New Mexico MVD permit warm-up test

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

Minimum age: 15 years for an instructional permit

10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 8 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A steady red arrow is displayed for your left-turn lane at a two-way intersection. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Stop and remain stopped until an indication permits the turn

    A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to, so the driver stops and waits for a green arrow, a flashing yellow arrow or another indication that permits the turn.

  2. 2. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?

    A red eight sided sign with a white border and white lettering
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    Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt

    What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.

  3. 3. A sign showing a walking figure carries a plaque below it with an arrow slanting down to the right. What does the plaque add?

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    Answer B: The crossing is at that very spot

    A downward-slanting arrow plaque marks the crossing itself, whereas an AHEAD or distance plaque would place it further along the road.

  4. 4. The light ahead is green but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait behind the intersection until there is room to clear it completely

    You may not enter an intersection unless you can get completely through it, because stopping inside blocks cross traffic when the signal changes.

  5. 5. Why is repeatedly changing lanes to work through heavy traffic a poor idea?

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    Answer A: It raises the crash risk and saves almost no time

    Each lane change adds a conflict with another vehicle, and in congestion the lanes move at similar average speeds, so the gain is negligible.

  6. 6. Some drivers believe they can multitask while driving. What does research show?

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    Answer C: The brain switches rapidly between tasks and driving performance suffers

    The brain does not truly do two attention-demanding tasks at once; it alternates between them, and the driving task gets less attention each time.

  7. 7. A bicyclist stops at a four-way stop just before you do. Who goes first?

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    Answer B: The bicyclist, who reached the intersection and stopped there before you did

    A bicyclist on the roadway follows the same right of way rules as a driver, so arrival order decides the turn.

  8. 8. Why is the road often most slippery during the first few minutes of rain after a long dry spell?

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    Answer C: Oil and dust on the surface mix with the water into a slick film

    Oil drippings and road dust build up on dry pavement, and the first light rain lifts them into a slippery film before heavier rain washes it away.

  9. 9. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?

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    Answer A: The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop

    The amber lights are the warning phase that comes before the red lights and the stop arm, so drivers should slow down and get ready to stop.

  10. 10. A driver's blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limit, but the driver is visibly impaired. Can the driver be arrested?

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    Answer C: Yes, driving while impaired by alcohol is an offense at any concentration

    The per se figure, 0.08 percent in most states and 0.05 percent in Utah, is the level at which impairment is presumed. Impairment shown by driving behavior and field tests is enough on its own, because alcohol affects skills well before that number.