NM Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

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. How do you know it is safe to return to the driving lane after passing?

   1. When both headlights show in your mirror.
   2. When the passed car horn sounds.
   3. After counting to three aloud.
   4. When another driver waves you back into the lane.
   Show answer

   When both headlights show in your mirror.. The manual uses both headlights of the passed vehicle in the rear-view mirror as the cue that the passing driver has enough separation to return to the lane. A horn, a spoken count, or a signal from another vehicle does not give that view. Waiting for both headlights keeps the returning vehicle from cutting back too closely in front of the vehicle just passed.

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

2. 2. Where should your eyes focus while steering down the road?

   1. Watch only the vehicle directly ahead.
   2. Watch the hood and the pavement just ahead.
   3. Look well down the road and to both sides.
   4. Keep your eyes fixed on roadside signs.
   Show answer

   Look well down the road and to both sides.. The manual calls for a broad view that reaches well down the road and includes both sides. That view gives earlier notice of a vehicle, person, or obstruction and allows a smoother response. Looking only at the car ahead, the hood, or roadside signs narrows the driver’s usable warning time. Keep the main gaze moving through the roadway rather than staring at one nearby object.

3. 3. Which medicines should a driver avoid before a long trip?

   1. Vitamins taken with breakfast
   2. Cough drops used occasionally
   3. Only prescription pain medicines can cause drowsiness
   4. Any medicine that can make you drowsy while driving
   Show answer

   Any medicine that can make you drowsy while driving. The warning applies to any medicine that can make a driver drowsy, not just prescription pain medicine. Cold, allergy, and other products can carry the same driving risk, while vitamins and occasional cough drops are not the rule being tested. Read the label before a long trip and seek professional advice if the medicine may reduce alertness. Drowsiness is a driving hazard regardless of the product’s source.

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

4. 4. At a crossing with more than one track, when may you start across after a train passes?

   1. Start as soon as the first train clears.
   2. Start when nearby traffic begins moving.
   3. Start when the crossing bell becomes silent.
   4. Wait until the train is well down the track.
   Show answer

   Wait until the train is well down the track.. The first train can hide another one on a second track, so the driver should wait until it is well down the track before starting across. Nearby traffic, a silent bell, or the first train’s departure does not establish that every rail is clear. The extra wait gives the driver a view beyond the train that just passed and addresses the hidden-train danger identified by the manual.

5. 5. To obtain an instructional permit, which tests must an applicant pass at minimum?

   1. Pass both the knowledge and vision tests.
   2. Road test and vision test.
   3. Vision test alone at fifteen without a knowledge test.
   4. Knowledge test alone at age sixteen.
   Show answer

   Pass both the knowledge and vision tests.. To obtain an instructional permit, an applicant must be at least 15 years old and pass both the knowledge test and the vision test. A road test is not the listed minimum, and passing only one of the two tests is insufficient. The age requirement and the two tests work together, so an applicant who meets the age but misses either test has not met the stated conditions.

   Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

6. 6. Tickets for driving without insurance or registration require court appearance. What can that lead to?

   1. The court appearance could bring more fines or a suspended license.
   2. Only a mailed warning would follow the citation.
   3. Automatic points are added for the offense.
   4. A free registration renewal would follow the citation.
   Show answer

   The court appearance could bring more fines or a suspended license.. Driving without required insurance or registration can require a court appearance, and the manual says that this could lead to more fines or a suspended license. It does not promise only a mailed warning, automatic points alone, or a free renewal. The court consequence is significant because the underlying offense can affect both money owed and driving privileges. A driver should not treat the citation as a paperwork-only event.

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

7. 7. Your car acts up in a travel lane. What should you do about stopping there?

   1. Stop in the lane for any reason.
   2. Stop in the travel lane to drop off passengers.
   3. Do not stop in a travel lane; pull off safely.
   4. Stop while checking a map.
   Show answer

   Do not stop in a travel lane; pull off safely.. A driver should not stop in a travel lane for confusion, a breakdown, a passenger, or a map check. The manual says to keep moving until the vehicle can safely pull off the road. Stopping for any of those reasons leaves the vehicle in the path of traffic. The key decision is to reach a safe place beside the roadway before stopping.

8. 8. At a steady green light, which yielding duty remains in force?

   1. Yield to emergency vehicles and others as required by law
   2. No yielding duty remains once green appears
   3. Yield only to large trucks and buses
   4. Yield only to vehicles turning left
   Show answer

   Yield to emergency vehicles and others as required by law. A steady green light permits movement through the intersection only when it is safe. The driver must still yield to emergency vehicles and others when the law requires it. Green does not erase every yielding duty, and the rule is not limited to trucks or left-turning vehicles. Before moving, check the intersection and remain prepared to respond to the people or vehicles with priority.

   Study this in the handbook: Traffic signals and arrows

9. 9. After alcohol enters the body, what happens to a driver's judgment?

   1. It sharpens awareness of danger
   2. It puts good judgment on hold
   3. It improves distance estimates
   4. It increases patience in traffic
   Show answer

   It puts good judgment on hold. Alcohol affects the brain areas that control judgment and skill. The manual says alcohol puts good judgment on hold, and it warns that a person may not know when they have had too much to drink. Alcohol also slows reflexes, reduces clear vision, and makes a driver less alert. The choices about sharper awareness, better distance estimates, and greater patience reverse those effects. A driver who has been drinking cannot rely on personal judgment to decide whether driving is safe, because the substance has already weakened that judgment.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

10. 10. When you have parked next to a curb, on which side should you get out?

    1. The street side, to watch for cars
    2. Whichever side has more room
    3. The driver side, always
    4. The curb side, after checking traffic
    Show answer

    The curb side, after checking traffic. The manual says to check traffic before opening the door and to get out on the curb side when you can. The street side puts you in the path of passing vehicles and cyclists, who may be hidden by the door itself. Watching for cars from that side does not make the position safe. Choosing whichever side has more room can still leave you in a live lane, and the driver side is not automatically safer when the driver sits next to traffic. Reach across to open the door with the hand farther from it, which turns your body so you can see approaching traffic.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

11. 11. Why should a motorcycle rider avoid riding beside cars or trucks in other lanes when possible?

    1. It saves fuel to ride alone
    2. Riding beside another vehicle is always illegal
    3. You may sit in their blind spot and they block your escape path if danger appears
    4. A truck’s size keeps its blind spots from affecting motorcycles
    Show answer

    You may sit in their blind spot and they block your escape path if danger appears. A motorcycle beside a car or truck may be sitting in that vehicle’s blind spot, while the larger vehicle can also block the motorcycle’s escape path. Avoiding that side-by-side position when possible preserves a way out if traffic moves unexpectedly. The manual does not say that riding beside another vehicle is always illegal, and fuel savings or drafting are not the reason.

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

12. 12. Which braking habit should a motorcycle rider build for every slow or stop?

    1. Use only the rear brake for ordinary stops.
    2. Use both brakes at every stop and practice the front brake.
    3. Use only the front brake on dry roads.
    4. Alternate between the brakes on different stops.
    Show answer

    Use both brakes at every stop and practice the front brake.. The manual tells motorcycle riders to use both brakes every time they slow or stop. Practicing that habit during ordinary stops develops front-brake skill for emergencies. Using only the rear brake, only the front brake, or alternating by weekday does not build the recommended routine. Both controls should be applied smoothly so the rider is prepared to stop with the motorcycle balanced.

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

13. 13. As alcohol builds up, what judging problems will a driver have?

    1. Trouble judging only the color of traffic signals
    2. Perfect distance judgment with slower parking skill
    3. Trouble judging distances, speeds, and vehicle movement
    4. No trouble at all until speech becomes slurred
    Show answer

    Trouble judging distances, speeds, and vehicle movement. Rising alcohol makes it hard to judge how far away things are, how fast they move, and where other vehicles are heading, which corrupts nearly every driving decision. Signal color recognition is a tiny slice of that wider failure, and waiting for slurred speech sets the warning far too late. A driver may feel confident while misreading a closing gap at an intersection. Arrange a sober driver in advance instead of trusting roadside impressions after drinks have accumulated.

    Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

14. 14. Unless posted otherwise, what is the maximum speed on New Mexico public highways?

    1. 65 mph
    2. 55 mph
    3. 75 mph
    4. 45 mph
    Show answer

    55 mph. The state table sets 55 mph as the default maximum on public highways unless a sign posts a different number. Seventy five mph is reserved for rural interstates, and 65 and 45 are not the listed values for this road category. A posted limit still overrides the table, so watch for signs as you leave a town or enter a divided highway. The number is a ceiling for ideal conditions, not a target in rain, fog, or heavy traffic. Identify the road type first, then apply the matching limit.

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

15. 15. What can happen if you try to start too fast on a slippery surface?

    1. The engine will always stall at once
    2. The drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can slide
    3. The tires gain extra grip from spinning
    4. The brakes lock until speed builds up
    Show answer

    The drive wheels can spin and the vehicle can slide. Jumping on the throttle on a slick surface spins the drive wheels and can slide the whole vehicle sideways. Stalling is a clutch mistake, not the listed result of a hard launch. Spinning rubber melts and polishes the contact patch instead of gripping, and brakes play no role while accelerating. Feather the pedal until rolling begins, especially on painted lines and metal covers that stay slick after rain.

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

16. 16. How are reserved lanes often marked besides signs?

    1. A white diamond marking
    2. With a red circle painted every mile
    3. With raised metal plates across the lane
    4. With green arrows painted at entries
    Show answer

    A white diamond marking. Reserved lanes pair their signs with a white diamond posted beside the road or painted on the pavement. Red circles, metal plates and green entry arrows are invented markers. The diamond warns general traffic to stay out during posted hours. Check the sign panel for vehicle type and times before assuming the lane is open to you. Transit police enforce diamond lanes during peak windows, and fines apply even when general lanes crawl beside you.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

17. 17. Your vehicle begins to skid on a wet curve. What should you do with the brake?

    1. Press it firmly to slow the slide
    2. Stay off the brake pedal
    3. Tap it rapidly to regain grip
    4. Use only the parking brake instead
    Show answer

    Stay off the brake pedal. Braking during a skid cannot work until tires regain grip and usually deepens the slide. Rapid tapping and the parking brake share that flaw. Keep feet off the pedal, steer toward the intended path, and let speed decay naturally. Grip returns progressively, so small steering corrections beat one large panicked spin of the wheel. Feather steering inputs as grip returns, since a big wheel spin at that moment restarts the slide.

    Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

18. 18. When you park on a hill and turn the wheels sharply toward the curb, what protection does that angle give?

    1. It points the vehicle into oncoming traffic if it rolls
    2. If the vehicle rolls downhill it will roll away from traffic
    3. It locks the steering column so the brake can release
    4. It keeps the tires straight for a faster departure
    Show answer

    If the vehicle rolls downhill it will roll away from traffic. Angling the wheels toward the side of the road turns a runaway roll into a path away from moving traffic rather than into it. The suggestion that the angle points a rolling vehicle into traffic describes the opposite outcome and would defeat the reason for turning the wheels at all. Pair the wheel angle with the parking brake every time you leave a vehicle on a grade. Before walking away, glance at the front tires and confirm they visibly point toward the curb or road edge.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

19. 19. If you must stop for vehicle trouble where the road curves, where should you try to stop?

    1. Stop just around the curve.
    2. Stop in the travel lane with flashers on.
    3. Stop just over the crest of the hill.
    4. Stop where drivers can see you.
    Show answer

    Stop where drivers can see you.. If a vehicle cannot be moved off the roadway, the driver should try to stop where other drivers have a clear view of it. A curve or hill crest can hide the disabled vehicle until a driver is too close to avoid it. Flashers do not make a hidden or lane-blocking vehicle safe. Visibility gives approaching drivers more time to slow or steer away.

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

20. 20. How does vehicle speed affect turning, slowing and stopping distances overall?

    1. More speed shortens stopping distance.
    2. Speed affects stopping but not turning distance.
    3. Higher speed needs more distance.
    4. The needed distance stays the same at every speed.
    Show answer

    Higher speed needs more distance.. The manual states that increasing speed increases the distance needed to turn, slow, or stop. The rule covers all three actions, so it is not limited to braking. Faster travel cannot shorten the required distance, and the needed space does not remain fixed. A driver who sets speed before a turn or a developing hazard preserves more room for the vehicle to respond.

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