Title 32 — MOTOR VEHICLES

Every motor vehicle, as defined by subdivision § 32-14-1(17) and every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer manufactured or sold in this state, and any combination of such vehicles operating upon a highway within this state shall be equipped with brakes in compliance with the r…

Any farm vehicle designed and used primarily for tillage or harvesting, or wagons and other implements of husbandry, drawn by another vehicle, if the use thereof is confined to agricultural purposes or to the conveyance of agricultural products and the transportation of farm prop…

Any vehicle designed and used primarily for the distribution and application of agricultural fertilizer or chemicals, when drawn by another vehicle shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter. However, vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of over twenty thousand pounds ma…

Every motor vehicle described in § 32-18-1 , trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and every combination of such vehicles, except motorcycles and motor - driven cycles, equipped with brakes shall have the braking system so arranged that one control device can be used to operate…

Every towing vehicle, when used to tow another vehicle equipped with air controlled brakes, in other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with two means for emergency application of the trailer brakes. One of these means shall apply the brakes automatically in …

Every towing vehicle used to tow other vehicles equipped with vacuum brakes, in operations other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall have, in addition to the single control device required by § 32-18-10 , a second control device which can be used to operate the brakes on …

Every vehicle described in § 32-18-1 and combination of vehicles, except motorcycles and motor - driven cycles, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, i…

The parking brakes shall be capable of being applied in conformance with the requirements of § 32-18-13 by the driver's muscular effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other source of power provided that failure…

The parking brakes shall be so designed that when once applied they shall remain applied with the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 1 (b); SL 1968, ch 178 , § 2.

The same brake drums, brake shoes, and lining assemblies, brake shoe anchors, and mechanical brake shoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes. On vehicles manufactured or sold after J…

Every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer equipped with air or vacuum actuated brakes and every trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer with a gross weight in excess of three thousand pounds, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1967, shall be equipped with brakes acting on …

Every motor vehicle manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1967, and used to tow a trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer equipped with brakes, shall be equipped with means for providing that in case of breakaway of the towed vehicle, the towing vehicle will be capable of being s…

Every bus, truck, or truck tractor with air operated brakes shall be equipped with at least one reservoir sufficient to ensure that, when fully charged to the maximum pressure as regulated by the air compressor governor cut - out setting, a full service brake application may be m…

Every vehicle described in § 32-18-1 shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels except as provided by §§ 32-18-3 to 32-18-6 , inclusive. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 1 (c); SL 1968, ch 178 , § 3.

Every bus, truck, or truck tractor using compressed air for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on any towed vehicle, shall be provided with a warning signal, other than a pressure gauge, readily audible or visible to the driver, which will operate at any time the air r…

Every truck with three or more axles equipped with vacuum assistor type brakes and every truck tractor and truck used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum brakes shall be equipped with a reserve capacity or a vacuum reservoir sufficient to ensure that, with the reserve capac…

Every truck tractor and truck used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum operated brakes and every truck with three or more axles using vacuum in the operation of its brakes, except those in driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with a warning signal, other than …

When a vehicle required to be equipped with a warning device is equipped with both air and vacuum power for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on a towed vehicle, the warning devices required by §§ 32-18-20 and 32-18-22 may be, but are not required to be, combined into…

All motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and pole trailers, when equipped with air or vacuum reservoirs or reserve capacity as required by § 32-18-19 or 32-18-21 , shall have such reservoirs or reserve capacity so safeguarded by a check valve or equivalent device that in the e…

Air brake systems installed on trailers manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1967, shall be so designed that the supply reservoir used to provide air for the brakes shall be safeguarded against backflow of air from the reservoir through the supply line. A violation of this sec…

All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0346; SL 1967, ch 197 , …

The Department of Public Safety is authorized to require an inspection of the braking system on any motor - driven cycle and to disapprove any such braking system on a vehicle which it finds will not comply with the performance ability standard set forth in §§ 32-18-8 and 32-18-9…

The Department of Public Safety may refuse to register or may suspend or revoke the registration of any vehicle referred to in § 32-18-27 when it determines that the braking system thereon does not comply with the provisions of §§ 32-18-8 and

The term, hydraulic brake fluid, as used in § 32-18-30 shall mean the liquid medium through which force is transmitted to the brakes in the hydraulic brake system of a vehicle. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 5 (a); SL 1974, ch 219 , § 24.

Trailers, semitrailers, or pole trailers of a maximum gross weight not exceeding three thousand pounds, and trailers, semitrailers, or pole trailers of a maximum gross weight not exceeding seven thousand pounds manufactured or assembled prior to July 1, 1974, need not be equipped…

Hydraulic brake fluid shall be distributed and serviced with due regard for the safety of the occupants of the vehicle and the public. Source: SL 1967, ch 197 , § 5 (b). 32-18-31, 32-18-32. Repealed by SL 1974, ch 219 , § 24.

Any vehicle being towed in driveaway or towaway operations need not be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels, provided the combination of vehicles is capable of complying with the performance requirements of §§ 32-18-8 and

Any truck and truck tractor having three or more axles need not have brakes on the front wheels if the vehicle was manufactured before July 25, 1980. If any truck and truck tractor having three or more axles is equipped with at least two steerable axles, the wheels of one steerab…

The wheel of a sidecar attached to a motorcycle or to a motor - driven cycle, or the front wheel of a motor - driven cycle need not be equipped with brakes, provided that such motorcycle or motor - driven cycle is capable of complying with the performance requirements of §§ 32-18…

Every vehicle described in § 32-18-1 and combination of vehicles except special mobile equipment which includes vehicles not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway, including but not limited …

Every motor vehicle described in § 32-18-1 and combination of vehicles, at all times and under all conditions of loading, upon application of the service brake, shall be capable of: (1) Developing a braking force that is not less than the percentage of its gross weight tabulated …

Tests for deceleration and stopping distance under § 32-18-8 shall be made on a substantially level (not to exceed plus or minus one percent grade), dry, smooth, hard surface that is free from loose material. Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0346; SL 1967, ch 197 , § 2.