SC DMV Permit Safe Driving Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When driving at night in SC, when should you dim your high-beam headlights?
- Only in city limits
- Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind a vehicle you are following (Correct answer)
- Only when another driver flashes their lights at you
- At all times in residential areas
Correct answer: Within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or 300 feet behind a vehicle you are following
SC law requires dimming high beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic and 300 feet when following another vehicle.
Question 2: What should you do if you start to skid on ice in SC?
- Brake hard and turn into the skid
- Ease off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go (Correct answer)
- Accelerate to regain traction
- Turn the steering wheel sharply opposite to the skid
Correct answer: Ease off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go
When skidding, remove your foot from the accelerator and gently steer toward the direction you want to travel to regain control.
Question 3: What is the minimum tread depth for legally operating a vehicle in South Carolina?
- 1/32 inch
- 2/32 inch (Correct answer)
- 4/32 inch
- 6/32 inch
Correct answer: 2/32 inch
Tires must have at least 2/32 inch of tread depth to be legal in SC; less than this significantly reduces wet weather traction.
Question 4: In SC, when is it legal to use a handheld mobile device while driving?
- When stopped at a red light
- When driving at speeds below 25 mph
- It is never legal to use a handheld device while driving (Correct answer)
- When using speakerphone only
Correct answer: It is never legal to use a handheld device while driving
South Carolina law prohibits the use of handheld devices while operating a moving vehicle, including at red lights in some jurisdictions.
Question 5: What does 'covering the brake' mean as a driving technique?
- Pressing the brake and gas simultaneously
- Moving your foot over the brake without pressing it, ready to stop quickly (Correct answer)
- Pumping the brakes to slow down gradually
- Applying light brake pressure continuously
Correct answer: Moving your foot over the brake without pressing it, ready to stop quickly
Covering the brake means hovering your foot over the brake pedal in anticipation of needing to stop, reducing reaction time.
Question 6: Why should you avoid driving in another vehicle's blind spot on SC highways?
- It wastes fuel due to drafting effects
- The other driver cannot see you and may change lanes into you (Correct answer)
- It reduces your own visibility
- High-beam headlights are required in blind spots
Correct answer: The other driver cannot see you and may change lanes into you
Driving in another vehicle's blind spot makes you invisible to that driver, creating a serious risk of a lane-change collision.
SC DMV Permit Safe Driving Techniques 2
When driving at night in SC, when should you dim your high-beam headlights?