New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 40
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. A sign at the start of an exit ramp shows a speed much lower than the highway limit. What does it apply to?
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Answer C: The curve of the ramp itself, once you have left the highway
The ramp speed is set by the sharpness of the ramp curve, so you slow to it inside the deceleration lane rather than out on the highway.
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2. How should you follow a school bus in traffic?
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Answer A: Far enough back to see its lights and stop in time
A school bus stops often and with little warning, so a longer following distance gives you time to see the lights come on and stop clear of it.
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3. How does a NO OUTLET sign differ from a DEAD END sign?
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Answer B: It warns that a whole group of streets has no way out
No Outlet is posted where the road leads into a network of streets from which there is no through route, while Dead End refers to the single street itself.
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4. In a work zone the temporary lane lines conflict with the old lines still visible on the pavement. Which do you follow?
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Answer C: The temporary markings, which show the current traffic pattern
Temporary markings define the traffic pattern in force, and the old lines are simply the layout that no longer applies.
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5. At a stop sign with a painted stop line and a crosswalk, where must you stop?
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Answer D: At the stop line, before it and before the crosswalk
You stop at the stop line first, and only if there is no stop line do you stop before the crosswalk, and only if there is neither do you stop before entering the intersection.
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6. What is the correct order of a pass on a two-lane road?
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Answer A: Check ahead and behind, signal left, move out, accelerate past, signal right and return
A pass begins with the decision that the road is clear and ends with a signaled return, and each step warns other drivers before the vehicle moves.
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7. You have just passed a large truck on the freeway. Why is it dangerous to pull back in front of it and then brake for your exit?
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Answer B: A loaded truck needs much more distance to stop than a car
A fully loaded tractor-trailer can need the length of a football field or more to stop from highway speed. Cutting in and braking leaves the driver no room to avoid hitting you.
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8. What does a NARROW BRIDGE warning sign tell a driver?
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Answer A: The bridge is tighter than the road leading up to it
A narrow bridge still carries both directions, but with much less clearance than the approaches, so drivers should slow and hold their lane position carefully.
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9. A pedestrian is crossing at a corner where no crosswalk is painted on the pavement. What is your duty?
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Answer A: Yield, because a legal crosswalk exists at the corner even without paint
Every intersection has a crosswalk whether or not it is marked, and drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing there.
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10. The sign over the leftmost lane reads LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT. You are in that lane and want to go straight. What should you do?
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Answer C: Move out of the lane before the intersection if it is safe
A mandatory movement lane control sign makes the turn compulsory for that lane, so a driver who wants another movement must change lanes in advance.
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11. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?
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Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route
A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.
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12. A driver ahead of you extends the left arm straight out horizontally through the window. What is being signaled?
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Answer C: A left turn
The left arm held straight out is the standard hand signal for a left turn.
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13. Where are children in the greatest danger around a school bus?
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Answer B: In the roadway right around the bus, especially in front
The danger zone is the band of roadway around the bus where the driver's view is poorest, and children crossing in front of the bus are hardest to see.
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14. What is the rule about leaving a child or a pet in a parked vehicle?
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Answer A: Never do it; the inside can turn deadly hot very quickly
The inside of a parked vehicle heats far faster than the air outside, and cracking a window does not prevent it, so a child or animal must never be left there.
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15. Your car is sinking after leaving the road into deep water and two children are in the back. In what order should you act?
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Answer D: Free yourself from the belt first, then release the children, the oldest one first
You cannot help anyone while you are still belted in, and the oldest child released first needs the least help getting out.
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16. A yellow lamp flashes above a warning sign at a sharp curve. What does it ask of a driver?
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Answer D: Slow down and pass the point with extra care
A warning beacon draws attention to the sign it is mounted with, and the message of the sign is what the driver must act on.
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17. How can you check that you are keeping a safe following distance?
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Answer A: Count at least three seconds between the vehicle ahead passing a fixed object and your reaching it
Pick a fixed roadside object, start counting when the vehicle ahead passes it and make sure at least three seconds elapse before you reach it, adding more time in poor conditions.
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18. You are stopped at an intersection where bushes block your view of cross traffic. What should you do?
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Answer A: Edge forward slowly until you can see, then proceed when clear
Creeping forward a little at a time lets you gain a view without committing to the crossing. Never enter an intersection you cannot see into.
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19. Should you drive with your hazard lights flashing while moving in fog?
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Answer A: No, they hide your turn signals and suggest you are stopped
Hazard lights on a moving vehicle tell other drivers you are stopped or disabled, and they cancel out your turn signals just when clarity matters most.
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20. How can you tell a tire has reached its wear limit without measuring it?
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Answer C: The wear bars across the grooves become level with the tread
Molded bars sit at the bottom of the grooves. Once the surrounding tread has worn down to them, the tire has reached the end of its safe life.
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21. A small signal face beside a bikeway shows red, yellow and green lenses that each carry a bicycle symbol. Whom does it control?
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Answer C: Bicyclists using that crossing or bikeway
A bicycle signal face governs bicycle movements only, and people on foot at the same corner still follow the pedestrian signal.
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22. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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23. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?
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Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves
On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.
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24. In slow summer traffic the temperature gauge climbs into the red. What should you do first?
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Answer A: Turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heater to draw heat from the engine
The heater core acts as an extra radiator, and shutting off the air conditioner reduces engine load. If the gauge keeps climbing, pull over and shut off the engine, and never open a hot radiator cap.
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25. Where is a U-turn generally the most reasonable choice?
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Answer B: At an intersection where it is permitted and you can see well both ways
A U-turn needs a legal place and a long clear view in both directions, which is why a permitted intersection with open sight lines is the usual choice.