NM Permit Practice Test 21

All 20 questions in test 21

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 must be done with the parking brake before starting the vehicle?

   1. Release the parking brake before starting.
   2. Use it only after starting.
   3. Make sure the parking brake is on before starting.
   4. Set it only on steep hills.
   Show answer

   Make sure the parking brake is on before starting.. The manual says to make sure the parking brake is on before starting the vehicle. Releasing it before cranking, using it only after startup, or setting it only on a hill does not follow that instruction. Applying the brake helps keep the vehicle from moving unexpectedly while the engine starts. The rule applies even when the vehicle is parked on level ground.

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

2. 2. What does the manual say about driving with only parking lights on?

   1. Use parking lights for a short city trip.
   2. Use parking lights when fog is bright.
   3. Do not drive with only parking lights on.
   4. Use parking lights instead of headlights at dusk.
   Show answer

   Do not drive with only parking lights on.. Parking lights are for a parked vehicle and should never be the only lights while driving. A short trip, bright fog, or dusk does not create an exception. Other road users need headlights to recognize a moving vehicle and judge its position. Select the headlight setting whenever the vehicle is being driven, rather than treating the parking-light setting as a substitute.

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

3. 3. At a railroad crossing with a warning bell or horn, when may you cross?

   1. As soon as the sound begins
   2. After the bell or horn has stopped
   3. When another vehicle crosses first
   4. Only after the gate rises
   Show answer

   After the bell or horn has stopped. At some railroad crossings, a bell or horn sounds to warn that a train is approaching. The manual says not to cross until that warning sound has stopped. Crossing as soon as it begins or following another vehicle does not remove the danger, and a raised gate is not the only condition described in the passage. Stop and wait for the warning to end, then check that the tracks and the space beyond are clear before proceeding.

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

4. 4. How can a driver sometimes avoid having to stop at all in traffic?

   1. Slow or change lanes early after seeing traffic ahead.
   2. Tailgate the vehicle ahead to avoid stopping.
   3. Honk to clear the road before you have to stop.
   4. Coast in neutral so the vehicle will not stop before the obstruction.
   Show answer

   Slow or change lanes early after seeing traffic ahead.. Seeing events well in advance can let a driver slow down or change lanes before a full stop becomes necessary. Tailgating removes that time, honking does not clear the path, and coasting in neutral is not the manual’s solution. Early observation gives the driver more than one response and may preserve continuous movement instead of forcing a panic stop. The goal is to replace a last-second reaction with a planned adjustment.

5. 5. Where should you merge onto a high speed roadway to reach traffic speed?

   1. Stop at the end of the ramp, then accelerate hard
   2. Wait on the ramp until a very large gap appears
   3. Use the ramp to match traffic speed first
   4. Enter slowly and let highway traffic adjust around you
   Show answer

   Use the ramp to match traffic speed first. Use the entrance ramp as an acceleration lane and match highway speed before merging. Halting at the ramp end removes the room needed to blend and surprises drivers behind who are watching main road traffic. Crawling on while others swerve also creates conflict. If no gap opens, ease off while still on the ramp so some pavement remains for the final surge into the stream.

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

6. 6. Before taking a drug when you plan to drive, what should you check?

   1. Check only the dose listed on the label.
   2. Check the label for drug warnings.
   3. Ask a friend whether the drug made them sleepy.
   4. Take the drug with food before driving.
   Show answer

   Check the label for drug warnings.. Before driving, the label is the first place to look for warnings about a drug's effects. A dose check alone can miss a warning about drowsiness or impaired judgment. A friend's experience is not a reliable prediction of your reaction, and taking medicine with food does not make every drug safe for driving. If the label leaves doubt, ask a doctor or pharmacist about side effects before taking the wheel.

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

7. 7. How does driving much slower than other vehicles compare with speeding?

   1. Much slower than traffic can be just as bad as speeding
   2. Slow driving is safer no matter what gap traffic keeps
   3. Speeding is the sole source of danger on a highway
   4. A slow driver creates no bunching behind the vehicle
   Show answer

   Much slower than traffic can be just as bad as speeding. Traffic bunching behind a much slower vehicle pushes others into risky passing, making very slow travel just as troublesome as speeding. Slow is not automatically safe because the danger comes from the speed difference you create with surrounding vehicles. When vehicles pile up behind you, pull over where it is safe and let them pass. On faster roads stay with the general flow within legal limits, and use the right side when your pace runs below the traffic around you.

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

8. 8. What do your brake lights tell drivers behind you?

   1. They tell drivers behind you that you are slowing down.
   2. They warn drivers only after you stop.
   3. They show that following drivers should expect an unannounced stop.
   4. They make a short following distance safe.
   Show answer

   They tell drivers behind you that you are slowing down.. Brake lights tell drivers behind that the vehicle is slowing, and the manual advises slowing as early as it is safe to do so. That warning gives a following driver more time to react. Brake lights are useful in daylight as well as at night. A turn signal does not excuse tailgating, and drivers should not assume that a sudden stop will be expected.

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

9. 9. A friend asks to borrow your driver license to show as identification. What does the manual say?

   1. Lending is allowed for identification only
   2. You can lose driving privileges
   3. Lending is allowed if you ride along
   4. Lending is allowed once per year
   Show answer

   You can lose driving privileges. Letting another person use your license is grounds for losing the privilege. Identification errands, riding along and yearly allowances are invented exceptions. The card certifies its named holder alone. Refuse the favor and suggest the friend obtain a state identification card instead, which serves the same counter purpose without risking your record. Your photograph and signature travel with that card, so misuse also tangles your identity in any stop that follows.

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

10. 10. Which three levels make up the graduated driver license system in order?

    1. Permit, provisional license, and a commercial license.
    2. Temporary, probationary and full licenses.
    3. Learner, junior and senior license cards.
    4. Instructional Permit, Provisional, and Unrestricted.
    Show answer

    Instructional Permit, Provisional, and Unrestricted.. New Mexico’s graduated driver license system has three levels in order: Instructional Permit, Provisional License, and Unrestricted Driver License. Temporary, probationary, and commercial labels do not name this sequence, and learner, junior, and senior cards are not the listed levels. The order matters because the system moves a qualifying driver from supervised instruction toward fewer restrictions and then an unrestricted license.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

11. 11. What habit does the manual recommend every time you leave a parked vehicle?

    1. Lock the doors whenever you leave the vehicle
    2. Leave one window open for ventilation
    3. Keep the engine idling for a quick return
    4. Leave the keys where a family member can find them
    Show answer

    Lock the doors whenever you leave the vehicle. Locking up each time you walk away removes an easy invitation to theft and makes the habit automatic rather than occasional. An open window or keys left behind undo that protection, while an idling engine adds risk with nobody seated at the controls. Build the routine around the door handle itself: keys in hand, doors shut, lock confirmed before you turn away. The same pause lets you check that no cyclist or pedestrian is passing close beside the vehicle as you step out.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

12. 12. What may colored curb markings show a driver?

    1. They show the speed limit
    2. They show some parking restrictions
    3. They show the direction of traffic
    4. They show where services are located
    Show answer

    They show some parking restrictions. The parking section says that some parking restrictions are indicated by colored curb markings. A curb color can therefore tell a driver that a space has a parking limit, rather than serving as a speed sign or lane-direction sign. Service locations are communicated by guide signs, not by the parking curb rule described here. Before leaving a vehicle, read the curb marking together with any nearby sign so the space's restriction is understood.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

13. 13. When may you drive on the shoulder of the road?

    1. Whenever traffic slows ahead
    2. During daylight hours freely
    3. Use the shoulder to pass one vehicle at a time
    4. Never drive on the shoulder unless officials tell you to do so
    Show answer

    Never drive on the shoulder unless officials tell you to do so. Unless officials direct otherwise, the manual says never to drive on the shoulder. Slow traffic, daylight, or a desire to pass one vehicle does not create permission. The shoulder may contain stopped vehicles, debris, pedestrians, or other hazards and is not a spare travel lane. Remain on the roadway and wait for a lawful lane opportunity instead of using the shoulder.

14. 14. Stopped at an intersection on a motorcycle, why watch mirrors closely?

    1. To judge the speed of traffic ahead.
    2. Mirrors replace the motorcycle’s brake lights.
    3. To check whether the helmet strap is fastened.
    4. Watch for cars approaching from behind.
    Show answer

    Watch for cars approaching from behind.. When stopped at an intersection, a motorcycle rider should watch vehicles approaching from behind. An inattentive driver may reach the motorcycle before seeing it, making a rear approach a serious threat. Mirrors are not for admiring traffic, checking a helmet, or replacing brake lights. The check is a defensive look for a vehicle that may fail to stop in time.

15. 15. Judging distances and speeds matters most at which driving moments named in the manual?

    1. Parking between marked lines
    2. Choosing a radio station safely
    3. Merging, passing on two lane roads, and judging train speed
    4. Reading exit numbers early on a long highway trip
    Show answer

    Merging, passing on two lane roads, and judging train speed. The manual highlights distance and speed judgment when merging, passing on a two-lane road, and judging a train’s speed before crossing tracks. Parking, choosing a radio station, and reading an exit sign are not the listed examples. Each named situation requires a driver to compare movement and space accurately before committing, because a small error can turn a usable gap into a conflict.

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

16. 16. Approaching a hill or curve where you cannot see beyond, how should speed be set?

    1. Adjust speed so you can stop if necessary beyond the blind rise or bend
    2. Hold speed if road is familiar
    3. Speed up to clear it quickly
    4. Rely on oncoming headlights only when cresting hills at night in rural areas
    Show answer

    Adjust speed so you can stop if necessary beyond the blind rise or bend. At a hill or curve where the driver cannot see over or around the roadway, speed must be set so the vehicle can stop if necessary. Familiarity does not make the hidden section empty, and speeding to clear it reduces the available stopping distance. Headlights alone cannot solve a blind rise in daylight or at night. The visible roadway is the space the driver can safely plan for.

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

17. 17. Headlight switching fails to restore your lights at night. What backup lighting should you use while leaving the road?

    1. Parking lights alone all the way home
    2. Flashers, signals, or fog lamps
    3. High beams held on by hand
    4. No lights, to warn others clearly
    Show answer

    Flashers, signals, or fog lamps. When the headlight switch cycling fails, flashers, signals or fog lamps mark the car while you pull off promptly. Parking lights alone are too dim for travel, dead high beams cannot be held on, and darkness hides the vehicle. Stop where the shoulder is wide and visible, then arrange repair or a tow rather than limping onward blind. A passenger can watch for a safe turnout while the driver keeps both hands steering the darkened vehicle.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

18. 18. A steady yellow X glows over a reversible lane you occupy. What should you do?

    1. Speed up to clear the whole lane fast
    2. Leave the lane when safe
    3. Stop inside the lane and wait
    4. Keep driving until a red X appears
    Show answer

    Leave the lane when safe. A steady yellow X warns that lane use is changing, so leave it promptly when safe. Racing ahead and stopping inside both court a head on meeting once direction flips. Waiting for red treats the final ban as the first warning. Signal early, merge with traffic running your way, and settle before the red X stage arrives. Center lanes near downtown flip twice daily, and regular commuters time merges around those posted change hours.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

19. 19. Signs or lane markings show two turning lanes at an intersection. What should you do during the turn?

    1. Drift into the outer lane to make the turn wider
    2. Change lanes in the middle of the turn if you need to
    3. Stay in your lane during the turn
    4. Use whichever lane is empty after you finish turning
    Show answer

    Stay in your lane during the turn. When signs or lane markings allow two or more turning lanes, stay in your lane during the turn. In general, turn from the lane closest to the direction you want to go and into the lane closest to the one you came from, without crossing lane lines. Once you have completed the turn, you may change to another lane if you need to.

    Study this in the handbook: Right of way at intersections

20. 20. At what blood alcohol content may an adult driver be arrested for DWI in New Mexico?

    1. .10% or more
    2. .02% or more
    3. .05% or more
    4. .08% or more
    Show answer

    .08% or more. For a driver 21 or older, New Mexico's manual sets the arrest threshold at a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more. The .02 percent figure applies to a driver under 21, while .05 and .10 are not the adult threshold in this handbook. A lower reading does not make driving safe, because even one drink can affect judgment, and an officer can still arrest a driver whose ability is impaired. Watch for the two numbers in the alcohol chapter and attach each to the right age group, then arrange a ride before drinking rather than testing the limit.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI