South Dakota's Driver License Manual

It's widely known that one of the things people like to do on a chilly, South Dakota night is to stay at home, start a fire, and curl up with...the Driver License Manual.

Alright, maybe not. But, the manual does contain a lot of information―tips that will help new drivers pass their knowledge test to obtain their license, and some useful information for veteran drivers, as well.

You may get your copy by stopping by your local exam station. Or, you can download it.

To view and print the manual, you'll need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (7.0 or higher) from the Adobe Web site.

You may also request a copy by sending an e-mail to dps.sdlicensinginfo@state.sd.us. Make sure to include your name and mailing address. The state requests, though, that you obtain your manual by other methods (if possible) in order to save on mailing fees.

The manual is divided into three sections:

• Rules of the Road

• Be in Shape to Drive

• Emergencies

In the first section, you'll learn about basic driving techniques such as starting, accelerating, stopping, and controlling your speed. You'll read about techniques for adjusting to traffic and sharing road space as well as dealing with special situations such as highway driving, backing up, merging, and maneuvering through construction areas.

The second section deals with how your physical and emotional situation can affect your driving. Health issues, emotions, fatigue, vision, and hearing are all discussed. You'll also read about the effect that alcohol has on your body, and why drinking alcohol makes it so difficult to drive safely.

The third section deals with emergencies. It outlines some of the common things that can go wrong with your vehicle (tire blowout, brake failure, gas pedal sticking, headlight failure) and how to deal with them. You'll also receive an education on how to react when your car begins to skid, how to best avoid collisions, and how to protect yourself in case you are in a collision or crash.

As you can see, while the Driver Manual is geared to the first-time driver, even veteran drivers can gain something from reading it.

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