New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 5
Test 5 of 10. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 18 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real New Mexico test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Why should the shoulder belt never be worn under the arm or behind the back?
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Answer C: In a crash it could not hold your upper body and could cause severe injury
The shoulder belt restrains your chest and head. Placed under the arm it concentrates crash force on the ribs and organs; behind the back it does nothing at all.
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2. What is the minimum age for a New Mexico provisional license?
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Answer C: 15 years and 6 months old
A teen may receive the provisional license at 15 years and 6 months after holding the instructional permit for six months and completing the required practice and driver education.
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3. When should you turn on your signal before a turn or a lane change?
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Answer C: Well before the maneuver, so other drivers have time to react
A signal is a warning to others, so it has to be given far enough ahead of the maneuver that drivers and pedestrians can adjust.
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4. You see smoke coming from under the hood while driving. What should you do?
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Answer D: Signal, pull well off the road, shut off the engine and move everyone away from the vehicle
Stopping and shutting off the engine cuts the fuel supply to a possible fire, and distance protects you if it spreads. Raising the hood can feed the fire a rush of air.
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5. Who is exempt from needing a New Mexico driver's license while driving a vehicle owned or leased by the U.S. Department of Defense?
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Answer D: Military personnel driving that Department of Defense vehicle
New Mexico exempts military personnel from state licensure while they are driving a motor vehicle owned or leased by the U.S. Department of Defense.
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6. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?
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Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine
The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.
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7. A signal on an entrance ramp changes from red to green and lets one vehicle at a time onto the highway. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stop on the red and go on the green, one vehicle for each green
A ramp meter spaces vehicles out so they join the highway one at a time instead of arriving as a group, and it is a traffic signal like any other.
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8. A wheel comes off your car while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold the wheel firmly, ease off the gas and steer gently to the shoulder
A firm grip and a gradual slowing keep the vehicle straight, while hard or sudden braking makes a damaged corner pull the car out of line.
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9. In a normal signal cycle, what comes after a steady red indication?
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Answer A: A green indication that starts the next movement
Yellow is a warning that a movement is ending, so it never precedes a green; a red is followed by a green or a green arrow.
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10. When does a New Mexico four-year driver license actually expire?
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Answer B: 30 days after the licensee's birthday in the fourth year
A four-year New Mexico license does not expire on its issue-date anniversary; it expires 30 days after the licensee's birthday in the fourth year.
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11. Your light is green but the traffic beyond the intersection is stopped and there is no room on the far side. What should you do?
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Answer A: Wait behind the line until you can clear the far side
Entering an intersection you cannot clear blocks the cross traffic when their signal turns green, so you wait behind the line.
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12. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
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Answer B: Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
Stop behind the stop line, gate or flashing-light signal and well clear of the nearest rail, because a train overhangs its track by several feet on each side.
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13. What does the letter V endorsement on a New Mexico driver's license or ID card indicate?
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Answer D: The holder is a documented victim of identity theft in the state's database
New Mexico's V endorsement does not authorize any vehicle type; it flags the holder as a documented identity theft victim listed in the Attorney General's database.
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14. How does New Mexico define an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) by statute?
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Answer A: 50 inches or less wide, 1,000 pounds or less unladen, three or more low-pressure tires, with a straddle seat and handlebar steering
New Mexico defines an ATV as 50 inches or less in width, 1,000 pounds or less unladen, riding on three or more low-pressure tires, with a straddle seat and handlebar steering.
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15. What must a New Mexico driver do after serving the mandatory one-year suspension for accumulating 12 or more points?
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Answer B: Complete an eight-hour Defensive Driving course and submit the certificate
After the mandatory one-year point-based suspension ends, New Mexico requires completion of an eight-hour Defensive Driving course before the license can be reinstated.
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16. Why is it often safer to back into a parking space than to back out of one?
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Answer D: Because you leave the space going forward, with a clear view
Backing into the space puts the difficult maneuver where you are stopped and looking around, and lets you drive out facing the traffic and pedestrians.
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17. For which reason can a New Mexico driver NOT get a Limited License to drive to work or school?
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Answer A: Their license was suspended for a DWI conviction
New Mexico's Limited License is not available to someone suspended or revoked for DWI, nonpayment of child support, a Financial Responsibility Act failure, or vehicular homicide.
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18. How far from a New Mexico railroad crossing must a school bus or a truck hauling gasoline stop before crossing?
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Answer A: At least 15 feet
School buses, taxis and other vehicles for hire carrying passengers, and trucks hauling explosives or gasoline, must stop at least 15 feet from the crossing, and a school bus driver must also open the doors.
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19. Why is passing another vehicle a bad idea in dense fog?
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Answer C: You cannot see far enough ahead to know the passing lane is clear
A pass needs a clear view of the road well beyond the vehicle you are overtaking, and fog takes exactly that away.
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20. What does New Mexico's driver manual say about bicycle helmets?
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Answer B: Minors must wear a well-fitting helmet, while adults are only encouraged to
New Mexico's manual states that minors must wear a well-fitting helmet while bicycling, while adults are simply encouraged to do the same.
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21. You are about to pass a bicyclist on a narrow two-lane road. What is the correct way to do it?
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Answer A: Wait for a clear gap and move well left, giving the rider wide space
Pass a cyclist as you would a car: wait for clear road, change lane position to leave generous clearance, and return only when the rider is well behind you.
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22. What must a driver be ready for beyond this sign?
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Answer C: Vehicles approaching from the opposite direction in the next lane over
The separation between the two directions runs out, so from that point oncoming vehicles share the same pavement and the driver has to keep right.
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23. In a work zone a flagger signals you to stop, but the sign beside the road says the lane is open. What should you do?
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Answer C: Obey the flagger
A flagger controls the work zone in real time and the instruction outranks the signs and markings, which cannot reflect what is happening at that moment.
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24. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently
Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.
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25. When must a returning New Mexico applicant retake both the written and road tests, even if they were once fully licensed?
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Answer D: Whenever their license has been expired, or they held no valid permit or license, for five years or more
New Mexico requires a new written and road test for anyone whose license lapsed, or who held no valid permit or license, for five years or more.