NM Permit Practice Test 11

All 20 questions in test 11

Every question below comes from the New Mexico 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. Work area warnings include which set of changing conditions?

   1. Only lane closures during nighttime hours
   2. Wider lanes with freshly painted lane lines
   3. Reduced speed, detours, slow equipment, and changing surfaces
   4. Smooth new pavement with higher speed limits
   Show answer

   Reduced speed, detours, slow equipment, and changing surfaces. Work-area warnings can indicate reduced speed, detours, slow construction equipment, and poor or suddenly changing road surfaces. The warning is not limited to nighttime lane closures or smooth new pavement. A work zone may change the route and the surface at the same time, so the driver should expect conditions that require slower, more deliberate control. The warning describes several possible changes rather than one fixed condition.

   Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory and guide signs

2. 2. What minimum bodily injury coverage applies for one person in one accident?

   1. $10,000 for one person in one accident
   2. $50,000 for one person in one accident
   3. $100,000 for one person in one accident
   4. $25,000 for one person in one accident
   Show answer

   $25,000 for one person in one accident. The minimum coverage table lists $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. The $50,000 amount applies to bodily injury to or death of two or more people in one accident. The table lists $10,000 for injury to or destruction of property, not for one person's bodily injury, and it does not list $100,000 for this minimum. The number and the type of loss must be matched together when reading the table.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, points, seat belts and insurance

3. 3. A train is crossing the road ahead. Which road user has priority?

   1. A passenger train has priority, but a freight train does not.
   2. The train has priority over vehicles using the crossing.
   3. The vehicle closest to the tracks has priority.
   4. Road traffic has priority when the gates are raised.
   Show answer

   The train has priority over vehicles using the crossing.. A train has priority over vehicles at a crossing, so road traffic must yield whether the train carries passengers or freight. Raised gates do not give a vehicle priority over a train, and being closest to the tracks does not change the rule. The manual states that drivers must yield the right-of-way to trains crossing the roadway. The train's movement controls the crossing until it has cleared.

   Study this in the handbook: School buses, emergency vehicles and trains

4. 4. Why avoid swinging wide left before making a right turn?

   1. It saves tire wear to swing.
   2. It helps following drivers see exactly where the right turn begins.
   3. Swinging is required for cars.
   4. A driver behind may think you are changing lanes or turning left.
   Show answer

   A driver behind may think you are changing lanes or turning left.. Swinging wide to the left before a right turn can make the driver behind think the vehicle is changing lanes or turning left. That driver may then try to pass on the right, creating a conflict with the actual right turn. The practice is not required and does not improve tire wear or visibility. Stay in the proper path and signal the intended right turn clearly.

5. 5. In the basic traffic light meanings, what does a green light allow?

   1. Go only if it is safe to proceed.
   2. Unconditional entry always.
   3. Go after others move.
   4. Green lights apply only to trucks.
   Show answer

   Go only if it is safe to proceed.. A green light means the driver may go if it is safe to proceed. Green is not unconditional permission to enter, and it does not apply only to trucks. The driver still needs to account for vehicles, pedestrians, and other required yielding situations before moving. The phrase if it is safe is the part that prevents a green signal from becoming a blind command to go.

   Study this in the handbook: Renewal, points, seat belts and insurance

6. 6. What should you do when entering a curve to keep the vehicle from skidding?

   1. Brake firmly once you are inside the curve
   2. Slow down before you enter the curve
   3. Speed up slightly to settle the suspension
   4. Hold speed and steer with one hand only
   Show answer

   Slow down before you enter the curve. Enter every curve already slowed, so no braking is needed while the tires are busy turning. Braking mid curve asks the rubber to stop and steer at once, which invites a skid. Adding speed mid bend worsens the load, and one handed steering weakens control if the surface breaks loose. Look through the turn toward the exit, set pace on the straight, then roll on gently as the road opens again.

   Study this in the handbook: Road conditions, sight distance and wildlife

7. 7. At an intersection, which surfaces are off limits for parking?

   1. Only the far side of the crosswalk
   2. Marked spaces beside the intersection
   3. An intersection, a crosswalk, or a sidewalk
   4. Any place within sight of a signal
   Show answer

   An intersection, a crosswalk, or a sidewalk. Parking in an intersection or on a crosswalk or sidewalk blocks the paths other drivers and walkers must use to cross. A marked space beside an intersection is not automatically lawful, since it can still fall within the distance limits that forbid parking near an intersection. Being within sight of a signal by itself bans nothing. Read the posted limits, measure your distance from the crossing, and choose a space that keeps crosswalks, sidewalks and the intersection itself fully clear.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

8. 8. What body position does the manual advise while backing?

   1. Rest your right arm on the seat back and look through the rear window.
   2. Face forward while using both mirrors and checking over your shoulder.
   3. Lean out of the driver-side window to see behind.
   4. Rely on the backup camera screen only.
   Show answer

   Rest your right arm on the seat back and look through the rear window.. While backing, the manual advises placing the right arm on the seat back and turning to look through the rear window. Facing forward while using mirrors does not provide the direct rear window view the manual advises. Leaning out of the window is not the recommended position, and relying only on a camera omits the direct check. The rule calls for looking through the rear window while maintaining control of the vehicle. A direct view complements mirror or camera checks and helps reveal an object or person hidden from those devices.

9. 9. How much time does speeding actually save, per the manual?

   1. Speeding can save about an hour on a normal trip
   2. A full minute per mile driven
   3. Half the trip time on highways
   4. Speeding does not save more than a few minutes an hour of travel
   Show answer

   Speeding does not save more than a few minutes an hour of travel. The manual says speeding saves no more than a few minutes per hour of travel. A full hour, half a trip, or a minute for every mile greatly overstates the time gained. The small benefit does not justify the added stopping distance and crash risk that come with higher speed. The comparison is meant to show why rushing provides such a poor tradeoff.

   Study this in the handbook: Road conditions, sight distance and wildlife

10. 10. Riding beside parked cars, which zone should a bicyclist keep a safe distance from?

    1. The center line between opposing traffic.
    2. The curb edge beside the parked cars.
    3. The door zone of parked cars.
    4. The middle of the travel lane.
    Show answer

    The door zone of parked cars.. Keep a safe distance from the door zone of parked cars because a door can open into the bicycle's path. The center line separates opposing traffic and is not the parked car door hazard. The curb edge is not the named door zone, and the middle of the travel lane does not identify the specific space beside a parked car where a door can swing. The needed clearance is from the cars' doors, so a rider should leave room for an unexpected opening while passing parked vehicles.

11. 11. When should a motorcycle group shift into single-file formation?

    1. Use single file on curves, turns, and highway entrances or exits.
    2. Use single file on every straight highway.
    3. Use single file only during nighttime group rides.
    4. Use single file when passing parked trucks.
    Show answer

    Use single file on curves, turns, and highway entrances or exits.. A motorcycle group should move into single-file formation when riding curves, turning, or entering or leaving a highway. Those movements reduce available space and make a side-by-side formation harder to control. The manual does not require single file on every straight highway or only at night. The group changes formation for the road situation that narrows its options. Each rider then has a clearer path through the maneuver.

12. 12. How does following the owner manual maintenance schedule help with vehicle emergencies?

    1. Cuts odds of a breakdown
    2. It removes any need for an emergency kit
    3. It guarantees brakes will never fail
    4. It replaces yearly safety inspections
    Show answer

    Cuts odds of a breakdown. Following preventive measures greatly reduces the chance of a vehicle problem. It does not remove the need for an emergency kit, guarantee that brakes will never fail, or establish that maintenance replaces another requirement. The manual's point is risk reduction, not a promise that breakdowns become impossible. Following the owner manual can help catch worn parts, low fluids, or other problems before they leave the vehicle disabled.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

13. 13. What can happen if you drink alcohol while taking other drugs?

    1. Nothing, as long as the dose is small
    2. The alcohol cancels the drug completely
    3. The drugs make alcohol leave the body faster
    4. The drugs can multiply the effects of the alcohol
    Show answer

    The drugs can multiply the effects of the alcohol. Mixing alcohol with other drugs is dangerous because the combination can multiply alcohol's effects or add problems of its own. The result may be far more impairment than either substance would cause alone, and in some cases serious health consequences. Alcohol does not cancel a drug, and a small dose is not a safeguard when the interaction is unpredictable. Drugs do not speed the removal of alcohol from the body. If you are taking any medicine, including one bought without a prescription, skip alcohol entirely and ask a pharmacist before you combine them.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue, health and distraction

14. 14. What do crosswalks define on a roadway?

    1. Where pedestrians may cross
    2. The place where vehicles wait for green
    3. The start of every passing zone
    4. The edge of a school parking lot
    Show answer

    Where pedestrians may cross. Crosswalks mark the corridor where people on foot cross the road. Drivers must yield to walkers in or about to enter that space, marked or not. Waiting vehicles use stop lines, and passing zones use center paint. Scan both curbs at every crossing, since a walker can step from behind a parked truck. Unmarked crossings at corners still count, so the same curb scan applies where no paint exists at all.

    Study this in the handbook: Warning, regulatory and guide signs

15. 15. What is the greatest distance from the curb allowed when parking alongside it?

    1. No more than 6 inches.
    2. No more than 12 inches.
    3. No more than 18 inches.
    4. No more than 36 inches.
    Show answer

    No more than 18 inches.. When parking beside a curb, New Mexico prohibits leaving the vehicle more than 18 inches away. The 18 inch distance is therefore the greatest permitted gap. Six inches and 12 inches are both within the limit, but neither is the maximum. Thirty six inches is three feet and leaves too much of the vehicle in the roadway. After parking, check the space between the tires and curb instead of assuming a tighter personal target is required. Keeping the vehicle within 18 inches also reduces how much it interferes with moving traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

16. 16. During restricted hours, what adult qualification allows a provisional driver to drive?

    1. Any licensed passenger over age 18
    2. A licensed driver at least 21 years old
    3. An unlicensed parent giving directions
    4. A licensed sibling aged 16 or older
    Show answer

    A licensed driver at least 21 years old. A provisional license holder may drive during the midnight to 5:00 AM restriction when accompanied by a licensed driver who is twenty-one years or older. A passenger who is merely over eighteen does not meet that age requirement. An unlicensed parent cannot serve as the listed licensed companion, and a younger sibling does not qualify by being related or licensed. The exception depends on both the companion's license and the minimum age stated in the provisional license rules.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

17. 17. You wake already tired on departure day. What plan does the manual support?

    1. Leave on schedule even if tired
    2. Use coffee instead of resting
    3. Delay the trip until you are rested
    4. Keep driving until you feel exhausted
    Show answer

    Delay the trip until you are rested. The manual says not to leave on a trip if you are already tired and to plan so you can leave when rested. That means delaying the departure until rest has addressed the fatigue. Coffee and a fixed schedule do not change the instruction to begin rested, and driving until exhaustion makes the problem worse. The fatigue section also warns that a sleepy driver can fall asleep behind the wheel and crash, so departure planning is part of safe driving.

    Study this in the handbook: Vision, fatigue, health and distraction

18. 18. Alcohol is compared with sunburn in the manual to make which point?

    1. Both effects disappear within an hour.
    2. By the time you feel it, the harm has already begun.
    3. Both conditions improve when you get fresh air and exercise.
    4. Both effects are limited to the skin.
    Show answer

    By the time you feel it, the harm has already begun.. The sunburn comparison explains that alcohol’s effect can be present before the person feels it. By the time the sensation is obvious, it is too late to prevent the harm already developing. Fresh air does not reverse alcohol, and the effect is not limited to skin. Feeling normal is therefore not a reliable test of fitness to drive after drinking.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

19. 19. Before starting a pass, what must you confirm about returning to your lane?

    1. Other drivers will make room.
    2. Enough room to return without relying on others.
    3. The passed driver must slow down.
    4. Return space matters only in darkness.
    Show answer

    Enough room to return without relying on others.. A pass should begin only when there is enough room to return to the driving lane without relying on another driver to make space. The vehicle being passed does not owe the passing driver a slowdown, and darkness is not the only time return space matters. Establish the full path, including the reentry point, before moving into the opposing or adjacent lane.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and sharing the road

20. 20. As a general rule, how many vehicles should you pass at one time?

    1. Pass as many vehicles as the gap allows on the open road.
    2. Pass three vehicles at once.
    3. Pass two vehicles on rural roads.
    4. Pass one vehicle at a time as a general rule.
    Show answer

    Pass one vehicle at a time as a general rule.. The manual's general rule is to pass one vehicle at a time. A large gap does not make passing several vehicles at once the general rule, and the passage does not allow three vehicles or create a rural road exception for two. A single vehicle pass limits the time spent beside traffic moving the other way and lets the driver reassess before another pass. Treat each pass as its own maneuver, checking that there is enough visible road and a safe return path before continuing.

    Study this in the handbook: Following distance, passing and sharing the road