to the side of the road. That oily film makes the pavement especially slippery. On a motorcycle, poor traction raises the chance of a skid, so the manual tells riders to slow down before slippery surfaces and to avoid sudden changes in speed or direction. Because the question asks why riding is hard right after rain starts, the slippery pavement is the direct reason.
10. When traveling at night, it is:
- Easier to judge distances than it is during the day.
- About as easy to judge distances as it is during the day.
- More difficult to judge distances than it is during the day. ✓
Answer: C. More difficult to judge distances than it is during the day.
At night, judging distances is more difficult than it is during the day. The manual explains that your eyes depend on shadows and light contrasts to work out how far away something is and how fast it is approaching. At night those cues are weaker, so distances are harder to judge. That is why the manual tells riders to open up a three-second following distance or more and to allow extra room when passing or being passed. Night riding simply gives you less reliable information about spacing, so the answer is that judging distance becomes harder, not easier or the same.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook