Multilane passing basics — South Dakota Permit Test

Multilane passing basics on the South Dakota permit test — 4 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

On multi-lane roads, the left-most lane is intended for passing slower vehicles.

Drivers expect faster cars on their left, so a pass from another lane comes as a surprise.

On multi-lane roads, the left-most lane is intended to be used for passing slower vehicles.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.46

Never pass on the shoulder, whether it is paved or not.

The shoulder is where stopped cars, debris and people changing tires are, right in your path.

Never pass on the shoulder, whether it is paved or not.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.46

When you are being passed, stay in your lane and keep a constant speed so the other driver can pass you.

Speeding up while someone passes keeps them beside you longer, in the lane of oncoming cars.

Maintain a constant speed to allow the driver to pass you
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.46

Do not attempt to pass before a bridge.

A bridge narrows the road, leaving no room to finish a pass if a car comes the other way.

Do not attempt to pass when an oncoming vehicle is approaching, your view is blocked by a curve or a hill, at intersections, before a highway-railroad crossing, or before a bridge.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.46

On the test

On a multi-lane road, which lane is meant for passing slower vehicles?

The left-most lane. Drivers expect faster cars on their left, so a pass from another lane comes as a surprise. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.46: “On multi-lane roads, the left-most lane is intended to be used for passing slower vehicles.”

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.

What it costs

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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.