South Dakota CDL: Passenger Vehicles Practice Test

Not quite. The answer is only if getting off the bus would be more risky for the riders.

Passengers should not be aboard a bus while it is being towed unless it would be more dangerous for them to exit the vehicle. Passengers can remain aboard the bus only until it is towed or pushed to the nearest safe location.

Not quite. The answer is 50 feet

When you approach a drawbridge without a signal light or traffic control attendant, you must stop at least 50 feet before the draw of the bridge to make sure that the drawbridge is closed and safe to cross.

Not quite. The answer is flash your brake lights to let the drivers behind you know that you are stopping.

You may have to stop on the roadway to load or unload passengers. In such situations, warn following drivers by flashing your brake lights. Do not stop suddenly.

Not quite. The answer is all of the above have been checked.

Before driving your passenger vehicle, you must also inspect the interior to ensure passenger safety. Make sure that the aisles and stairwells are clear, all emergency exits are closed and secured, all signaling devices are in working order, and the handles, handholds, and railings are securely fastened.

Not quite. The answer is All of the above

The North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria includes the following critical inspection items for passenger vehicles, such as buses and passenger vans: (1) All required emergency exits must be present, fully operative, and unobstructed. (2) No passenger seats may be loose. (3) There must be no bare cables exposed in the battery compartment or engine compartment. (In this context, a cable is the power-conveying part of a high-wattage or high-voltage electrical system.) If any of these critical criteria are not met, your bus can be put out of service.

Not quite. The answer is 15

Under federal regulations on commercial motor vehicles, every bus transporting passengers must stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail at a railroad crossing.

Source: 49 CFR § 392.10

Not quite. The answer is No, because it may distract the bus driver from driving.

Conversations with passengers represent a distraction from the driving task. The bus driver should avoid all potential distractions while driving the bus. The only real way to treat feelings of sleepiness is with sleep.

Not quite. The answer is slow down.

When switching from high-beam lights to low beams, slow down, since you will not be able to see as far in front of you.

Not quite. The answer is the defects listed on it have been certified as either repaired or not needing to be repaired.

Don't sign a previous driver's inspection report unless the defects listed on it have been certified as either repaired or not needing to be repaired. You will, of course, perform your own pre-trip inspection.

Not quite. The answer is Your stopping distance quadruples if you double your speed.

You need about four times as much stopping distance when travelling at 40 mph compared to 20 mph.

Not quite. The answer is Never

During your pre-trip inspection, make sure that the emergency exit doors and windows are closed. Never drive with them open. However, you are allowed to lock some emergency roof hatches in a partly open position for fresh air. Keep in mind that doing so adds to the height of the bus.

Not quite. The answer is 15 to 50 feet

At a railroad crossing, you must stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. Don't proceed across until you are sure that no trains are coming. (Don't trust the railroad crossing signals alone; signals can malfunction.)

Not quite. The answer is 16

To drive a vehicle with 16 or more occupants including yourself, you must have a CDL with a Passenger (P) endorsement.

Not quite. The answer is Yes.

Passenger buses can carry up to 100 pounds of each class of hazardous materials and up to 500 pounds total. However, there are some exceptions. Division 2.3 (poison gas) and liquid Class 6 (poison) cannot be carried in any amounts. Explosives and radioactives cannot be carried in the passenger area.

Not quite. The answer is it must be closed whenever the bus is in motion.

Emergency exits must be closed whenever the bus is in motion. If an emergency exit has a red emergency exit light, it should be turned on whenever conditions require you to turn on your headlights.

Not quite. The answer is No.

Never drive with an open emergency exit door or window. As part of your pre-trip inspection of the interior of the bus, check that all emergency exit doors and windows are securely closed.

Not quite. The answer is Swaying your body to see around obstructions

A vehicle's pillars help hold up the roof and maintain structural integrity of the vehicle. The pillars on a bus can be quite wide. Together with the side mirrors, they create obstructions to your vision that can be at least a foot wide, resulting in blind spots. A pedestrian (or even a small vehicle) can seem to disappear completely behind a pillar, which can be especially dangerous if you turn into the pedestrian's path. For this reason, your bus driving instructor may teach you to "rock and roll" when turning your bus: sway your body forward and backward and from side to side to help you see around the pillars and mirrors.

Not quite. The answer is in front of the standee line.

Buses that allow passengers to stand must have some way to show passengers that they must stand behind the driver. This can be a two-inch-wide line (called the standee line) on the floor behind the driver's seat.

Not quite. The answer is wait for a sufficient gap.

You should know the size of the gap that your bus needs to accelerate and merge with traffic. Before leaving the bus stop, wait for a large enough gap to open. Never assume other drivers will brake to give you room when you signal or start to pull out.

Not quite. The answer is may be unsafe for a bus.

The posted speed for a curve may be safe for cars but too fast for buses. With good traction, the bus may roll over; with poor traction, it might slide off the curve. If your bus leans toward the outside on a banked curve, you are driving too fast. The safest way to take a curve in a bus is to slow down before the curve and then accelerate slightly through the curve.