New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 40
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age13 years
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1. A steady downward green arrow is displayed over a lane. What does it indicate?
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Answer C: The lane is open to traffic in your direction
A steady downward green arrow means the lane it points to is open to traffic traveling in your direction.
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2. You are approaching a yield sign on a ramp that joins a busy street. What does the sign require?
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Answer A: Slow down, be ready to stop, and let the other traffic go first
A yield sign means you must slow, be prepared to stop and give way to traffic on the road you are entering; a full stop is required only when traffic makes it necessary.
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3. How much space should you hold behind the rider who is directly ahead of you in your own portion of the lane?
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Answer D: At least two seconds
Riders sharing the same track keep a following distance of at least two seconds so they have the time and the room to react to a hazard.
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4. You are driving at night through heavy falling snow. Which headlight setting works better and why?
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Answer C: Low beams, because high beams bounce off the falling flakes back at you
Falling snow reflects light the way fog does, so high beams build a white wall of glare while low beams still give a usable view.
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5. A driver moves into the space you were keeping ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off and rebuild the gap in front of you
Losing a following gap is common in traffic; the answer is simply to drop back and recreate it rather than drive too close.
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6. Do hazard lights make it legal to leave your vehicle in a no parking zone?
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Answer A: No, they warn other drivers but do not permit the parking
Hazard lights are a warning device, not a permit; the parking restriction applies whether they are flashing or not.
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7. You come up behind a bicyclist who is descending a steep hill in the middle of the traffic lane. What should you take into account?
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Answer D: The rider may be moving at close to the speed of the traffic
A bicycle can reach the speed of traffic on a descent, so there is little to gain from a pass and the rider needs the whole lane to steer around surface hazards.
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8. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?
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Answer B: Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way
The restriction holds whatever the traffic or the signal is doing, so the driver has to pass the intersection and plan a different route.
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9. An officer directing traffic faces you and holds one hand up with the open palm toward your vehicle. What does the gesture mean?
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Answer D: Stop before reaching the officer
A raised open palm shown toward a driver is the standard signal to stop.
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10. What does the implied consent law mean for drivers?
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Answer D: By driving, you have agreed to a chemical test if lawfully arrested for impaired driving
Holding a license and driving on public roads is treated as consent to breath, blood or urine testing when an officer has grounds to arrest you. Refusing normally brings its own license penalties.
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11. The temperature gauge climbs toward the red while you sit in slow moving traffic. What should you do?
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Answer A: Get out of the traffic as soon as it is safe and let the engine cool
A stationary motorcycle gets almost no airflow through the engine or radiator, so the cure is to stop creeping along in traffic and let it cool.
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12. What is the purpose of the padding built into the shoulders, elbows and knees of riding gear?
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Answer C: It absorbs impact energy at the joints most likely to strike first
Armor at the joints spreads and absorbs the force of an impact in the places that usually hit the ground first in a fall.
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13. Which of these places should never be used to turn your vehicle around?
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Answer C: The driveway of a fire station or the roadway in front of it
Turning around in or in front of a fire station driveway can block emergency vehicles leaving, and most states prohibit it.
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14. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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15. A passenger is getting on at the roadside. Which side should they use if the exhaust and the sidestand allow it?
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Answer B: The side away from moving traffic, clear of the hot exhaust
Getting on and off away from passing vehicles keeps the passenger out of traffic, and the side chosen must also keep their leg clear of the hot exhaust.
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16. Which item does most to keep a rider comfortable in cold weather beyond a jacket and gloves?
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Answer B: A close fitting neck cover that stops air entering at the collar
Cold air funnelled in at the neck chills the whole body, so a snug neck tube or balaclava makes a large difference, while a loose scarf is a hazard because it can catch.
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17. Fog thickens until you can barely make out the vehicle ahead. What is the safest action?
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Answer A: Slow right down and, if needed, leave the road at a safe place
In heavy fog the only safe speed may be very low, and if it drops below what the road allows, the answer is to pull well clear of the traffic lanes.
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18. A sign with a brown background and a white legend guides road users to
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Answer B: parks, campgrounds and other recreational or cultural sites
Brown is reserved for recreational and cultural interest area signing, such as parks, historic sites and scenic areas.
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19. Unless posted otherwise, what is the New Mexico speed limit on rural interstate highways?
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Answer C: 75 mph
New Mexico sets 75 mph as the default on rural interstate highways, one of the higher default limits in the country.
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20. A friend wants a ride, but their feet do not reach the passenger footrests. What should you do?
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Answer A: Do not carry them, since they cannot hold a stable position
A passenger who cannot plant both feet on the footrests cannot brace or stay in place, and dangling legs can reach the chain, the exhaust or the wheel.
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21. You are on a two-lane road where a broken yellow line runs on your side of the center. What does that pattern allow?
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Answer C: Passing when the way ahead is clear and it is otherwise legal
A broken yellow center line marks a stretch where passing is permitted for traffic on that side when it can be completed safely.
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22. Besides the traffic behind you, what else must you check before moving into the next lane?
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Answer D: That there is room ahead in the new lane for your normal following distance
Moving into a gap that is too short leaves you tailgating the vehicle ahead with a vehicle close behind you.
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23. Why is this restriction used so often on a divided road just before a crest or a bend?
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Answer A: Because a vehicle turning across the median there stays hidden from approaching drivers until it is too late
The maneuver needs a long gap and good visibility, and where sight distance is short an approaching driver has no time to react to a vehicle turning across the road.
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24. You reach an intersection showing a steady red light, and a stop line is painted across your lane. Where must you bring the vehicle to a complete stop?
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Answer C: Before the stop line
A steady red requires a complete stop before the marked stop line. Where there is no stop line you stop before the crosswalk, and where there is neither, before entering the intersection.
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25. What is the correct technique for a maximum effort stop in a straight line?
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Answer A: Squeeze the front lever progressively and press the rear pedal, staying upright
Both brakes together give the shortest stop, the front is squeezed progressively as weight transfers forward, and the machine must be upright with the bars square.