Speed limits, laws and fines in South Dakota
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The following is an overview of the laws, restrictions, and penalties associated with traffic violations in the state of South Dakota.
Speed limits in South Dakota
As of April 2016, South Dakota is one of six states that currently has an 80 mph speed limit.
80 mph: Rural Interstates and Freeways except I-90 between Rapid City and the Wyoming border.
75 mph: urban highways and freeways
70 mph: divided four-lane rural highways
55 mph: city roads
25 miles per hour: city streets without limits
25 mph: residential areas
15 mph: school zones
Code of South Dakota at reasonable and reasonable speed
The law of maximum speed:
According to SD Motor Code section 32-25-3, "It is illegal for a person to operate a motor vehicle at a speed that is more than reasonable and reasonable under the prevailing conditions."
Minimum speed law:
Sections 32-25-5.1, 32-25-5 and 32-26-1 state:
"No one should drive a car at such a low speed that it interferes with the normal and reasonable movement of traffic."
"Prohibited from driving under 40 mph on interstate highways."
"A person driving a slow-moving vehicle should drive as close as possible to the right edge or shoulder of the highway."
Due to differences in speedometer calibration, tire size, and inaccuracies in speed detection technology, it is rare for an officer to stop a driver for speeding less than five miles. However, technically, any excess can be considered a speed violation, so it is recommended not to go beyond the established limits.
Although it can be difficult to challenge a speeding ticket in South Dakota due to the absolute speed limit law, a driver can go to court and plead not guilty on the basis of one of the following:
The driver may object to the determination of the speed. To qualify for this protection, the driver must know how his or her speed was determined and then learn to disprove its accuracy.
The driver may claim that, due to an emergency, the driver violated the speed limit to prevent injury or damage to himself or others.
The driver may report a case of misidentification. If a police officer records a driver speeding and subsequently has to find him again in a traffic jam, he may have made a mistake and stopped the wrong car.
Speeding ticket in South Dakota
First-time offenders may:
Be fined up to $370
Be sentenced to up to 30 days in prison
Reckless driving ticket in South Dakota
There is no set amount by which speeding is considered reckless driving in this state. Such a determination may be made on the basis of other factors associated with the violation.
First-time offenders may:
Be fined up to $1,000
Be sentenced to imprisonment for up to one year
Suspend license (via points system)
Unlike most states, South Dakota does not apply points to the driving record of violators for speeding.
