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South Dakota driving lesson · Before You Drive

Seatbelts and air bags

A 3-minute lesson from the South Dakota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Before You Drive
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
22, 23, 25

Seatbelts keep you from being thrown from the vehicle and help you keep control. Air bags only add protection on top of a belt; they are not a substitute for one.

Know the rule

In South Dakota it is illegal to drive or be a front-seat passenger without wearing a seatbelt.

Handbook p. 22 ↗

Know the rule

The law requires all operators, front-seat passengers and children under 18 to wear appropriate restraints while the vehicle is in motion.

Handbook p. 23 ↗

Know the rule

The driver must make sure front-seat passengers aged 5 to 17 are buckled. This violation is not a moving traffic offense.

Handbook p. 23 ↗

Wear the belt correctly:

  • Shoulder harness across the shoulder and chest with minimal slack
  • Never under the arm or behind the back: it could cause serious internal injuries
  • Lap belt snug and low across the hips, or you could slide out of it in a crash
Handbook p. 22 ↗

Know the rule

Air bags protect against hitting the wheel, dash or windshield, but not in side or rear impacts or rollovers, and they won't keep you behind the wheel.

Handbook p. 22 ↗

Know the rule

Air bags are supplemental restraints designed to work best with seatbelts; belts position your body to get the air bag's benefit.

Handbook p. 23 ↗

Seatbelt myths, and the facts:

  • "Belts trap you": unbuckling takes under a second; fire or deep-water crashes seldom happen
  • "Not needed around town": over half of traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home
  • "Thrown clear is safer": your chances are much better if you stay inside the vehicle
  • "Hit from the side, I'll slide away": you slide toward the point of the crash
  • "I can brace myself": at 25 mph a head-on crash is like diving off a three-story building
Handbook p. 25 ↗
25 miles

Over half of traffic deaths happen within this distance of home, many on roads posted under 45 mph

Handbook p. 25 ↗

Put it into practice

Your passenger tucks the shoulder belt behind their back because it rubs their neck. Ask them to wear it across the shoulder and chest; worn behind the back or under the arm, it can cause serious internal injuries in a crash.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

In South Dakota, who is legally required to wear a seatbelt in the front seat?
  1. The driver and front-seat riders
  2. Only the driver
  3. Only passengers over 18
  4. Only passengers under 18

Answer: The driver and front-seat riders

It is illegal to drive or be a front-seat passenger in South Dakota without wearing a seatbelt.

Handbook p. 22 ↗
Why should you wear a seatbelt even in a vehicle equipped with air bags?
  1. Seatbelts keep air bags from deploying
  2. Air bags protect only in rollovers
  3. Air bags don't help in side or rear hits
  4. Seatbelts are needed only on highways

Answer: Air bags don't help in side or rear hits

Air bags are good protection against frontal impacts, but they do not help in side or rear impacts or rollovers, so a seatbelt is still needed.

Handbook p. 22 ↗
Wearing the shoulder harness under your arm instead of across your chest is a safe alternative if it feels more comfortable.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

The shoulder harness should never be worn under the arm or behind the back, as it could cause serious internal injuries in a crash.

Handbook p. 22 ↗
Most traffic deaths happen more than 25 miles from home, on roads posted at 45 mph or more.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

Over half of all traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home, and many occur on roads posted at less than 45 mph.

Handbook p. 25 ↗
Your chances of not being killed in a crash are much better if you stay inside the vehicle rather than being thrown clear.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

The handbook debunks the myth that being thrown clear is safer; staying inside the vehicle improves your odds.

Handbook p. 25 ↗
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