NM Permit Practice Test 13

All 20 questions in test 13

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. A very heavy downpour leaves you unable to see well enough to drive. What should you do?

   1. Continue at the posted limit.
   2. Drive the shoulder slowly toward home, following the edge.
   3. Follow the taillights of the vehicle ahead closely.
   4. Pull off the road in a safe place and wait until it clears.
   Show answer

   Pull off the road in a safe place and wait until it clears.. If a very heavy downpour prevents the driver from seeing well enough to drive, the manual says to pull off in a safe place and wait until the rain clears. Continuing at the posted limit, following taillights closely, or using the shoulder still involves driving with inadequate vision. The safe response is a complete pause outside the travel path, not a slower form of blind travel.

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

2. 2. Who must have a driver license when operating on a New Mexico public roadway?

   1. A person operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle.
   2. Only a New Mexico resident who owns the vehicle must have a license.
   3. Only drivers under thirty must have a license.
   4. A borrowed vehicle may be driven without a license.
   Show answer

   A person operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle.. Anyone operating a motor vehicle or motorcycle on New Mexico public roadways must have a driver license. The requirement is not limited to New Mexico residents who own the vehicle, to drivers under thirty, or to vehicle owners. A visitor in a rental car is still operating on a public roadway and therefore cannot rely on ownership or residency as an exception.

   Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

3. 3. How can arrows on the road surface relate to lane use control signs?

   1. Arrows on the road replace the lane-use signs.
   2. Arrows may supplement lane-use signs.
   3. Arrows contradict sign orders.
   4. Arrows mark parking rows only.
   Show answer

   Arrows may supplement lane-use signs.. Arrows may be painted on the road as a supplement to lane-use signs. They add pavement guidance but do not replace the signs, contradict them, or mark parking rows. The driver should read the painted arrow together with the posted lane-use instruction. Treating the arrow as the entire control system could cause a driver to miss a restriction shown beside or above the lane.

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

4. 4. You feel sleepy while driving. What is the safest course?

   1. Open a window and keep driving to stay awake
   2. Turn up the radio and keep driving to stay awake
   3. Stop and sleep, or switch with a rested driver
   4. Drink coffee and continue without stopping to rest
   Show answer

   Stop and sleep, or switch with a rested driver. The manual says never to drive when sleepy. It recommends stopping and sleeping for a few hours rather than taking a chance on staying awake, and it says to switch driving tasks with another driver if possible so you can sleep while that person drives. Opening a window, turning up the radio, or drinking coffee without stopping does not follow that instruction. Sleepiness is a warning to end the driving, not a signal to try a stronger distraction.

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

5. 5. You must wait for space to enter a fast roadway. How should you use the ramp meanwhile?

   1. Slow on the ramp while keeping room to speed up.
   2. Stop at the ramp entrance until a suitable gap opens.
   3. Reverse to the ramp start again.
   4. Wait in the travel lane instead.
   Show answer

   Slow on the ramp while keeping room to speed up.. When waiting for a gap on a fast roadway, slowing on the entrance ramp leaves room to accelerate before merging. Stopping at the ramp entrance, reversing, or waiting in the travel lane removes that buildup space and creates a new hazard. Use the ramp to time the merge, then increase speed to fit the traffic stream when a safe opening appears.

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

6. 6. Another driver does not seem to notice your vehicle nearby. What headlight action can alert them?

   1. Turn your headlights off so yours stands out
   2. Flick your headlights to alert the driver
   3. Switch to parking lights while you pass
   4. Flash only after the driver turns toward you
   Show answer

   Flick your headlights to alert the driver. A brief flick of the headlights draws the eye of a driver who has not noticed you, without blinding them or removing your own visibility. Turning lamps off makes you harder to see, parking lights mark a parked vehicle rather than a moving one, and waiting until the other driver turns toward you wastes the warning moment. Use the flick early, then be ready to slow or change position if the driver still does not respond. Headlights help others see you whenever your own view grows poor as well.

   Study this in the handbook: Headlights, horn and turn signals

7. 7. Even when you hold priority, what must you still do about pedestrians and other vehicles?

   1. Sound the horn loudly and keep your speed
   2. Assume others will manage to obey the controls
   3. Do all you can to avoid striking anyone
   4. Proceed because priority removes your duties
   Show answer

   Do all you can to avoid striking anyone. Priority never cancels the basic duty to avoid hitting anyone, so a driver must still brake or steer away whenever a collision can be prevented. Keeping speed with a horn blast assumes the other person hears and reacts in time, and assuming obedience fails precisely when someone errs. Scan crossings with your foot ready over the brake even on a green light. Protecting a person who made a mistake matters more than asserting your place in the order of travel.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

8. 8. Besides stiff fines and court costs, what can a first DWI conviction bring?

   1. Only a warning letter from the court
   2. Automatic dismissal after a safe driving course
   3. A sentence to jail
   4. Community service with no other penalty
   Show answer

   A sentence to jail. A first DWI conviction carries stiff fines and court costs and can also send the driver to jail, so treating it as a paperwork penalty badly understates the outcome. No course erases the conviction automatically, and a warning letter alone ignores the sentencing power the court holds. Treatment orders and an ignition interlock can follow as well. The practical lesson is to separate drinking from driving entirely, using a designated driver or cab arranged before the first drink is poured.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

9. 9. You face two solid yellow lines but need to turn into a driveway. What does the marking allow?

   1. You may never cross the lines for any reason
   2. You may cross the line to turn into a driveway if safe
   3. You may pass slower traffic across the lines
   4. You may cross only to reach a parking lot
   Show answer

   You may cross the line to turn into a driveway if safe. Two solid yellow lines bar passing for both directions, yet a driver may cross a solid yellow line to turn into a driveway when the turn can be made safely. Treating the lines as an absolute wall for every movement overstates the rule, while passing across them breaks it directly. A parking lot entry does not gain a special exception beyond the driveway turn described. Check oncoming traffic and walkers, signal, and complete the turn without lingering in the opposing lane.

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

10. 10. How close to a crosswalk at an intersection may you park in New Mexico?

    1. No closer than 10 feet
    2. No closer than 50 feet
    3. No closer than 25 feet
    4. No closer than 15 feet
    Show answer

    No closer than 25 feet. New Mexico keeps parking at least 25 feet from a crosswalk at an intersection. The clearance preserves the sight line between a pedestrian stepping into the crosswalk and a driver approaching the corner. Ten feet and 15 feet are shorter than the rule and would let a parked vehicle hide someone waiting to cross. Fifty feet is the distance used for a railroad crossing, not for a crosswalk. On the street, look for the painted crosswalk bars and count back before you stop; if the space is tighter than 25 feet, keep moving to the next block.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

11. 11. Motorcycle convex mirrors make following cars seem what, and what should riders allow?

    1. Following cars seem farther away; leave extra distance.
    2. They seem closer than their actual distance from the motorcycle.
    3. They seem closer and faster than their actual speed.
    4. They appear blurred and cannot be used.
    Show answer

    Following cars seem farther away; leave extra distance.. Convex motorcycle mirrors can make following cars appear farther away than they really are. Riders who are unfamiliar with that distortion need extra distance and time before changing lanes. The mirrors do not necessarily make vehicles look closer, larger, slower, or unusable. Compare the mirror image with the actual closing movement and avoid relying on a distorted estimate alone. A cautious gap gives the rider time to correct a mistaken visual judgment.

12. 12. What misjudgment about big truck speed does the manual warn drivers about?

    1. Big trucks always move slowly in city traffic
    2. A truck gains speed only downhill
    3. A big truck may look slower than it is actually moving
    4. A truck’s size makes its speed easy to judge
    Show answer

    A big truck may look slower than it is actually moving. A big truck or RV can look as though it is traveling more slowly than it really is. That visual error can make a driver pull into an unsafe gap or misjudge a turn. The manual does not limit the warning to downtown streets or downhill travel. Treat the large vehicle’s apparent speed cautiously and allow more time before entering its path.

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

13. 13. When should a bicyclist on sharrows move right to let vehicles pass?

    1. Move right when another vehicle sounds its horn.
    2. Move right only when a red light is showing.
    3. Never move right because the lane belongs to the bicyclist.
    4. Move right when it is safe to let vehicles pass.
    Show answer

    Move right when it is safe to let vehicles pass.. On a sharrow, a bicyclist should move right to let vehicles pass when it is safe to do so. The instruction is not triggered by every horn, limited to red lights, or cancelled because the bicyclist uses the lane. Safety controls the timing. The rider should make room when a suitable opportunity exists without moving into a door, curb, or other hazard.

14. 14. Driving without required insurance can trigger which registration consequence?

    1. Registration denied or suspended, plates surrendered, and criminal penalties
    2. Registration renewal is delayed by thirty days after a warning
    3. Plates are replaced with temporary paper plates for a month
    4. The vehicle is impounded until all fees and fines are paid
    Show answer

    Registration denied or suspended, plates surrendered, and criminal penalties. Failure to maintain required insurance can lead to non-issuance or suspension of vehicle registration, surrender of license plates, and possible criminal penalties. The manual does not promise a thirty-day delay, temporary replacement plates, or automatic impoundment as the listed consequence. Insurance therefore affects registration status and may carry legal consequences beyond a warning or renewal delay. The listed outcomes are more serious than a routine renewal inconvenience.

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

15. 15. Which everyday drugs does the manual warn can make a driver drowsy?

    1. Only illegal street drugs can cause this warning.
    2. Vitamins and minerals are the main source of driving drowsiness and poor control.
    3. Only drugs given in hospitals can cause drowsiness.
    4. Some headache, cold, allergy and calming drugs can cause drowsiness.
    Show answer

    Some headache, cold, allergy and calming drugs can cause drowsiness.. The manual warns that drugs used for headaches, colds, hay fever, allergies, or calming nerves can make a person drowsy and affect driving. The warning is broader than illegal drugs or hospital anesthesia, and vitamins are not the listed concern. A driver should read the medicine label and ask a doctor or pharmacist when unsure whether an ordinary household product may reduce alertness.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

16. 16. A motorcycle rider is ready to pass a car. What should the rider do first?

    1. Move left without signaling to save time
    2. Ride through the blind spot slowly first
    3. Honk twice and wait beside the car
    4. Signal and check traffic ahead and behind
    Show answer

    Signal and check traffic ahead and behind. Passing on a motorcycle starts with a signal plus checks for oncoming traffic, mirrors, and a head turn for traffic behind, from the left portion of the lane at a safe following distance. Moving left without a signal surprises the car driver, lingering slowly in the blind spot prolongs the most dangerous position, and honking beside the car wastes the passing gap. Once the way is clear, move left, accelerate, and ride through the blind spot as quickly as conditions allow.

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

17. 17. On a two-lane road at 55 mph, about how much time do you need to pass another vehicle?

    1. About 10 seconds
    2. About 3 seconds
    3. About 5 seconds
    4. About 30 seconds
    Show answer

    About 10 seconds. At 55 mph you need about 10 seconds to pass, which means a 10 second gap in oncoming traffic and enough sight distance to match. Three and 5 seconds badly underestimate the time a pass takes. Thirty seconds is not the manual's figure. The manual also advises passing only one vehicle at a time and not counting on other drivers to make room for you.

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

18. 18. Work area traffic is being directed by a person holding a sign or flag. What must you do?

    1. Follow only the painted lane lines instead
    2. Obey the person directing traffic in the work area
    3. Honk once and continue at normal speed
    4. Wait for a police officer to replace them
    Show answer

    Obey the person directing traffic in the work area. A flagger or sign holder in a work zone controls traffic directly, and drivers must obey that person. Painted lines cannot react to a grader backing across lanes. Rolling through at full pace after a honk endangers the crew standing feet away. Slow on approach, watch the paddle, and creep only when waved through. Treat a slow paddle turn as a full stop order until the flagger clearly waves your lane forward.

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

19. 19. What three options does the manual give a driver when a collision looks likely?

    1. Honk, flash, and shout warnings
    2. Stop, turn, or speed up
    3. Close eyes, brace, and wait quietly
    4. Reverse, park, and exit quickly
    Show answer

    Stop, turn, or speed up. Collision avoidance reduces to stopping, turning or speeding up, chosen by where open space lies. Warning devices alone change no trajectory, bracing accepts impact, and reversing rarely opens an escape. Decide early, since each option needs room that shrinks every second. Many drivers panic and freeze, which training and scanning are meant to prevent. Scanning far ahead buys the seconds that keep all three options open instead of leaving only braking.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

20. 20. How should motorists treat a bicycle when planning around it in traffic?

    1. Treat the bicycle as a legal, slow-moving vehicle such as a backhoe
    2. As an obstacle to squeeze past
    3. As a pedestrian with wheels
    4. As a vehicle that must stop whenever a car approaches
    Show answer

    Treat the bicycle as a legal, slow-moving vehicle such as a backhoe. The manual tells motorists to treat a bicycle as a legal, slow-moving vehicle, using a backhoe as its example. That means allowing for its speed and position rather than squeezing past as though it were an object. A bicycle is not simply a pedestrian, and its rider is not required to dismount whenever a car approaches. The comparison identifies how the motorist should plan around it.

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