New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 3
Test 3 of 6. 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 age13 years
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1. 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?
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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.
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2. A warning sign showing two children on a see-saw is posted beside a residential street. What does it mean?
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Answer D: A play area lies beside the road and children may run out
The playground sign warns that children are present next to the roadway and may enter it without looking, so drivers should cover the brake and slow down.
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3. After an hour on a hot highway your tire pressure reads higher than it did in the morning. What should you do?
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Answer D: Nothing, because pressure rises when tires heat up
Air expands as the tire warms, so a hot reading is normally above the cold setting. Bleeding air off would leave the tire underinflated once it cooled.
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4. The car ahead drifts across the lane line and back again several times. What should you do?
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Answer C: Assume that the driver is distracted or impaired, and keep well back
Drifting is a classic sign of a distracted, drowsy or impaired driver, and distance is your protection from all three.
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5. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?
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Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle
Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.
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6. Why should a rider avoid coasting to a stop with the transmission in neutral?
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Answer C: Engine braking is lost and so is the ability to accelerate out of trouble
Staying in gear keeps engine braking working and leaves the rider able to power away from a hazard instead of hunting for a gear first.
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7. What does the last step of T-CLOCS, Stands, ask a rider to check?
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Answer D: That the stands are not bent and that their springs hold them up
A bent stand or a weak spring can let the stand fall while riding, so both the sidestand and the centerstand are checked for damage and spring tension.
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8. On a busy multilane highway, where is the best place to travel?
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Answer B: In a gap in the traffic, with space open on both sides
Travelling in a gap keeps escape routes open on both sides, while riding alongside other vehicles removes the room you would need to swerve.
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9. A black and white regulatory sign facing traffic at a divided section reads KEEP LEFT. What does it require?
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Answer D: Passing the island or obstruction on its left side
Keep Left is posted at an island or obstruction that traffic must pass on the left, which is the opposite of the far more common Keep Right situation.
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10. Which New Mexico off-highway vehicle (OHV) operator does NOT need parental supervision, even though they are under 18?
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Answer A: A 13-year-old with a valid motorcycle license and an OHV safety permit
New Mexico excuses a 13-year-old from parental supervision on an OHV if they hold a valid motorcycle license along with an OHV safety permit.
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11. You are overtaking in a short passing lane on a two-lane road and it is about to end. What must you do?
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Answer A: Finish the pass and move back to the right before it ends
The added lane ends and the traffic returns to a single lane in each direction, so the pass has to be complete before the pavement runs out.
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12. You are in the middle lane of a one-way street with three lanes when a police car approaches from behind with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer C: Pull to the nearest curb and stop clear of the lanes
On a one-way street you clear to whichever curb is closest, so the emergency vehicle gets a clear path down the open lanes.
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13. A regulatory sign reads TURN ON HEADLIGHTS NEXT 15 MILES. What does it require?
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Answer C: Low beam headlights on for that stretch, day or night
Such a section is signed where a road is hard to see along, and the requirement is to run headlights, not just daytime running lamps, through the whole stretch even in bright daylight.
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14. Unless posted otherwise, what is New Mexico's speed limit on public highways that are not rural interstates, school zones, or business/residential areas?
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Answer B: 55 mph
New Mexico sets a default of 55 mph on public highways generally, distinct from the higher rural interstate default and the lower business/residential and school zone limits.
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15. You feel drowsy, so you open a window and turn the radio up. What does that achieve?
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Answer B: Very little, because the drowsiness comes back
Cold air and loud music are not sleep, so the alerting effect lasts a minute or two and the driver is soon just as sleepy and closer to a lapse.
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16. What is the criminal license revocation period for a fourth or subsequent DWI conviction in New Mexico?
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Answer C: Lifetime
New Mexico imposes a lifetime criminal revocation on a fourth or subsequent DWI conviction, the harshest tier in its escalating revocation schedule.
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17. Every signal head at an intersection is flashing red in all directions. How should you treat the intersection?
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Answer C: As an all-way stop, stopping and then going in turn
Red flashing in every direction means each approach must stop, so the intersection works exactly like an all-way stop.
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18. You are already inside an intersection when you realize you should be in the lane beside you. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay in your lane through the intersection and change lanes afterwards
Drivers in an intersection are watching for cross traffic and turning vehicles, so an unexpected sideways move there is easily missed.
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19. At an intersection where every approach carries this sign, two drivers arrive at exactly the same instant. Which of them goes first?
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Answer C: The driver on the right
Order of arrival decides who goes first, and when two vehicles arrive together the driver on the right proceeds while the other gives way.
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20. A driver reaches this sign and the intersecting roadway is completely clear. What is required?
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Answer D: Slowing to a speed that allows stopping, then going on without stopping if the way stays clear
This control asks the driver to slow down and be ready to stop, and a full stop becomes necessary only when traffic or pedestrians would otherwise be interfered with.
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21. How does New Mexico's Motor Vehicle Code define a motorcycle?
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Answer D: A motor vehicle with a seat or saddle for the rider, traveling on no more than three wheels, excluding a tractor
New Mexico statute defines a motorcycle as a motor vehicle with a seat or saddle for the rider that travels on no more than three wheels, excluding a tractor.
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22. 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.
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23. A tractor-trailer is backing slowly across the roadway to enter a loading dock. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop and wait until the truck has finished the maneuver
A backing truck driver has a very limited view and the trailer can swing unexpectedly. Trying to squeeze past in either direction risks being crushed.
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24. After completing a turn you notice your signal is still flashing. What should you do?
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Answer A: Switch it off at once, before other drivers act on it
A signal left on after a turn is a false message, and drivers waiting to pull out may move into your path because of it.
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25. How does New Mexico define an off-highway motorcycle?
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Answer B: A vehicle traveling on no more than two tires, with a straddle seat and handlebar steering
New Mexico defines an off-highway motorcycle as a vehicle traveling on no more than two tires, with a seat designed to be straddled and handlebar-type steering.