If you've spent any time at the Department of Motor Vehicles lately, like I did in September, you're aware that good and bad drivers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and questionable apparel. At least that was my observation.

But because I was there renewing my license with other people of a certain age, I began to wonder what the age limits were for older drivers in South Dakota.

Well, it turns out that there aren't any specific age limits, but as drivers age you do have to renew your license every 5 years and do it in person every 10 years, plus you also have to take a mandatory vision test.

A written test and a road test may be required at the discretion of the DMV personnel.

The most common restrictions for older drivers have to do with corrective eyewear. But there are other requirements that the DMV may impose on older drivers according to the website NOLO.com, including:

  • driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission
  • no nighttime driving
  • no driving outside a specific geographic area
  • only driving within a 50-mile radius of your home
  • driving a vehicle with specified equipment

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety has a checklist for people wondering if they should still be driving:

  • Do you get lost while driving?
  • Are family and friends worried about your driving?
  • Do other drivers seem too fast, appear out of nowhere or honk at you?
  • Have you had more “near misses” or been stopped by police lately?
  • Do busy intersections, left-hand turns or parking make you nervous?

Older drivers can also improve their driving skills with Aging Driver Courses through AARP and Triple-A. For more information see the Department of Public Safety.

Sources: NOLO and South Dakota Department of Public Safety 

9 Sioux Falls Streets Visitors Have A Hard Time Pronouncing

If you are visiting or new to Sioux Falls and trying to find your way around, chances are you really don't need to pronounce street names correctly. All you have to do is enter your destination into Google Maps and your phone will show you the way.

But what if you are trying to tell someone where your cool friend or family member lives in our fine city? Some of our streets and avenues have tricky spellings that may throw visitors for a loop when trying to sound them out.

No one is going to mess up on the big thoroughfares like Minnesota Avenue, Western Avenue, or Louise Avenue but what about these?

Gallery Credit: Ben Davis

See How East 10th Street in Sioux Falls Has Changed

It's really interesting using Google Streetview to compare the changes from the earliest pictures to the latest.

For Sioux Falls, the earliest views are from 2008 and the latest from early 2022.

Some of the looks aren't the clearest, but it still gives a real good look at how dynamic the east side of Sioux Falls is.