NH Permit Practice Test 3

All 20 questions in test 3

Every question below comes from the New Hampshire question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. After passing a vehicle in New Hampshire, when is it safe to signal and return to your lane?

   1. As soon as your front bumper is ahead of the other vehicle
   2. When the complete front of the passed vehicle is visible in your rearview mirror
   3. After counting three seconds
   4. When the other driver flashes headlights
   Show answer

   When the complete front of the passed vehicle is visible in your rearview mirror. The manual's passing sequence says to continue to pass until the complete front of the passed vehicle is visible in the rearview mirror, then signal the intention to return and steer smoothly back into the lane. Pulling in as soon as your bumper is ahead cuts the other driver off, and there is no fixed count or flash signal. The same rule matters even more with large trucks, which need far more stopping distance than a car.

2. 2. How does the New Hampshire manual say a backup camera should be used?

   1. Together with mirrors and head checks, never as the primary tool for backing
   2. As the only tool needed when backing slowly
   3. Instead of turning your head
   4. Only at night
   Show answer

   Together with mirrors and head checks, never as the primary tool for backing. Many vehicles have backup cameras, and the technology can help drivers back up safely when used in conjunction with the mirrors and proper head checks. The manual is direct that backup cameras should never be used as the primary tool for backing safely. The same caution applies to every warning system: they are passive aids, and drivers should not become dependent on them. Check side mirrors, the rearview mirror, over the shoulders, and the camera if equipped.

3. 3. A pedestrian is crossing at a New Hampshire intersection that has no painted crosswalk lines. Must the driver yield?

   1. No, only marked crosswalks create a duty to yield
   2. Only if the pedestrian is in a school zone
   3. Yes, drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing at intersections even without crosswalk lines
   4. Only when a signal shows WALK
   Show answer

   Yes, drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing at intersections even without crosswalk lines. Crosswalk lines are painted to show pedestrian crossing areas, but the duty to yield does not depend on paint. Drivers are required to yield to pedestrians crossing the road in marked crosswalks or at intersections even if no crosswalk lines exist at the intersection. Pedestrians also have the right of way when using a sidewalk across an alley or driveway and when visually impaired and crossing with a guide dog or white cane. Be prepared to yield to pedestrians at all times.

4. 4. At a New Hampshire intersection with no white stop line but a marked crosswalk, where must a driver stop?

   1. In the crosswalk where cross traffic is visible
   2. Before entering the intersection, past the crosswalk
   3. Before the crosswalk
   4. Beside the stop sign post
   Show answer

   Before the crosswalk. White stop lines show drivers where to stop. If there is no white stop line but a crosswalk is present, drivers must stop before the crosswalk. If no crosswalk lines are present either, come to a full stop before entering the intersection. After the initial stop, look both ways and move forward only when it is safe to continue. Stopping in the crosswalk blocks pedestrians, and the sign post is not the reference point.

5. 5. This yellow sign shows a right-angle arrow. What warning sign in the New Hampshire manual does it match?

   
   1. Right Curve
   2. Sharp Curve Ahead
   3. T-Intersection Ahead
   4. Curvy Road Ahead
   Show answer

   Sharp Curve Ahead. A right angle arrow is the Sharp Curve Ahead warning, listed in the manual next to Advisory Speed Around Curve. The sharper bend needs more slowing than the gentle Right Curve sign, and it may be paired with an advisory speed plate. Curvy Road Ahead shows a snaking arrow for several curves, and T-Intersection Ahead shows the road ending at a cross street. Slow before the turn and steer smoothly; hard braking inside the curve can break traction.

6. 6. According to the New Hampshire manual, in roughly what share of fatal traffic crashes are alcohol and other impairing drugs involved?

   1. About 10%
   2. About 75%
   3. About 90%
   4. About 40%
   Show answer

   About 40%. The manual reports that alcohol and other impairing drugs are involved in approximately 40% of all traffic crashes in which someone is killed each year. That is a large share but not a majority, so the 75% and 90% choices overstate it and 10% understates it. The same passage warns that a blood alcohol concentration as low as .02% can affect a driver's ability, which is the level at which vision is impacted for every driver.

7. 7. According to the New Hampshire manual, a driver who has been awake for 18 hours performs like a driver with what BAC?

   1. About 0.05%
   2. About 0.08%
   3. About 0.02%
   4. About 0.10%
   Show answer

   About 0.05%. The manual compares drowsy driving to drunk driving with three data points. A driver who has been up for a continuous 18 hours typically performs like a person with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. After 21 hours without sleep performance mimics 0.08%, and after 24 hours it mimics 0.10%. The higher figures are the wrong answers for the 18 hour mark. Unlike alcohol, there is no breathalyzer for sleep, so the choice not to drive tired rests on the driver.

8. 8. Does New Hampshire require drivers to carry automobile insurance?

   1. No, there is no mandatory insurance law, but an uninsured driver in a crash can be held responsible for all damages and lose driving privileges until a settlement
   2. Yes, every registered vehicle must carry liability insurance
   3. Yes, but only drivers under 21
   4. Only for vehicles over 10,000 pounds
   Show answer

   No, there is no mandatory insurance law, but an uninsured driver in a crash can be held responsible for all damages and lose driving privileges until a settlement. Unlike almost every other state, New Hampshire has no mandatory insurance law, so a driver may drive within the state without insurance. The risk is personal: a driver in an uninsured accident can be held responsible for all damage to the other person's property and all medical bills, and if unable to pay, the DMV must suspend driving privileges until a settlement is reached. The driver may then have to carry SR-22 insurance for several years.

9. 9. A front tire blows out on a New Hampshire highway. How does the manual say the vehicle will react?

   1. It will pull away from the blown tire
   2. It will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout
   3. Nothing changes until you brake
   4. It will wobble but keep tracking straight
   Show answer

   It will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout. Tire blowout is the rapid deflation of a tire and can cause sudden loss of control. If a front tire blows out, the vehicle will pull sharply in the direction of the blowout; if a rear tire blows, the vehicle will wobble, shake and pull some in the direction of the blowout. Grip the wheel firmly, keep the vehicle straight, slow gradually by easing off the accelerator, brake gently only if necessary, and pull off the road in a safe place with the flashers on.

10. 10. Your brakes stop working while driving in New Hampshire. How does the manual say to use the parking brake?

    1. Apply it slowly to avoid locking the rear wheels and be ready to release it if the vehicle skids
    2. Do not use it while moving
    3. Yank it as hard as possible
    4. Apply it only after turning off the engine
    Show answer

    Apply it slowly to avoid locking the rear wheels and be ready to release it if the vehicle skids. In a brake failure, engage the parking brake by pulling the handle or pushing the foot pedal slowly to avoid locking the rear wheels and causing a skid, and be ready to release it if the vehicle starts to skid. If engaging the parking brake does not work, turn off the engine and look for a safe place to slow to a stop off the roadway. Yanking the brake locks the rear wheels, and waiting to shut off the engine first wastes the tool that works.

11. 11. Under RSA 265:29, to whom must a New Hampshire driver turning left into a driveway or alley yield?

    1. Only vehicles already stopped
    2. Only vehicles behind the turning driver
    3. Any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is within the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard
    4. No one, if the turn signal is on
    Show answer

    Any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is within the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. RSA 265:29 covers left turns within an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway. The turning driver must yield to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is within the intersection or so close to it as to constitute an immediate hazard. A turn signal announces the turn but does not create the right to make it. Judge the gap on the oncoming vehicle's speed, and be especially careful with motorcycles and large trucks, whose speed is hard to read.

12. 12. Before moving after stopping at a New Hampshire intersection, in what order does the manual recommend looking?

    1. Right, then left
    2. Straight ahead only
    3. Into the mirrors only
    4. Left, then right, and then left again
    Show answer

    Left, then right, and then left again. Drivers should not rely on other road users to obey signals or signs, so before moving after stopping at an intersection take the extra time to check for crossing traffic and bicyclists. The manual recommends looking left, then right, and then left again before entering. The last look is to the left because that is the first lane you will cross. When a light turns green, avoid moving immediately; make sure the path is clear and there is no crossing traffic.

13. 13. How does a posted New Hampshire school zone speed limit relate to the usual limit, and when does it apply?

    1. A flat 20 mph whenever school is in session
    2. 15 mph below the usual limit during all daylight hours
    3. 10 mph below the usual posted limit, from 45 minutes before school opening until opening and from closing until 45 minutes after
    4. 10 mph below the usual limit only when children are visible
    Show answer

    10 mph below the usual posted limit, from 45 minutes before school opening until opening and from closing until 45 minutes after. In a posted school zone the speed limit is 10 miles per hour below the usual posted speed limit. It applies from 45 minutes before school opening until the school opening, and from the school closing until 45 minutes after closing. The reduction is a fixed 10 mph, not 15, and not a flat number. Seeing children is not the trigger, the clock is, although drivers must always be prepared to yield to pedestrians near schools.

14. 14. Which vehicle is listed as an exception to New Hampshire's rule that riders under 18 be restrained?

    1. A family car on a trip of less than 5 miles
    2. A pickup truck with only a front bench seat
    3. A school bus weighing more than 10,000 pounds
    4. Any car traveling under 25 mph
    Show answer

    A school bus weighing more than 10,000 pounds. The restraint rule for anyone under 18 has a short list of exceptions: a vehicle regularly used to transport passengers for hire, a school bus over 10,000 pounds or a lighter school bus built without belts, an antique vehicle built without restraints, a motorcycle, and a child whose individual education plan says restraints are not safe. Short trips, low speeds, and bench seat pickups are not exceptions. Everyone under 18 in an ordinary car or truck must be belted or in a child seat.

15. 15. Who must wear a DOT approved helmet on a motorcycle in New Hampshire?

    1. All riders and passengers under 18
    2. Every rider and passenger, whatever their age
    3. Only the operator, and only if under 21
    4. Only passengers under 12
    Show answer

    All riders and passengers under 18. New Hampshire requires a helmet approved by the United States Department of Transportation for all motorcycle riders and passengers under the age of 18. The manual states the requirement only for riders and passengers under 18, so the every age choice overstates it, although the manual calls a securely fastened helmet the single most important thing a rider can do to survive a crash. The rule covers passengers as well as operators, and the cutoff is 18, not 21 or 12.

16. 16. Under New Hampshire's Youth Operator Under 20 law, which event can lead the Director to suspend or revoke a young driver's original license?

    1. Receiving a parking ticket
    2. Failing to update a vehicle registration address
    3. Holding a license printed vertically
    4. Being involved in an accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury
    Show answer

    Being involved in an accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury. RSA 263:14 lets the Director of Motor Vehicles suspend or revoke an original license held by a driver under 20 after a hearing. Grounds include certain motor vehicle offenses, misconduct or misuse of driving privileges, and proper evidence that the license holder was involved in an accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Parking tickets and registration paperwork are not listed grounds. A vertically printed license simply marks a Youth Operator and is not a violation.

17. 17. What does this ONE WAY sign tell a New Hampshire driver?

    
    1. The lane is reserved for turning traffic
    2. Traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow, so never drive the other way
    3. Two way traffic resumes ahead
    4. The road is closed beyond the sign
    Show answer

    Traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow, so never drive the other way. One-Way Street signs tell a driver that traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow, and the manual adds a flat rule: never drive the wrong way on a one-way street. The sign does not reserve a turn lane, does not announce two way traffic, and does not close the road. Before turning onto a street, look for the arrow so you enter with the flow. A yellow edge line on the left side of a roadway is another clue that the street is one way.

18. 18. When may an ordinary driver drive on a designated bicycle lane in New Hampshire?

    1. Whenever no bicyclist is in sight
    2. When entering or leaving an alley or driveway
    3. To pass a vehicle that is turning left
    4. To stop briefly for a delivery
    Show answer

    When entering or leaving an alley or driveway. Designated bicycle paths and lanes are off limits for stopping, parking, or driving. The exceptions are entering or leaving an alley or driveway, performing official duties, following a police officer's direction, or an emergency. An empty lane is not an exception, and neither is getting around a left turning car or making a quick delivery stop. Drivers must also yield when a bicycle path or bike lane intersects a road and leave at least 3 feet when passing a bicyclist at 30 mph or less.

19. 19. This WRONG WAY sign is facing you. What color category does the New Hampshire manual assign to it, and what does that color mean?

    
    1. Yellow, meaning a general warning
    2. Orange, meaning road repair work
    3. Green, meaning direction or guidance
    4. Red, meaning prohibition: stop or do not do something
    Show answer

    Red, meaning prohibition: stop or do not do something. Wrong Way is one of the manual's prohibition sign examples, and its red color carries the standard meaning of prohibition: stop or do not do something. Yellow is general warning, orange is road repair work, and green is direction or guidance. A Wrong Way sign facing you means you have entered a roadway or ramp against traffic. Stop as safely as possible and get turned around rather than continuing, since the next vehicle may be coming straight at you.

20. 20. How often does the New Hampshire manual recommend having tire pressure checked?

    1. Once a week
    2. Once a year
    3. Only before long trips
    4. Once a month
    Show answer

    Once a month. Accidents due to tire maintenance are preventable. Driving on underinflated or overinflated tires, or on tires with low tread, can lead to safety problems, so the manual recommends having tire pressure checked once a month. Weekly is more than it asks, yearly is far too seldom, and waiting for a long trip ignores daily driving. Proper pressure and good tread depth also matter for hydroplaning, which the manual says is best prevented by slowing down in rain and keeping tires properly inflated.