New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 29
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age15 years
-
1. How does a full load of passengers and luggage affect your braking?
Show answer
Answer B: It lengthens the stopping distance, so you should brake earlier
More weight means more energy to get rid of, so a loaded vehicle takes longer to stop and needs earlier, gentler braking.
-
2. Along a highway the reference markers count upward as you travel. Where does the numbering normally begin?
Show answer
Answer C: At the southern or western edge of the state
Mileage numbering starts where the route enters the state from the south or the west, so rising numbers tell a driver which way they are heading.
-
3. Beyond this sign, cones and temporary signs lead traffic along a path that does not agree with the lines painted on the pavement. Which one must the driver follow?
Show answer
Answer C: The temporary arrangement, because it replaces the permanent layout while the work lasts
Temporary traffic control set up for the work takes precedence over the permanent signs and markings, which no longer describe how the road is being used.
-
4. You find that your shoulder belt has some slack in it. Why does that matter?
Show answer
Answer D: You travel further before the belt restrains you, so injuries are worse
Slack lets your body build up speed before the belt takes hold, which increases the forces on you and the risk of hitting the interior.
-
5. You are leaving a freeway at an exit that has a deceleration lane. Where should you slow down?
Show answer
Answer C: After you have moved fully into the exit lane
Braking in a through lane surprises the traffic behind you, so you move into the exit lane at highway speed and then slow down inside it.
-
6. The red oil pressure warning light comes on while you are driving. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Pull over safely as soon as possible and shut off the engine
Loss of oil pressure means the engine is no longer being lubricated and can be destroyed within minutes. Stop, shut down and check before restarting.
-
7. Which ability does alcohol usually affect first?
Show answer
Answer A: Judgment and self control
Alcohol reduces judgment and inhibition before a drinker notices any clumsiness, which is why an impaired driver often feels perfectly capable while already driving worse.
-
8. A bicycle symbol topped by two chevrons is painted in the middle of a travel lane. What does that marking indicate?
Show answer
Answer D: Bicyclists share the lane with motor vehicles and may ride away from the curb
A shared lane marking shows drivers where bicyclists are likely to ride in a lane used by both bicycles and motor vehicles.
-
9. A driver stopped on suspicion of impaired driving refuses to take a chemical test. What happens?
Show answer
Answer D: A license penalty follows for the refusal itself
Under implied consent, holding a license means agreeing to testing, so a refusal brings its own suspension separately from anything the court decides.
-
10. A yellow sign reading DEAD END is posted at the entrance to a street. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer D: The street ends and there is no way through
A dead end street stops at its far end, so a driver who enters must come back out the same way.
-
11. On which approach is this sign normally installed?
Show answer
Answer C: On the road that ends, far enough ahead for the driver to slow down
The warning belongs on the approach that terminates, placed early enough that the driver can lose speed and choose a direction before reaching the junction.
-
12. How far ahead should you normally be looking while driving?
Show answer
Answer D: About 12 to 15 seconds of travel ahead
Looking that far ahead, roughly a block in town and much farther on a highway, gives you time to see a problem developing and adjust before it becomes an emergency.
-
13. In plain words, what is understeer?
Show answer
Answer B: The vehicle keeps going straight even though the wheels are turned
Understeer means the front tires have run out of grip, so the vehicle takes a wider line than the one you steered.
-
14. On a rural road, the driver of a slow farm tractor ahead of you signals a left turn even though there is no road or driveway in sight. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Stay behind the tractor, because it may be turning into a field entrance
Farm equipment often turns into fields through gaps you cannot see, and it may swing wide to do so. Passing a vehicle that is signaling a left turn is a common cause of crashes.
-
15. How long must a New Mexico teen hold the instructional permit before moving to the next stage?
Show answer
Answer D: Six months
The instructional permit must be held for at least six months, and each traffic violation committed on the permit adds another 30 days to that minimum.
-
16. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
Show answer
Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
-
17. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves
Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.
-
18. A traffic signal ahead is showing a flashing red light. What does it require?
Show answer
Answer C: Stop completely, then go when the way is clear, as at a stop sign
A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign: stop completely, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when it is safe.
-
19. A white regulatory sign shows the silhouette of a truck inside a red circle with a diagonal slash. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer A: Trucks are not allowed to use that road
The circle and slash over a symbol always means the movement or vehicle shown is prohibited, so trucks must keep off that roadway.
-
20. You have fitted small convex blind spot mirrors to the door mirrors. What is true of them?
Show answer
Answer A: They help a good deal, but you should still look over your shoulder as well
Add-on mirrors reduce but do not remove the blind spot, and they make vehicles look smaller and further away.
-
21. The overhead signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Prepare to move out of that lane
A steady yellow X warns that the lane is about to close, so drivers should get ready to vacate it in favor of an open lane.
-
22. Does using a hands free device remove the risk of distraction?
Show answer
Answer A: No, the conversation still takes attention away from driving
Hands free equipment removes the manual part of the distraction but not the mental part, and a driver deep in conversation can look straight at a hazard without registering it.
-
23. Where should you be looking as you back into a parallel parking space?
Show answer
Answer B: Over your shoulder through the rear window, glancing all around
Mirrors and cameras leave blind areas, so turn and look through the rear window while checking the front of your car and both sides as it swings.
-
24. A child in the back seat unfastens a seat belt while you are on the freeway. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Pull off safely and refasten the belt
Turning or reaching back takes your eyes and hands off a high speed task, so leave the freeway or use the shoulder only if there is no exit, then fix the belt.
-
25. Small green signs with white numerals posted at regular intervals along a highway are used to
Show answer
Answer B: show distance along the route and give a reference point for reporting a location
Reference location signs, commonly called mileposts, carry white numerals on green and let a driver describe exactly where a breakdown or crash has occurred.