Space behind — South Dakota Permit Test

Help the driver behind keep a safe distance by keeping a steady speed and signaling in advance when you must slow down or turn.

Sudden speed changes catch the driver behind off guard and cause rear-end crashes.

However, you can help a driver behind maintain a safe distance by keeping a steady speed and signaling in advance when you must slow down or turn.

If you need to stop to pick up or let off passengers, try to find a safe place out of traffic.

Stopping in a traffic lane to let a friend out invites the car behind to plow into you.

Try to find a safe place out of traffic if you need to stop to pick up or let off passengers.

When you want to parallel park with traffic behind, turn on your signal, pull next to the space, and let vehicles behind pass before parking.

Backing into a space with cars right behind you means backing into one of them.

If wanting to parallel park and there is traffic coming from behind, put on the turn signal, pull next to the space, and allow vehicles behind to pass before parking.

If driving slower than other traffic on a multi-lane road, use the right-most lane; if you are slowing others down, pull to the side when safe and let them pass.

A slow car in the left lane makes faster drivers weave around it, and that is where crashes happen.

If driving more slowly than other traffic on a multi-lane road, drive in the right most travel lane.

If you are tailgated and there is no right lane, wait until the road ahead is clear and passing is legal, then slowly reduce speed to encourage the tailgater to pass; never slow down quickly.

Slamming the brakes on a tailgater is the surest way to be hit from behind.

If there is no right lane, wait until the road ahead is clear and passing is legal, then slowly reduce speed.

If you are being tailgated and there is a right lane, move over to the right.

Staying in front of an impatient driver keeps them on your bumper, waiting for one mistake.

If you are being followed too closely and there is a right lane, move over to the right.

How can you help the driver behind you keep a safe distance?

Keep a steady speed and signal early. Sudden speed changes catch the driver behind off guard and cause rear-end crashes. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.52: “However, you can help a driver behind maintain a safe distance by keeping a steady speed and signaling in advance when you must slow down or turn.”