Yielding right of way — South Dakota Permit Test

Yielding right of way on the South Dakota permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

Right-of-way rules show who should yield, but no one should assume he or she automatically has the right-of-way; the situation at the intersection must always be considered.

A driver who goes because it is his turn can still be hit by someone who never saw him.

Although yielding right-of-way rules provide a guide to determine who should yield the right-of-way, no one should assume he or she automatically has the right-of-way.
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

You should yield to the driver who is at, or arrives before you at, the intersection.

Two cars both rolling into a crossing at once is how side crashes happen.

The driver who is at or arrives before you at the intersection
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

When you are making a left turn, yield to drivers in the opposing traffic lane.

Turning left across an oncoming car puts your door in front of its bumper.

Drivers in the opposing traffic lane when you are making a left turn
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

At an all-way stop, if you and another driver arrive at the same time, yield to the driver on your right.

Without a rule for ties, two drivers start at once and meet in the middle.

The driver on your right at an all-way stop intersection if both of you arrive at the intersection at the same time
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

When entering a public highway from a driveway or a private road, yield to drivers on the highway.

Pulling out of a driveway into a car doing highway speed leaves it no time to stop.

Drivers on a public highway if you are entering the highway from a driveway or a private road
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

On an entrance or acceleration ramp, yield to drivers already on the limited-access or interstate highway.

Forcing your way off the ramp makes interstate traffic brake hard or swerve into the next lane.

Drivers already on a limited access or interstate highway if you are on the entrance or acceleration ramp
South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31

On the test

What does the manual say about having the right-of-way?

No driver should assume it is theirs automatically. A driver who goes because it is his turn can still be hit by someone who never saw him. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.31: “Although yielding right-of-way rules provide a guide to determine who should yield the right-of-way, no one should assume he or she automatically has the right-of-way.”

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.