Vehicle maintenance — South Dakota Permit Test

It is the duty of drivers to make certain that the vehicles they drive are safe to operate.

A car with bad brakes or bald tires can turn an easy stop into a crash.

It is the duty of drivers to make certain that the vehicles they drive are safe to operate.

If the brakes do not seem to work properly, make a lot of noise, smell funny, or the brake pedal goes to the floor, have a mechanic check them.

Only your brakes can stop the car, and a pedal that sinks to the floor means they may soon fail.

If they do not seem to be working properly, are making a lot of noise, smell funny, or the brake pedal goes to the floor, have a mechanic check them out.

Make sure turn signals, brake lights, taillights and headlights work, checking them from the outside of the vehicle.

A dead brake light gives the driver behind no warning, and they hit you when you stop.

These should be checked from the outside of the vehicle.

If you have trouble seeing at night or other drivers keep flashing their headlights at you, have a mechanic check the headlights, since an out-of-line headlight can blind other drivers.

A headlight aimed wrong lights the trees instead of the road and dazzles drivers coming at you.

If you are having trouble seeing at night or if other drivers are constantly flashing their headlights at you, have a mechanic check out the headlights.

Damaged windshield glass can break more easily in a minor collision, so have a damaged windshield replaced; replace wiper blades that are not clearing water well.

A cracked windshield can shatter in a small bump, and smeared wipers hide the road in rain.

Damaged glass can break more easily in a minor collision or when something hits the windshield.

Worn or bald tires can increase the stopping distance, make turning harder on wet roads, and cause hydroplaning.

Bald tires ride up on a film of water and the car will not steer or stop.

Worn or bald tires can increase the stopping distance and make turning more difficult when the road is wet.

If the vehicle bounces, the steering wheel shakes, or the vehicle pulls to one side, have a mechanic check it.

A car that pulls or shakes can jerk out of your lane when you brake hard.

If the vehicle bounces, the steering wheel shakes, or the vehicle pulls to one side, have a mechanic check it out.

If the vehicle bounces a lot after a bump or a stop, or is hard to control, you may need new shocks or other suspension parts.

Worn shocks let the car bounce and lose grip just when you need to swerve.

If the vehicle bounces a lot after a bump or a stop, or is hard to control, you may need new shocks or other suspension parts.

Whose duty is it to make sure a vehicle is safe to operate?

The driver of the vehicle. A car with bad brakes or bald tires can turn an easy stop into a crash. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.23: “It is the duty of drivers to make certain that the vehicles they drive are safe to operate.”