South Dakota CDL Permit Test - Passenger

When exiting your vehicle during the basic vehicle control skills test, you must face the vehicle and maintain three points of contact at all times. If your testing vehicle is a bus, you must maintain contact with the handrail. Exiting the vehicle incorrectly may result in automatic failure of the basic control skills test.

After starting a vehicle's engine, the warning lights and buzzers for oil, coolant, charging circuits, and the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) should go out right away.

When checking your vehicle's tires, you should confirm that air pressure is neither too low nor too high; that there is at least 4/32 of an inch of tread depth in every major groove on the front tires; that there is at least 2/32 of an inch of tread depth in grooves on other tires; and that radial and bias-ply tires are not used together.

If a tire fails, braking could cause a loss of control. Unless braking is necessary to avoid a hazard, you should stay off the brakes until your vehicle has slowed considerably. Only then should you brake very gently, pull off the road, and stop.

Even if a passenger is drunk or disruptive, you as the driver are still responsible for their safety and the safety of the other passengers. They should be discharged in a safe location, which may be the next scheduled stop or another well-lit area where other people are present.

When driving, you should regularly check your mirrors, both to be aware of traffic and to check for problems on your own vehicle.

It is important that the driver of a CMV always downshifts before entering a curve.