NM Permit Practice Test 19

All 20 questions in test 19

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. What license risk follows giving false information on a driver license application?

   1. Only a corrected form is required later
   2. A warning letter is the maximum result
   3. Loss of driving privileges
   4. The false entry becomes legal after renewal
   Show answer

   Loss of driving privileges. False information on the application can cost the driving privilege. Correcting the form later and a warning letter both understate the consequence, and renewal never validates a lie. Ages, addresses and medical answers must match reality. Read each line before signing, since the signature certifies the whole application at the counter. Clerks compare supporting documents closely, and a mismatch discovered years later still traces back to the original filing.

   Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

2. 2. Another vehicle is about to enter the street between you and your planned turn. When should you signal?

   1. Signal a full block early so the waiting driver can pull out first
   2. Never signal when side traffic waits
   3. Wait until you have passed that vehicle, then signal
   4. Signal only after the turn begins
   Show answer

   Wait until you have passed that vehicle, then signal. Signaling too early can make a waiting driver think the turn happens at their street, pulling them into your path. Skipping the signal entirely and signaling mid turn both leave others guessing. Roll past the waiting vehicle first, then flip the lever so the message points at the real turn. Keep the gap covered with a ready brake foot. If the waiting driver still creeps forward, yield the space rather than defending a turn they misread completely.

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

3. 3. Why can pavement be very slippery during the first minutes of rain on a hot day?

   1. Rain always washes oil away instantly
   2. Heat brings oil in the asphalt to the surface
   3. Cold tires grip hot pavement more firmly
   4. New rain adds a rubber layer to the road
   Show answer

   Heat brings oil in the asphalt to the surface. Heat draws oil out of asphalt toward the surface, and the first rain floats that oil into a slick film before traffic and water wash it away. Rain does not remove the oil instantly, which is why the opening minutes of a storm on a hot afternoon surprise so many drivers. Cold tires and an imagined rubber layer play no part in the change. Slow down as the first drops fall on sun baked streets, lengthen your following distance, and postpone hard braking until the surface has been rinsed clean.

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

4. 4. After a small turn your turn signal keeps blinking. What should you do?

   1. Leave the signal blinking until you reach the next junction ahead
   2. Turn it off if it has not clicked off by itself
   3. Speed up so it cancels faster
   4. Signal the opposite way to balance it
   Show answer

   Turn it off if it has not clicked off by itself. A signal that stays on after a shallow turn can fool others into expecting a second turn. Leaving it blinking until the next junction spreads that confusion for blocks. Speed does not cancel the stalk, and opposite signaling adds a fresh lie. Glance at the dash after every turn and click the lever off by hand when the self canceler misses.

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

5. 5. When turning sharp corners, which steering method does the manual describe?

   1. Use the hand-over-hand technique for sharp corners
   2. Let the wheel slip freely through your fingers to recenter itself
   3. Steer with fingertips only on sharp corners
   4. Cross your arms and hold that grip
   Show answer

   Use the hand-over-hand technique for sharp corners. Sharp corners call for hand over hand steering, feeding the wheel from one hand to the other. Letting the rim slip through the fingers after a turn can snap the car straight unpredictably. Fingertip grip and a locked crossed arm posture both weaken recovery if a tire catches a rut. Practice the motion in an empty lot at low speed until straightening by hand feels automatic.

6. 6. A pedestrian is crossing against the controls at an intersection. What must you do?

   1. Hold your speed because the pedestrian lacks the right to cross
   2. Tap the horn and keep your current path unchanged
   3. Yield to the pedestrian even though the crossing breaks the rules
   4. Stop in the intersection and block all other lanes
   Show answer

   Yield to the pedestrian even though the crossing breaks the rules. Always yield to a person on foot, even when that person ignores signals or signs. Holding speed because the walker is at fault risks a fatal strike that a brief lift off the pedal prevents. A horn tap alone does little if the path still intersects. Blocking the junction creates fresh hazards for everyone else. Ease off early, shift within the lane for space, and let the pedestrian clear before rolling forward again.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

7. 7. If an emergency vehicle's loudspeaker gives directions, what should nearby drivers do?

   1. Continue without responding to them
   2. Follow the loudspeaker instructions
   3. Stop in the travel lane immediately
   4. Follow only instructions from another driver
   Show answer

   Follow the loudspeaker instructions. Drivers must follow instructions delivered over an emergency vehicle's loudspeaker. Those directions can manage traffic around a crash, fire, rescue scene, or other urgent response, and they may differ from the normal movement a driver expected to make. The choice “Continue without responding to them” is unsafe because ignoring a direct instruction can interfere with responders. Slow down, watch the emergency vehicle, and carry out the stated direction carefully. If no loudspeaker instruction is given, the manual separately requires yielding and pulling to the right when the emergency vehicle approaches with a siren, air horn, or qualifying flashing light.

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

8. 8. What is the best way to keep from hydroplaning on a wet road?

   1. Speed up briefly to clear standing water
   2. Steer sharply toward the drier wheel tracks
   3. Brake hard at the first floating sensation
   4. Slow down in the rain or when the road is wet
   Show answer

   Slow down in the rain or when the road is wet. Slowing down in rain keeps the tread in contact with pavement instead of riding up on a film of water. Speeding up to clear standing water deepens that floating effect, and sharp steering or hard braking on a floating tire can start a skid. At the first light feeling in the steering, ease off the accelerator and hold the wheel steady until grip returns. Lower speed before deep puddles on worn tires, since shallow tread gives water fewer channels to escape.

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

9. 9. While making a left turn, what space should you preserve for oncoming drivers?

   1. Oncoming drivers must stop for you
   2. Leave room for oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you
   3. Only large trucks need room
   4. Leave room for a vehicle leaving a parking space
   Show answer

   Leave room for oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you. When making a left turn, the manual says to leave room for oncoming vehicles to turn left in front of you. The rule applies to oncoming vehicles generally, not just large trucks, and it does not give the turning driver priority that forces them to stop. A vehicle leaving a parking space is a different situation from the opposing left turn described in the manual. Preserving that space lets the two opposing turns proceed without cutting across each other's path.

   Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

10. 10. During a turn itself, how directly should you move between lanes?

    1. Cross lane lines as needed while completing the turn.
    2. Stop midway through the turn to adjust your path.
    3. Move directly lane to lane without crossing lines.
    4. Swing out first and then cut back into the lane.
    Show answer

    Move directly lane to lane without crossing lines.. During a turn, the driver should move from one lane to the other as directly as possible without crossing lane lines or interfering with traffic. A diagonal drift, a wide swing, or a stop midway makes the vehicle’s path harder to predict. The instruction does not mean crossing markings freely. It means completing the turn into the intended lane with a direct, controlled path.

11. 11. How are reversible lanes usually marked on the pavement?

    1. Double-dashed yellow lines
    2. With solid white lines on both sides
    3. With orange dots spaced along the lane
    4. With blue dashes down the lane center
    Show answer

    Double-dashed yellow lines. Reversible lanes carry double dashed yellow markings and switch direction by time of day. Signs and overhead signals state which direction may use the lane when. Solid white, orange dots and blue dashes are invented markers. Never enter until a green arrow confirms the lane currently runs your way. Rush hour direction flips catch visitors off guard, so read overhead signals before every entry into center lanes.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

12. 12. Where may you not park in New Mexico, even briefly?

    1. In a marked space on a wide street
    2. On a bridge, overpass, tunnel, or underpass
    3. Beside a curb with painted lines
    4. In a public parking structure
    Show answer

    On a bridge, overpass, tunnel, or underpass. The no parking list includes bridges, overpasses, tunnels, and underpasses. These structures leave no room to pull clear of traffic, and a stopped vehicle can block the only path through or force others into a narrow space. A marked space on a wide street, a curb with painted lines, and a public parking structure are places where stopping may be allowed if signs and markings permit it. Treat the entrance to a bridge or tunnel as a place to keep moving; if the vehicle fails there, get as far to the side as the structure allows and use hazard lights.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

13. 13. How much 80-proof liquor counts as one alcoholic drink in the manual?

    1. 5 ounces
    2. 12 ounces
    3. 2 1/2 ounces
    4. 1 1/2 ounces
    Show answer

    1 1/2 ounces. One drink means 1 1/2 ounces of 80 proof liquor, whether straight or mixed. The same manual measures a drink as 12 ounces of regular beer or a 5 ounce glass of wine, so those numbers describe other beverages rather than a shot of liquor. Two and a half ounces is roughly two drinks and would put an average adult closer to the impairment level. A mixed drink made with a generous pour or a specialty recipe can carry several standard drinks. Measure the liquor instead of eyeballing the glass, and count every refill.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

14. 14. A crossing gate is lowering as a train approaches. What must you do?

    1. Do not drive around the gate
    2. Drive around the gate if no train is visible
    3. Cross quickly before the gate fully lowers
    4. Stop on the tracks to check both ways
    Show answer

    Do not drive around the gate. A lowering gate means a train is coming, and driving around it removes the last barrier between your vehicle and the tracks. A train may be hidden or moving faster than it looks, so an apparently clear view does not make going around safe. Crossing quickly races the gate and the train together, and stopping on the tracks traps you where the train must pass. Wait clear of the tracks until the gate rises and the signals stop.

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

15. 15. A driver struggles with headlight glare at night. What travel advice applies?

    1. Drive faster to spend less time in darkness
    2. Follow another vehicle closely for guidance
    3. Wear dark glasses to reduce the glare
    4. Drive only as much as necessary at night and be very careful
    Show answer

    Drive only as much as necessary at night and be very careful. The manual says that a driver who has trouble seeing at night should not drive more than necessary and should be very careful when driving. Driving faster does not correct poor night vision. Following closely reduces a safe space cushion, and dark glasses or tinted contact lenses cut down the light needed to see clearly. The safest response is to limit the night trip when possible and use extra care for the travel that cannot be postponed.

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

16. 16. As a skid straightens out, why must you turn the wheel back the other way?

    1. Unwind to prevent swing over
    2. Otherwise brakes will lock again soon
    3. To test whether steering still works
    4. To start a fresh skid for control
    Show answer

    Unwind to prevent swing over. Once the nose points along the road again, unwinding the wheel prevents an overshoot swing into a second skid facing the other way. Deliberate fresh skids, steering tests and brake lock worries miss the recovery sequence. Keep correcting left and right in shrinking amounts until the car tracks straight under full control. Looking toward the exit of the slide helps hands follow smoothly instead of freezing mid correction.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

17. 17. After passing a large truck or RV, what should you do next?

    1. Stay beside its front wheel.
    2. Match its speed beside the cab.
    3. Stop briefly to check your mirrors.
    4. Move ahead, out of the driver’s blind spot.
    Show answer

    Move ahead, out of the driver’s blind spot.. After passing a large truck or RV, the driver should move ahead rather than remain beside the cab in the driver’s blind spot. Matching speed or stopping keeps the smaller vehicle exposed longer, while settling by the front wheel leaves it in a place the truck driver may not see. Finish the pass on the left and create clear separation before returning or slowing.

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

18. 18. How much side space should parked cars get as you pass them?

    1. Brush the mirrors of parked cars to stay centered.
    2. Stop beside each parked car.
    3. Leave no extra space beside parked cars.
    4. Leave extra space beside parked cars.
    Show answer

    Leave extra space beside parked cars.. Extra space beside parked cars protects against a door opening or a person stepping out. Brushing a mirror, stopping next to every car, or allowing no margin leaves the moving vehicle exposed to those hazards. The needed space depends on the street, but the principle is to avoid traveling close enough for a door or person to enter the vehicle’s path.

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

19. 19. Besides distance from travel lanes, what visibility must a parked vehicle have?

    1. Visible only to vehicles approaching from behind at night.
    2. Hidden behind other parked vehicles.
    3. Visible to vehicles approaching from either direction.
    4. Visible only during daylight hours.
    Show answer

    Visible to vehicles approaching from either direction.. A parked vehicle should be far enough from a travel lane not to interfere with traffic and visible to vehicles approaching from either direction. Being hidden behind other cars or visible only from behind fails the visibility condition. Daylight is not the whole rule. Approaching drivers need a clear opportunity to recognize the parked vehicle and adjust their path. Both the location and the view from each direction matter.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

20. 20. A single green, yellow or red signal light may be installed in what kinds of places?

    1. At intersections and at other locations.
    2. Nowhere else anywhere in the state.
    3. Only on freeway entrance ramps.
    4. Only at school entrances and exits.
    Show answer

    At intersections and at other locations.. The manual notes that single green, yellow, or red signal lights can appear at intersections and at other locations. They are not limited to freeway ramps or school entrances, and it is incorrect to say they occur nowhere else. A driver should read the signal’s color and location together, recognizing that traffic-control lights can be installed outside a conventional intersection.

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