New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 13
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A crash happens directly in front of you and vehicles are blocking both lanes. What should you do?
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Answer B: Stop at a safe distance, put on the hazards and warn the traffic behind
The greatest danger after a crash is a second collision, so stop short of it and make sure the traffic behind you can see the problem.
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2. You have printed directions or paperwork you need to check. When should you read them?
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Answer C: Before you leave, or after you park
Reading takes eyes and mind off the road for far longer than any safe glance, and a light that changes while you read leaves you moving off blind.
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3. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.
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4. A front tire blows out at highway speed. What should you do?
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Answer B: Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and slow gradually before leaving the road
A blowout pulls the vehicle toward the failed tire, and hard braking or sharp steering can turn that pull into a spin, so a firm grip and gradual slowing keep the vehicle straight.
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5. What grace period does New Mexico give a driver whose vehicle registration has just expired?
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Answer C: None; late penalties apply as soon as the registration expires
New Mexico allows no grace period for an expired vehicle registration; late penalties apply from the moment it expires.
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6. Under New Mexico's driver manual, within what distance of an approaching vehicle should headlights be used, when lights are needed?
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Answer C: Within at least 500 feet
New Mexico's manual instructs drivers to use their headlights within at least 500 feet of an approaching vehicle whenever lights are needed.
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7. A yellow diamond showing two vertical arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down, warns that
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Answer A: the road ahead carries traffic in both directions
The two-way traffic sign warns that the roadway ahead is not divided and that vehicles will be coming from the opposite direction.
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8. You approach a one-lane bridge and there is a yield sign facing your side of it. What does that mean?
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Answer B: Oncoming traffic crosses the bridge first and you wait at the approach
At a one-lane bridge the yield sign tells one direction to give way, so you wait clear of the bridge until oncoming traffic has crossed.
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9. During the reversing part of a three-point turn, where should you be looking?
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Answer C: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing both ways
You look through the rear window in the direction the car is moving, checking both ways for traffic and people, because mirrors and cameras leave blind areas.
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10. A driver is thinking about overtaking a slower vehicle and sees this sign a short distance ahead. What does it mean for that pass?
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Answer B: The pass must be finished before the restricted section begins
The sign marks the start of a section where passing is prohibited, so a driver may not be on the left side of the road beyond it; any pass has to be completed before that point or not started at all.
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11. You are stopped at a red light waiting to turn right where the turn is allowed. Besides traffic from the left, what must you check?
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Answer D: Both crosswalks, and anyone approaching along your right side
A right turn on red crosses the crosswalk in front of you and enters the one on the cross street, and cyclists often approach along your right.
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12. A ball rolls into the street from between parked cars ahead of you. What should you expect and do?
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Answer A: Expect a child to follow it and be ready to stop
A ball is usually followed by a child who is watching the ball and not the traffic. Slow down and be prepared to stop immediately.
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13. You are waiting to turn left and a motorcycle is approaching from the opposite direction. Why should you take extra care judging its speed and distance?
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Answer A: Its small size makes it look farther away and slower than it really is
A motorcycle's narrow profile fools the eye, so drivers often misjudge how soon it will arrive. Left turns across an oncoming motorcycle are a leading cause of rider deaths.
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14. You and a driver coming from the opposite direction reach a four-way stop at the same time and you are both going straight ahead. What happens next?
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Answer D: Both of you may move off together, because your paths do not cross each other
Opposing vehicles that are both going straight do not cross paths, so they can move off together once the intersection is clear.
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15. Where is a road work ahead sign placed?
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Answer B: In advance of the work space or detour, so drivers are warned before reaching it
Advance warning signs are placed upstream of the work space or detour so that drivers have time to slow down and change lanes before reaching the activity.
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16. A regulatory message is normally carried on a sign whose shape is
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Answer A: a rectangle standing taller than it is wide
Regulatory signs that state a law, such as speed limits and turn restrictions, use a vertical rectangle with a black legend on a white background.
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17. When is a driver or rider most likely to need hand and arm signals instead of the vehicle turn signal lamps?
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Answer D: When the lamps have failed or cannot be seen because of glare or a load
Hand and arm signals replace or reinforce the lamps whenever the lamps do not work or cannot be seen clearly by other road users.
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18. A bicyclist in the bike lane ahead of you signals and starts to move left toward the turn lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and let the rider move across
A bicyclist who needs to leave the bike lane to turn left is changing lanes like any driver, and following traffic should make room.
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19. A bicyclist is riding in the middle of a narrow travel lane ahead of you. What is the correct response?
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Answer D: Slow down and wait until you can pass with wide clearance, changing lanes if needed
A bicyclist has the same right to use the lane as a driver, and a narrow lane may not leave safe passing room, so wait for a gap that lets you move over and pass with a wide margin.
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20. You are the second vehicle waiting to turn left on a green ball. Where should you wait?
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Answer A: Behind the stop line, until the first vehicle has actually turned
Only the lead vehicle should move into the intersection to wait; a second vehicle inside it is likely to be stranded there when the light changes.
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21. Why can an oncoming vehicle that looks comfortably far away leave you far less room than you expect?
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Answer D: You and that vehicle close the gap at the sum of both your speeds
Two vehicles approaching at 55 mph each close the distance between them at about 110 mph, so the gap disappears in half the time you would expect.
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22. Which common non-prescription medicine is most likely to make a driver drowsy?
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Answer C: A cold or allergy remedy containing an antihistamine
Antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies are a leading cause of drowsiness behind the wheel, which is why the label carries a warning.
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23. On loose gravel or deep fresh snow, how does an antilock system affect the stopping distance?
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Answer D: It can lengthen it, although you keep the ability to steer
On loose surfaces a locked wheel piles up a wedge of gravel or snow that helps it stop, so the antilock stop can be longer even though steering still works.
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24. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?
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Answer C: Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
Alternating one for one at the merge point keeps both lanes moving and is the safest way to combine slow traffic.
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25. On an unlit road, about how far ahead do high beams normally let you see?
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Answer D: About 350 to 500 feet ahead of the vehicle
High beams light roughly 350 to 500 feet of road and low beams far less, which is why night speeds have to be chosen around the beam, not the limit.