New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 52

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass18
  • Passing score72%
  • Minimum age15 years

Minimum age: 15 years for an instructional permit

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 18 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. What happens to a New Mexico driver who refuses a blood alcohol test after a lawful request?

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    Answer D: The driver can lose the driver license for one year

    Under the New Mexico Implied Consent Act a refusal can cost the driver the license for one year, on top of any criminal penalty.

  2. 2. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?

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    Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane

    Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.

  3. 3. For an alert driver, about how long is the reaction time once a hazard has been recognized?

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    Answer A: About three quarters of a second

    Reaction alone takes roughly three quarters of a second for an alert driver, and perception takes about as long again, so a second and a half of travel is added before the brakes bite.

  4. 4. You are traveling at the same speed as a vehicle in the next lane, just behind its rear door. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Change your speed so that you leave that driver's blind spot

    That position is the classic blind spot. Slow slightly or move ahead so the other driver can see you before deciding to change lanes.

  5. 5. What are painted curb markings mainly used for?

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    Answer D: Conveying parking and stopping regulations

    Colored curbs tell drivers where waiting or parking is restricted, and because the exact color meanings are set locally a driver should also read the posted signs.

  6. 6. A square sign with a red field, a wide white horizontal bar and the words DO NOT ENTER tells a driver that

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    Answer B: the roadway ahead must not be entered from that point

    The do not enter sign is posted at the end of a one-way roadway or ramp to keep traffic from driving into it against the flow.

  7. 7. A freeway sign shows a minimum speed limit. What does it require?

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    Answer B: That you keep up with it unless conditions make that unsafe

    A minimum speed limit keeps very slow vehicles off the highway, but weather, traffic or a mechanical problem may make a lower speed necessary and lawful.

  8. 8. Where is passing prohibited even when no line is visible?

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    Answer D: On a curve or near the crest of a hill, at intersections and at railroad crossings

    Passing is prohibited wherever your view of oncoming traffic is blocked or where vehicles may cross your path, which includes hills, curves, intersections and rail crossings.

  9. 9. Two roads come together at a shallow angle under a MERGE sign, with no yield line on either one. What is expected of you?

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    Answer D: Adjust your speed and position so you blend smoothly into the other traffic

    A merge means neither road ends at a stop; drivers adjust speed and position so that the two streams fit together without stopping.

  10. 10. How long should a glance at a mirror or an instrument take?

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    Answer A: A brief glance of about a second, returning your eyes to the road at once

    Checks should be quick flicks of the eyes. At highway speed, a few seconds with your eyes off the road covers a distance long enough for a hazard to appear.

  11. 11. A yellow diamond showing arrows arranged in a circle warns of

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    Answer B: a circular intersection such as a roundabout ahead

    The circular intersection warning sign announces a roundabout or traffic circle so drivers can slow down and prepare to yield to traffic already circulating.

  12. 12. An emergency vehicle with flashing lights and a siren is approaching from behind on a two-way street. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes

    Clearing a path by pulling to the right and stopping gives the emergency vehicle a predictable route, while stopping in mid-lane or inside an intersection blocks that path.

  13. 13. 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.

  14. 14. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?

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    Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again

    An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.

  15. 15. What must a New Mexico driver do to contest an administrative DWI revocation before the deadline passes?

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    Answer A: Submit a hearing request within 10 days of being served the notice, with a $25 fee or a letter of indigence

    A driver contesting an administrative DWI revocation must request a hearing within 10 days of being served the notice, along with a $25 fee or a letter of indigence.

  16. 16. How many points within twelve months cause a New Mexico license suspension, and for how long?

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    Answer A: Twelve or more points, suspended for one year

    New Mexico rule 18.19.5.55 NMAC requires the division to suspend the license for twelve months once twelve or more points are recorded for violations inside twelve consecutive months.

  17. 17. A driver passes this sign on an entrance ramp while merging onto a freeway. Who has priority?

    A downward pointing white triangle with a wide red border
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    Answer B: The traffic already traveling on the freeway

    The sign places the duty on the entering driver, who must adjust speed and fit into a gap without forcing through traffic to brake or swerve.

  18. 18. You come upon a crash that has just happened and decide to help. Where should you stop your vehicle?

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    Answer A: Well beyond the scene, completely off the road, with the hazard lights on

    Stopping past the crash and off the pavement keeps you from becoming another victim and leaves the approach clear for emergency vehicles.

  19. 19. You are in a minor collision on a busy road. No one is hurt and both vehicles can be driven. What is the recommended thing to do?

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    Answer C: Move the vehicles out of the travel lanes to a safe spot before exchanging information

    Vehicles left in traffic after a minor crash invite a second, often worse, collision. Clearing the lane protects everyone, and you still exchange details and report as required.

  20. 20. Your car has side curtain airbags. What should you avoid doing?

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    Answer B: Resting your head against the window or the door pillar

    A side airbag deploys from the pillar or roof rail, so a head leaning against that area is directly in its path.

  21. 21. You are stopped in a shared through and right-turn lane with your right signal on, and a bicyclist rides up along your right side. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Let the bicyclist clear the intersection or move ahead before you turn

    A cyclist alongside your right side is in the path your turn will sweep across, so wait until that space is clear before turning.

  22. 22. You turn left onto a road that has a center two-way left-turn lane. In which lane should you be traveling once the turn is finished?

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    Answer D: The first through lane to the right of the center turn lane

    The shared center lane is only for turning movements, so even where a state lets you pause in it to merge you must end up in the first ordinary travel lane beside it.

  23. 23. A disabled vehicle is blocking your lane on a two-lane road with a single solid yellow line on your side. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Wait until the oncoming lane is clear, then go around carefully

    The solid line prohibits overtaking a moving vehicle, but in most states a driver may go around an obstruction such as a disabled vehicle once the oncoming lane is clear and the move can be made safely.

  24. 24. You are turning onto a street that has two lanes going your way. Which lane should you enter?

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    Answer B: The lane closest to you, changing lanes later if you need to

    Turn into the nearest lane going your direction and make any lane change afterwards, when you have signaled and checked that it is clear.

  25. 25. A driver extends the left arm out the window and points it downward toward the road surface. What is being signaled?

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    Answer A: Slowing down or stopping

    The left arm extended downward is the standard hand signal for slowing or stopping.