Engine power failure — South Dakota Permit Test

Engine power failure on the South Dakota permit test — 3 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

If the engine shuts off while driving, keep a strong grip on the steering wheel: it may be hard to turn, but you can still turn it.

A driver who thinks the wheel has locked may freeze and let the car drift into traffic.

Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Be aware that the steering wheel may be difficult to turn, but you can still turn it.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.58

When the engine fails, do not brake hard; brake with steady pressure on the pedal to slow down, then pull off the roadway.

Stabbing the brakes in a dead car can stop you short in a traffic lane where the car behind runs into you.

Do not brake hard. Instead, brake with steady pressure on the pedal to slow down, and then pull off the roadway.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.58

After an engine failure, stop and try to restart the engine; if that fails, raise the hood, turn on the emergency flashers, and call for help.

A dead car with no signs of trouble looks like a parked one, and passing drivers will not slow down for it.

If unsuccessful, raise the hood and turn on the emergency flashers. Call for help.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.58

On the test

The engine shuts off while you are driving. What is true of the steering?

It may be hard, but you can still turn it. A driver who thinks the wheel has locked may freeze and let the car drift into traffic. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.58: “Keep a strong grip on the steering wheel. Be aware that the steering wheel may be difficult to turn, but you can still turn it.”

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against South Dakota Driver License Manual, published by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-04.