NM Permit Practice Test 16

All 20 questions in test 16

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 driver ahead starts drifting into your lane while you pass. How does the manual say to use the horn?

   1. Tap the horn only after you have stopped
   2. Stay silent until contact is certain
   3. Hold a long blast for ten full seconds
   4. Give a light tap as they drift toward you
   Show answer

   Give a light tap as they drift toward you. A light tap fits moments with no instant danger, like a passing target drifting toward your lane. Waiting for certain contact wastes the warning, and a ten second blast can panic the other driver. The tap works while rolling, not after a stop. Pair the sound with a lift off the gas so space opens if the drift continues. Keep your lane steady while sounding it, since a swerve at the same moment can close the remaining gap.

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

2. 2. After shifting to neutral for a stuck gas pedal, what finishing steps follow?

   1. Race the engine to clear the fault
   2. Pull off, then engine off
   3. Restart the motor while still rolling
   4. Coast home in neutral the whole way
   Show answer

   Pull off, then engine off. With the runaway pedal neutralized, pull clear of traffic when safe and switch the engine off. Racing the motor, restarting while rolling and coasting home all prolong a fault that can recur without warning. Keep eyes on the road through the maneuver, since speed may still be high. Have the linkage inspected before driving again. Do not reach down blindly for pedals or keys, since eyes up front keep the rolling car centered.

   Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

3. 3. What do right-of-way rules establish at places where vehicles or pedestrians may meet?

   1. They reward the driver who arrives traveling fastest
   2. They let each driver claim priority by flashing lights
   3. They tell who goes first and who must wait
   4. They apply only where a police officer directs traffic
   Show answer

   They tell who goes first and who must wait. These rules settle the order of movement by naming who proceeds and who waits in each common conflict. Speed on arrival earns nothing, and flashing lights cannot rewrite an assigned duty to wait for another road user. Officers can direct traffic, yet the rules govern ordinary crossings all day without any officer present. Learn the waiting duty attached to your movement, whether turning, entering, or crossing, and the shared pattern keeps strangers predictable to one another.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

4. 4. As a bicyclist on sharrows, where may you ride within the lane?

   1. You may ride only along the right edge
   2. You may ride on the center of the sharrow
   3. You may ride against traffic on the left
   4. You may ride on the sidewalk beside the road
   Show answer

   You may ride on the center of the sharrow. The manual says that a bicyclist may ride on the center of the sharrow. Sharrows mark a shared lane where the roadway is too narrow for side-by-side sharing with slower vehicles, so the bicycle may take the lane. Riding against traffic is not the listed use, and the sharrow instruction does not place the bicycle on the sidewalk or restrict it to the right edge. The manual also tells bicyclists to keep clear of parked-car door zones and move right when safe for vehicles to pass.

5. 5. What information does a green or brown destination sign provide?

   1. It shows directions and distance to various locations.
   2. It warns that road work or maintenance is ahead.
   3. It identifies nearby services such as gas stations.
   4. It tells drivers that a turn or movement is prohibited.
   Show answer

   It shows directions and distance to various locations.. A green or brown destination sign shows directions and distance to various locations such as cities, airports, state lines, or special areas. A work area warning describes a different sign type, and service signs identify places such as gas stations. A destination sign also guides travelers rather than prohibiting a turn or movement. The background colors and location information together identify route or place guidance. Read this sign as information about where a road leads and how far away the location is, not as a warning or a parking instruction.

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

6. 6. A driver sees a yellow painted curb. What does the marking mean?

   1. It indicates a loading zone or another parking restriction.
   2. It permits unrestricted parking beside the curb.
   3. It prohibits every stop and standing at the curb.
   4. It reserves the space for emergency vehicles.
   Show answer

   It indicates a loading zone or another parking restriction.. A yellow painted curb marks a loading zone or another parking restriction. It is not ordinary unrestricted parking, but the manual also does not say that every stop and standing is banned at a yellow curb. The cited curb rule does not reserve yellow spaces for emergency vehicles. Yellow tells the driver that a special limitation applies, so the specific signs or conditions at the curb must be understood before stopping there. Treat the marking as a restriction rather than as a general parking invitation.

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

7. 7. Why should the lead motorcycle not move right immediately after passing?

   1. It signals the group that every rider should stop.
   2. It confuses truck drivers but not other road users.
   3. The right position is always unsafe after passing a vehicle.
   4. It may cause the second rider to cut back before a space cushion forms.
   Show answer

   It may cause the second rider to cut back before a space cushion forms.. After the lead motorcycle passes, moving right immediately can encourage the second rider to pass and cut back before a large enough space cushion forms ahead of the passed vehicle. The problem is not that the right side is always unsafe or that the move signals a stop. Keeping the lead position briefly allows the following rider to complete a safer pass and re-form the group.

8. 8. Why stay centered in your lane while a large vehicle passes your motorcycle?

   1. Wind blast can affect control; the center leaves more room for error.
   2. Center riding presents a formal appearance.
   3. Passing trucks must use the center of their lane.
   4. Mirrors extend less when the motorcycle is centered in its lane beside traffic.
   Show answer

   Wind blast can affect control; the center leaves more room for error.. A large vehicle can create a blast of wind that affects a motorcycle’s control. Staying in the middle portion of the lane leaves more room for error when that blast arrives. Center position is not a matter of formality, mirror length, or a rule that trucks must use the center. The extra lateral space gives the rider room to correct without leaving the lane.

9. 9. Why is passing near intersections and shopping entrances dangerous?

   1. Entering drivers will see you before they turn into your lane.
   2. Signals always stop cross traffic.
   3. A blocked view and a right-turning driver may hide you.
   4. Trains sound horns to warn you.
   Show answer

   A blocked view and a right-turning driver may hide you.. Passing near an intersection or a shopping entrance is risky because the view may be blocked and a driver turning right into the approaching lane may not expect a passing vehicle. A green signal does not stop every conflict, and a train horn is unrelated. The danger is the turning driver entering the lane without seeing the vehicle that is passing.

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

10. 10. When there is danger, what horn action does the manual recommend?

    1. Give a light tap only.
    2. Stay silent to avoid startling anyone.
    3. Give a sharp horn blast.
    4. Give two short taps and then wait.
    Show answer

    Give a sharp horn blast.. When danger is immediate, the manual says not to be afraid to sound a sharp blast on the horn. A light tap or a pattern of short taps may not get attention quickly enough, while silence gives no warning. The horn is an emergency alert, not a substitute for braking or steering away from danger. Use it promptly while continuing to control the vehicle.

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

11. 11. Rain has made the road wet. By about how much should you slow down?

    1. Reduce speed by about 5 mph
    2. Reduce speed by about 10 mph
    3. Reduce speed by about 20 mph
    4. Cut your speed in half
    Show answer

    Reduce speed by about 10 mph. Wet pavement cuts tire grip, so slowing by about 10 mph on a wet road restores a margin that dry road speeds no longer leave. Five miles per hour helps yet falls short of the stated reduction, while twenty miles per hour and cutting speed in half go beyond what wet pavement alone calls for. Packed snow calls for cutting speed in half and ice calls for a crawl, which are separate conditions. Ease off early, since the first minutes of rain lift oil and make the surface slickest.

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

12. 12. Your vehicle has a two-part safety belt system. How should you wear it?

    1. Wear the lap belt alone in city traffic
    2. Wear both lap and shoulder parts
    3. Wear the shoulder belt alone on highways
    4. Use whichever single part feels tighter
    Show answer

    Wear both lap and shoulder parts. A two part system protects only when the lap and shoulder portions work together. Either strap alone leaves the body free to slide or jackknife in a crash. Town speed does not soften impacts enough to skip half the system, and tightness alone is no guide. Buckle both parts snug before moving, and check that passengers in every seat have done the same.

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

13. 13. Reserved lane signs also state what timing information for the restriction?

    1. Only holidays are listed for the restriction each year.
    2. Timing appears only in an online notice.
    3. No days or hours are posted with the sign.
    4. Signs list the occupant number, days and hours.
    Show answer

    Signs list the occupant number, days and hours.. Reserved-lane signs state the required number of occupants and also identify the days and hours when the restriction applies. The information is not limited to holidays, an online notice, or an absence of timing. Both parts matter: a vehicle can meet the occupancy number and still be outside the permitted time, or meet the time and still lack enough occupants.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

14. 14. A tire suddenly goes flat at highway speed. How should you slow the vehicle?

    1. Brake hard at once to halt quickly
    2. Ease off gas, brake lightly
    3. Steer sharply toward the nearest shoulder
    4. Swerve to the nearest exit ramp
    Show answer

    Ease off gas, brake lightly. A tire that suddenly goes flat calls for gradual slowing with your foot off the gas and only light braking while you hold the wheel firmly and keep going straight. Hard braking can throw the car sideways on the ruined tire, and a sharp steer toward the shoulder risks the same loss of control. Let speed bleed away, then pull off the road in a safe place. Change the tire only on level ground well clear of passing traffic, with flashers warning drivers behind you.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

15. 15. Why stay especially watchful beside young child cyclists?

    1. Children may signal every movement early.
    2. Children always remain on sidewalks.
    3. Children often ride faster than adults.
    4. Young riders may move or change lanes unexpectedly.
    Show answer

    Young riders may move or change lanes unexpectedly.. Young bicyclists may make sudden movements or change lanes unexpectedly, so the manual tells drivers to stay watchful around them. Children do not always signal early or remain on sidewalks, and they are not necessarily faster than adults. A driver should anticipate a quick change in position and leave enough time and space to respond without forcing the bicycle toward traffic.

16. 16. What sleep preparation does the manual advise before leaving on a long trip?

    1. Get a normal night's sleep before leaving
    2. Sleep as little as possible to leave early
    3. Nap only after you start driving
    4. Skip sleep if the trip is short
    Show answer

    Get a normal night's sleep before leaving. For a long trip, the manual advises getting a normal night's sleep before leaving. Sleeping as little as possible and skipping sleep increase the fatigue that the advice is meant to prevent. A nap after driving begins does not satisfy the instruction to start rested. The same section also tells drivers not to leave on a trip if they are already tired and to plan so they can leave when rested. The preparation belongs before departure, not after fatigue begins.

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

17. 17. Where should speed be lowered because room to maneuver is limited, per the trouble spots list?

    1. Open desert highways with clear views at noon.
    2. Empty frontage roads with clear views at dawn.
    3. Shopping centers, parking lots and downtown areas.
    4. Rural straight roads with wide views and light traffic.
    Show answer

    Shopping centers, parking lots and downtown areas.. Shopping centers, parking lots, and downtown areas require lower speed because vehicles and people stop, start, and move in different directions with limited room. Open desert highways and empty frontage roads do not present that particular mixture, and a rural straight provides more space. The correct cue is conflicting movement in a compact area, not a specific time of day or scenery.

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

18. 18. As alcohol in the body increases, what happens to judgment and vehicle control?

    1. Judgment improves and skills become sharper
    2. Judgment stays the same and control remains steady
    3. Hearing fades, but driving skills remain unchanged
    4. Judgment worsens and skills decrease, making control harder
    Show answer

    Judgment worsens and skills decrease, making control harder. The manual connects increasing alcohol with worsening judgment and decreasing skills. It warns that the driver will have trouble judging distances, speeds, and the movement of other vehicles, and will also have trouble controlling the vehicle. The choices claiming improvement or steady control contradict that progression. Hearing is not the only or defining effect described in this passage. As alcohol increases, the driver loses abilities needed to judge the road and control the vehicle safely.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

19. 19. What is the minimum age to receive a New Mexico provisional license if the driver has held an instructional permit for six months?

    1. At age 15 years and 6 months.
    2. At age 15 years exactly.
    3. At age 16 years exactly.
    4. At age 17 years exactly.
    Show answer

    At age 15 years and 6 months.. A New Mexico driver may receive a provisional license at 15 years and 6 months when the driver has held an instructional permit for six months. Fifteen years is the minimum age for an instructional permit, not this next stage. Sixteen and 17 add age that the quoted requirement does not impose. The permit-holding period and the age requirement work together, so meeting only one condition is not enough.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

20. 20. An emergency vehicle with siren sounding approaches while you are stopped inside an intersection. What should you do first?

    1. Stop where you are and block the junction
    2. Back up to the nearest side street at once
    3. Clear the junction first, then pull right
    4. Pull to the left edge to open the right lane
    Show answer

    Clear the junction first, then pull right. When an emergency vehicle approaches and you already sit inside a junction, clear the box first and then move to the right edge. Freezing in place traps the ambulance or fire engine behind cross traffic. Backing blindly and pulling left both cut against the expected rightward move that responders anticipate. Once through, hug the right curb, stop, and follow any loudspeaker directions before rejoining traffic after the responder passes.

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