Headlights, horn and turn signals

Key points

1. High beams let you see twice as far as low beams; use them when there are no oncoming vehicles.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “Use your high beams whenever there are no oncoming vehicles. High beams let you see twice as far as low beams.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

2. Dim high beams within about one block of an oncoming vehicle, and within 200 feet when following another vehicle.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “Dim your high beams whenever you come within about a one-block distance of an oncoming vehicle. • Use your low beams within 200 feet when following another vehicle”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

3. Use low beams in fog or when it is snowing or raining hard.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “Use the low beams in fog or when it is snowing or raining hard.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

4. If you turn on your wipers, turn on your headlights.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “Remember, if you turn on your wipers, turn on your headlights.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

5. When lights are needed, use your headlights within at least 500 feet when approaching another car.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “Whenever driving and lights are necessary, use your headlights within at least 500 feet when approaching another car.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

6. When there is no immediate danger, a light tap on the horn should be all you need.

   Source: Handbook p. 18

   “If there is no immediate danger, a light tap on the horn should be all you need.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 18

7. Signal at least 100 feet before you make your turn.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “Signal at least 100 feet before you make your turn.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

8. If a vehicle may enter the street between you and your turn, wait until you pass it to signal.

   Source: Handbook p. 19

   “If another vehicle is about to enter the street between you and where you plan to turn, wait until you have passed it to signal your turn.”
   New Mexico Driver Manual, Handbook p. 19

Numbers to know

3 questions from the New Mexico practice test

1. 1. How far before a turn should a New Mexico driver signal?

   1. Only after entering the intersection
   2. At least 25 feet before the turn
   3. At least 100 feet before the turn
   4. Only when another driver honks
   Show answer

   At least 100 feet before the turn. The manual tells drivers to signal at least 100 feet before making a turn. Twenty-five feet gives other road users far less time to react, and signaling after entering the intersection is too late for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians to plan around your movement. Waiting for a horn turns a required communication habit into a reaction to someone else's warning. Use the 100 foot cue before braking or changing position so nearby traffic can understand your intent early.

2. 2. When must a driver use a turn signal?

   1. When turning or changing lanes
   2. Only when another vehicle is directly behind
   3. Only for left turns at traffic signals
   4. Only after beginning the turn
   Show answer

   When turning or changing lanes. Signaling communicates a planned turn or lane change before the movement begins, giving other road users time to understand and react. Waiting for a vehicle to appear behind you misses pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers in blind areas. Signaling after the turn starts is also late because it removes useful warning time. Activate the signal in advance, check mirrors and blind spots, complete the movement smoothly, and cancel it when the maneuver is finished.

3. 3. How far before an oncoming vehicle should a driver dim high beams under the manual's nighttime guidance?

   1. Within 25 feet
   2. About one block
   3. Only after the other driver flashes headlights
   4. At the exact moment the vehicles meet
   Show answer

   About one block. The manual asks drivers to dim high beams when an oncoming vehicle comes within about one block. That distance gives the other driver time to see without the glare of bright lights. Waiting for 25 feet leaves little margin and can impair the approaching driver's vision. A headlight flash is not the trigger, and changing beams at the meeting point is too late. Use low beams early enough to make the approach comfortable for both drivers, especially on an unfamiliar or dark road. The cue is the approaching vehicle's distance, not a response from its driver.

Source: the New Mexico Driver Manual, Safe Driving Tips. 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.