Signals, headlights, horn and stopping distance

Key points

1. Signal at least 100 feet before a turn, and at least 500 feet before changing lanes or exiting on the highway.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “Drivers should signal at least 100 feet before a turn, and on the highway, drivers should signal at least 500 feet before changing lanes or exiting the roadway.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 15

2. Headlights are required from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, and when you cannot see 1000 feet ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 15

   “every motor vehicle driven during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, and whenever rain, snow, or fog shall interfere with the proper view of the road so that persons and vehicles on the way are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1000 feet ahead,”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 15

3. Do not use the horn near blind pedestrians or horses.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “Drivers should not use the horn when near blind pedestrians or when approaching or near a horse as this may frighten the horse and cause a crash.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

4. When you double your speed, your stopping distance increases 4 times.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “The stopping distance of a vehicle increases 4 times when the speed of the vehicle is doubled.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

5. An alert driver's average perception time is three quarters of a second to 1 second.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “The average perception time for an alert driver is ¾ second to 1 second.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

6. At 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, braking alone can take about 158 feet.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “At 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, it can take about 158 feet to stop.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

7. If you are tailgated, find a safe place to pull over and let the vehicle pass.

   Source: Handbook p. 16

   “If being tailgated by another vehicle unsafely, drivers should find a safe location to pull over and let the vehicle pass.”
   New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 16

Numbers to know

3 questions from the New Hampshire practice test

1. 1. Near which road users does the New Hampshire manual say a driver should not use the horn?

   1. Bicyclists only
   2. Large trucks
   3. Motorcyclists only
   4. Blind pedestrians and horses
   Show answer

   Blind pedestrians and horses. The horn is for communicating with other road users when it is needed, and a light tap is usually enough. The manual says drivers should not use the horn when near blind pedestrians, who rely on sound to judge traffic, or when approaching or near a horse, because it may frighten the animal and cause a crash. It separately warns against honking close to bicyclists unless a crash is likely. A honk at a truck or motorcycle is not what the passage forbids.

2. 2. According to the New Hampshire manual, what happens to stopping distance when a vehicle's speed is doubled?

   1. It increases 4 times
   2. It increases 3 times
   3. It stays the same if the brakes are good
   4. It doubles
   Show answer

   It increases 4 times. Total stopping distance is the distance traveled from the moment a driver realizes a stop is needed until the vehicle actually stops, and speed is its biggest factor. The manual states that the stopping distance of a vehicle increases 4 times when the speed of the vehicle is doubled. It does not simply double, and good brakes cannot cancel the physics. At 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes it can take about 158 feet to stop.

3. 3. About how far does the New Hampshire manual say it can take to stop at 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes?

   1. About 50 feet
   2. About 300 feet
   3. About 100 feet
   4. About 158 feet
   Show answer

   About 158 feet. The manual gives one concrete braking figure: at 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, it can take about 158 feet to stop. That is braking distance alone, before adding the time needed to perceive a hazard and react. Fifty and one hundred feet are far too short for that speed, and 300 feet is nearly double the figure the manual gives. Because braking distance grows much faster than speed, a small increase in speed adds a large amount of stopping distance, so leave generous space ahead.

Source: the New Hampshire Driver's Manual, Section 5: Basic Driving. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.