Speed Limits & Following Distance — 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. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 25 questions.
Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.
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 | Speed Limits & Following Distance |
| License test | South Dakota Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 25 (8% 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (25)
1. When riding at night:
- Ride on the shoulder of the road.
- Decrease your following distance.
- Increase your following distance. ✓
Answer: C. Increase your following distance.
When riding at night, increase your following distance, opening up a three-second gap or more. The manual explains that at night it is harder to see and be seen, and that distances are harder to judge because your eyes depend on shadows and light contrasts to tell how far away something is and how fast it is approaching. Its listed response is to open up a three-second following distance or more at night, and to allow more room when passing or being passed. A larger gap matches the reduced ability to judge distance after dark.
2. In areas where dangers could be present, a motorcyclist should:
- Maintain their speed.
- Assume they will be safe.
- Cover the clutch and both brake levers to reduce their reaction time. ✓
Answer: C. Cover the clutch and both brake levers to reduce their reaction time.
In areas where dangers could be present, cover the clutch and both brake levers so you can react faster. The manual names intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones as places where risk is higher. In those settings it says to cover the clutch and both brakes. Having your hands already on those controls shortens the time it takes to brake or use the clutch when something happens. Another page gives the same advice as a way to cut reaction time. That is why the correct choice is the one about covering the clutch and both brake levers.
3. A good way to handle a tailgater is to:
- Speed up.
- Allow them to get in front of you. ✓
- Make gestures at them.
Answer: B. Allow them to get in front of you.
Allow the tailgater to get in front of you. The manual says speeding up to lose a close follower can just leave you with someone tailgating at a higher speed. Its better approach is to get the tailgater in front of you; the same section says to let them pass, and if you cannot, slow down and leave extra space ahead so both of you have room to stop. That is why allowing them to get in front is the recommended choice.
4. If a motorcycle is towing a trailer, the motorcyclist's following distance should:
- Increase. ✓
- Decrease.
- Be the same as it normally would be.
Answer: A. Increase.
5. Under normal conditions, maintain a minimum following distance of:
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds.
- Four seconds. ✓
Answer: C. Four seconds.
6. When riding over grooved pavement in a work zone, you should:
- Look down to watch for changes in the road surface.
- Keep your head and eyes up. ✓
- Move to the edge of the roadway.
Answer: B. Keep your head and eyes up.
7. To reduce your reaction time, you should:
- Ride more slowly than the speed limit.
- Shift into neutral when slowing.
- Cover the clutch and the brakes. ✓
Answer: C. Cover the clutch and the brakes.
To reduce your reaction time, cover the clutch and the brakes. The manual's review question names covering the clutch lever and the brakes as the way to cut reaction time. A later section also says to cover the clutch and both brakes in potential high-risk areas, such as intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones, so you need less time to react. The manual does not present riding below the speed limit or shifting into neutral as reaction-time measures.
8. When passing a vehicle, you:
- May exceed the speed limit by 10 mph.
- Must not exceed the speed limit. ✓
- Are required to ride faster than the speed limit.
Answer: B. Must not exceed the speed limit.
9. When riding at night, maintain a minimum following distance of:
- Two seconds.
- Three seconds. ✓
- Four seconds.
Answer: B. Three seconds.
10. The normal recommended following distance should be extended if:
- The pavement is slippery. ✓
- The sun is shining.
- You believe stopping will be routine.
Answer: A. The pavement is slippery.
You should extend your normal following distance when the pavement is slippery. The manual sets a two-second gap as the minimum space cushion for stopping or swerving, then says a larger cushion is needed whenever your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. It names slippery pavement as one of the cases where you should open up a three-second or more following distance. Poor traction on wet or gravelly surfaces is why stopping takes longer, so the normal gap is not enough there.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook