South Dakota CDL — General Knowledge practice
South Dakota CDL — General Knowledge: Sharing the Road practice test
Driving safely around motorcycles, bicycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and school buses — and knowing who has the right of way.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
13 questions · pass with 10 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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12 sample Sharing the Road questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
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1. The manual lists vehicles that are slow by their nature. Which of these is NOT on that list?
Correct answer: Motorcycles
The examples of slow vehicles are mopeds, farm machinery, construction machinery, and tractors. Seeing one of them early is a hazard clue that can prevent a crash.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.3, Drivers Who Are Hazards
2. Why does the manual tell you to check your mirrors regularly for the vehicles around you?
Correct answer: To see where other vehicles are and whether one enters a blind spot
Mirrors do not show everything, because there are blind spots. Regular checks tell a driver where other vehicles are and reveal when one moves into a blind spot.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.4.2, Seeing to the Sides and Rear
3. Which behavior does the manual describe as hesitation, a clue that a driver is confused?
Correct answer: Driving very slowly, braking often, or stopping mid-intersection
Hesitation is listed as another clue to confusion. It includes very slow driving, frequent braking, and stopping in the middle of an intersection.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.3, Drivers Who Are Hazards
4. Why does the manual treat people working on or near the roadway as a hazard clue?
Correct answer: The work distracts other drivers, and the people doing it may not notice you
Workers near the road are a hazard clue for two reasons. Their work pulls the attention of other drivers, and the workers themselves may fail to see your vehicle.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.3, Drivers Who Are Hazards
5. What does the manual say to do first and foremost when an aggressive driver confronts you?
Correct answer: Do all you can to move out of that driver's path
The first item on the list is to make every effort to get out of the aggressive driver's way. The manual adds that you should not challenge them by speeding up or trying to hold your place in the lane.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.10.3, What You Should Do When Confronted by an Aggressive Driver
6. A driver ahead keeps glancing back over one shoulder. What does the manual suggest that driver may be about to do?
Correct answer: Change lanes
Head and body movements can give away what a driver plans even without a signal. Over-the-shoulder checks suggest a lane change may be coming.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.3, Drivers Who Are Hazards
7. Why does the manual tell you to glance at your cargo cover in the mirrors now and then while driving?
Correct answer: A flapping cover can tear loose and block your view or someone else's
A cover that flaps can tear loose and uncover the cargo. It might also block the driver's view or the view of someone else on the road.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 3.3.4, Covering Cargo
8. In the manual's example, a car heading for a freeway exit brakes hard and might swing back onto the highway. When does that car stop being just a hazard and become an emergency?
Correct answer: When its driver cuts in front of you
A hazard is a possible danger, and the uncertain driver near the off ramp is one. If that driver actually cuts in front of you, the manual says it is no longer just a hazard but an emergency.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.1, Importance of Seeing Hazards
9. You realize you will arrive later than planned. What does the manual's advice on not becoming an aggressive driver say to do?
Correct answer: Breathe deeply and simply accept that you will be late
The manual tells drivers to be realistic about travel time and to expect delays from traffic, construction, or bad weather. If you are going to be late, you deal with it by taking a deep breath and accepting the delay.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.10.2, Don't Be an Aggressive Driver
10. At dusk in rain you are having trouble seeing other vehicles. What does the manual conclude about the other drivers?
Correct answer: They will have trouble seeing you too
At dawn, dusk, in rain, or in snow, visibility works both ways. If you struggle to see others, they struggle to see you, so the manual says to turn on your lights.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.5.2, Communicating Your Presence
11. Besides looking smaller, how do other vehicles appear in a convex mirror?
Correct answer: Farther away than they really are
A convex mirror shows a wider area than a flat one, but it makes things look smaller and seem farther away than they are. Drivers need to realize this and allow for it.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.4.2, Seeing to the Sides and Rear
12. A car ahead sits through a green light without moving. What might that suggest, according to the manual?
Correct answer: The driver may be impaired
Stopping at the wrong time is a clue to an impaired driver, one who is sleepy, ill, or affected by alcohol or drugs. The manual's examples are stopping at a green light and waiting too long at a stop.
Source: South Dakota Commercial Driver License Manual — Section 2.8.3, Drivers Who Are Hazards
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