NM Permit Practice Test 24

All 20 questions in test 24

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. Why does keeping pace with traffic beat constant passing?

   1. Passing never creates risk.
   2. Keeping pace with traffic is legally required.
   3. Each pass brings a collision chance, from lane changes or sudden oncoming vehicles.
   4. Passing is safer because it removes the need to follow other vehicles.
   Show answer

   Each pass brings a collision chance, from lane changes or sudden oncoming vehicles.. Driving faster than traffic forces repeated passes, and each pass creates a chance for a collision. A lane change or a sudden oncoming vehicle can make one pass dangerous. Passing can therefore create risk, and the passage gives safety advice rather than a legal command to match traffic speed. Passing also does not remove the need to follow another vehicle safely. Keeping a steady pace limits how often you enter another vehicle's path and reduces the number of passing maneuvers you must judge.

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

2. 2. How much should you reduce your speed when driving on packed snow?

   1. Add about 10 mph so momentum carries the vehicle
   2. Keep the posted speed across any packed surface
   3. Slow down only when another vehicle is close ahead
   4. Cut your usual speed in half for the surface
   Show answer

   Cut your usual speed in half for the surface. Packed snow cuts tire grip sharply, so halving your speed gives the tires and brakes a realistic chance to hold the vehicle. Adding speed for momentum invites a slide that momentum then makes harder to stop, and waiting for nearby traffic before slowing leaves curves and stops unprotected. Judge the surface as you leave a cleared street for a snow packed side road. Drop to roughly half your former pace early, make steering inputs gentle, and triple the room you normally leave ahead.

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

3. 3. How should a staggered motorcycle group pass a vehicle on the road?

   1. All riders pass together in one wide group.
   2. The slowest rider should pass before everyone else.
   3. Riders pass one at a time, returning before the next rider goes.
   4. The group splits around both sides of the vehicle.
   Show answer

   Riders pass one at a time, returning before the next rider goes.. Riders in a staggered motorcycle formation should pass one vehicle at a time. That sequence lets each rider return to formation and creates room for the next rider. Passing together, sending the slowest rider first, or splitting around both sides removes the orderly spacing the group needs. One-at-a-time passing keeps the group predictable to the vehicle being passed. The formation remains organized while the group clears the slower vehicle.

4. 4. Who has the authority to turn a public road into a one-way road in New Mexico?

   1. Any city block association
   2. Drivers who use the road daily
   3. The State, which must then post one-way signs
   4. The first driver entering each morning
   Show answer

   The State, which must then post one-way signs. Only the State may convert a public road to one-way operation, and it must post signs telling drivers the road is one-way. Neighborhood groups and daily users hold no such authority, and no first arrival can set a direction that binds everyone else. Look for the posted direction whenever you turn into an unfamiliar downtown street, since the conversion is lawful only with those signs in place. Obey the posted direction even when the street appears empty.

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

5. 5. Which road users are harder to see when entering traffic from a curb or driveway?

   1. Motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are harder to see
   2. Cars, trucks, and buses are harder to see
   3. Only large trucks and buses are harder to see
   4. All road users are equally easy to see
   Show answer

   Motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are harder to see. The manual specifically warns that motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are harder to see than cars and trucks. It adds that drivers should be especially alert when entering the roadway from a curb or driveway. The other choices either reverse the comparison, name only larger vehicles, or deny the visibility difference. A driver pulling into traffic should look carefully for the smaller road users who may be hidden by the surroundings or overlooked in a quick scan.

6. 6. Another vehicle is about to strike you from the side and space lies open ahead. What evasive option applies?

   1. Brake to a stop in its path
   2. Speed up clear, then slow
   3. Reverse quickly toward the threat
   4. Hold your speed and brace for the impact
   Show answer

   Speed up clear, then slow. When another vehicle is about to hit you from the side or behind and open space lies ahead, speeding up can carry you clear of the impact. Braking to a stop plants you in the path of the striking vehicle, reversing moves you toward the danger, and holding speed while bracing leaves you where the hit will land. Once the danger has passed, slow down again. Keep your eyes on the open space ahead so the escape stays controlled.

   Study this in the handbook: Vehicle emergencies and skids

7. 7. What does the manual say studies show about drivers who use marijuana?

   1. They drive more slowly and take fewer risks
   2. They judge distances better than other drivers
   3. They make more mistakes and have more trouble with glare
   4. They are less likely to be arrested for violations
   Show answer

   They make more mistakes and have more trouble with glare. The manual cites studies finding that marijuana users make more mistakes, adapt less well to glare, and are arrested for traffic violations more often than other drivers. Marijuana is not a performance aid, so the ideas that users drive more cautiously, judge distances better, or avoid arrest contradict the evidence. Its effects on attention and glare matter most at night, when headlights and dark roads already strain vision. Treat marijuana like any other substance that can impair driving, and arrange a sober ride if you have used it.

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

8. 8. Who may park in a space marked for the handicapped?

   1. Any driver during quiet off peak hours
   2. Any driver making a quick short stop
   3. A driver with a passenger waiting nearby
   4. A driver with a handicap plate, tag, or sticker
   Show answer

   A driver with a handicap plate, tag, or sticker. A handicapped space is reserved for a vehicle displaying a handicap license plate, tag, or sticker. A short stop, a waiting passenger, or an off peak hour does not qualify. These spaces sit close to entrances because the distance matters to someone with limited mobility, so even a brief errand takes the space from the driver who needs it. Look for the blue curb paint and the posted symbol. If you are dropping someone off, use a loading area rather than the reserved stall, and keep the access aisle beside it clear for a wheelchair or lift.

   Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

9. 9. What does the manual say about the smallest amount of alcohol that can affect driving?

   1. Only three or more drinks matter
   2. Even one drink can affect driving
   3. Only alcohol on an empty stomach matters
   4. A single drink is safe for most adults
   Show answer

   Even one drink can affect driving. The manual states plainly that there is no safe amount of alcohol and that even one drink can affect driving. Three or more drinks is far too high a threshold, because judgment begins to slip well before a driver feels impaired. Food in the stomach changes how quickly alcohol enters the blood, but it does not make a drink harmless. The claim that one drink is safe for most adults mistakes a legal limit for a safety guarantee. Decide on a ride before the first drink, since the skill you need to judge your own fitness is the one alcohol dulls first.

   Study this in the handbook: Alcohol, drugs and DWI

10. 10. Following too closely behind a large truck creates which hidden problem?

    1. The trucker can see your vehicle clearly from inside the cab.
    2. The trucker may not know you are there behind the trailer.
    3. A close gap gives the trucker more time to react to you.
    4. The mirrors show the trucker every area behind the trailer.
    Show answer

    The trucker may not know you are there behind the trailer.. A car following too closely can be unseen by the trucker, who may not know it is behind the trailer. A close gap does not improve the trucker’s view, create extra reaction time, or make the mirrors show every part of the area behind the trailer. The truck’s size and blind areas can conceal a following vehicle from the trucker even when the following driver can see the truck. Leave enough space to avoid remaining in that unseen position.

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

11. 11. Descending a long steep hill, why check mirrors for large trucks and buses?

    1. Trucks must slow for a runaway ramp.
    2. Buses stop at the bottom of every grade.
    3. Heavy vehicles lose speed on steep grades.
    4. Heavy vehicles may build up speed downhill.
    Show answer

    Heavy vehicles may build up speed downhill.. Vehicles often build up speed while descending a steep grade, and the manual specifically warns drivers to watch for large trucks and buses that may be going too fast. A runaway ramp, a bus stop, or a claim that heavy vehicles lose speed does not explain the warning. Checking mirrors lets a driver notice a fast-moving heavy vehicle before it becomes an immediate hazard.

12. 12. You merge into the middle of a four second gap. What following distances result?

    1. Both vehicles have two seconds.
    2. You have one second ahead and behind.
    3. You have four seconds ahead and none behind.
    4. You have three seconds ahead and one behind.
    Show answer

    Both vehicles have two seconds.. Moving into the middle of a four-second gap divides that gap into two equal parts. The vehicle entering has two seconds of space ahead, and the vehicle now behind also has two seconds of space. The result is not one second, three and one, or all four seconds in front. The example shows how a driver can merge without eliminating the following distance for either vehicle.

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

13. 13. What does side vision help a driver do while looking ahead?

    1. Spot vehicles and trouble on either side while looking ahead
    2. Focus on the hood and the road just ahead
    3. Replace mirror checks entirely with a single forward stare ahead
    4. Use side vision instead of mirrors and glances
    Show answer

    Spot vehicles and trouble on either side while looking ahead. Side vision lets a driver notice vehicles and other trouble on either side while the main view remains directed ahead. It does not mean staring at the hood, abandoning mirrors, or replacing all glances with one fixed look. This peripheral awareness helps reveal a vehicle entering from the side before a lane change or intersection movement is complete. It supplements, rather than erases, other checks.

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

14. 14. In some areas, what can happen to a shared center lane during rush hours?

    1. It becomes a parking lane
    2. It becomes a bus-only lane
    3. It becomes a reversible lane
    4. It becomes a bicycle-only lane
    Show answer

    It becomes a reversible lane. The manual explains that a shared center lane is normally used for permitted left turns or U-turns by traffic traveling in both directions. In some areas, that lane becomes a reversible lane during rush hours. The change is not a conversion to parking, a permanent bus lane, or a bicycle-only lane. A driver should check whether the lane can be entered and whether it is safe before using it, because its function can change with the traffic period.

    Study this in the handbook: Pavement markings and special lanes

15. 15. Lines and symbols on the roadway serve which combined purposes?

    1. Divide lanes, guide passing and turns, and mark walkways and stops
    2. Mark where plowed snow may be stored beside the road
    3. Show where vehicles may park beside the roadway
    4. Guide turning traffic into private driveways
    Show answer

    Divide lanes, guide passing and turns, and mark walkways and stops. Roadway lines and symbols divide lanes, guide passing and lane changes, show which lanes serve turns, define pedestrian walkways, and mark places where drivers must stop. They do not mark snow storage, parking rows, or private driveways as a general matter. Reading the pavement markings helps the driver choose a lawful path and recognize where a movement or stop is required.

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

16. 16. What gap does the manual call for when you merge with other traffic?

    1. Any gap longer than one car length
    2. A gap of about two seconds when merging
    3. A gap of about six seconds when merging
    4. A gap of about four seconds
    Show answer

    A gap of about four seconds. Merging calls for roughly a four second opening, which leaves two seconds ahead of you and two behind once centered. A two second total gap squeezes both buffers to about one second each, and a single car length ignores speed entirely. Six seconds is safer still but beyond what the book asks. Change one lane at a time and abandon a merge that shrinks instead of forcing the nose in.

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

17. 17. A provisional driver must get home from a family emergency late at night. What allows driving between midnight and 5 AM?

    1. A verbal promise to drive slowly home
    2. Signed parent statement for family need
    3. A note written by the driver alone
    4. Headlights set to high beam all the way
    Show answer

    Signed parent statement for family need. Family necessity during the restricted hours needs a signed parent or guardian statement in hand. A verbal promise and a self written note carry no authority, and beam choice is irrelevant. Keep the signed statement in the glove box before the late trip begins, since an officer may ask for it roadside. Employers and coaches cannot substitute for that signature when the emergency belongs to the household instead.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license

18. 18. What do white lane markings separate on a roadway?

    1. Same-direction travel lanes
    2. Traffic moving in opposite directions
    3. Parking rows inside a parking lot
    4. Bike lanes from sidewalks only
    Show answer

    Same-direction travel lanes. White markings split lanes that travel the same direction, as on a one way street or freeway. Yellow handles opposing flows. Lot rows and sidewalk edges fall outside lane marking rules. Glancing at color tells direction of neighboring traffic instantly, which helps before any lane change at night. Freeway lanes use the same color logic, which keeps merging traffic predictable at crowded city interchanges.

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

19. 19. After parking, how should you leave the transmission of a vehicle with a manual gearbox?

    1. In neutral with the wheels straight
    2. In reverse only on flat ground
    3. With the engine running in neutral
    4. In gear, while an automatic is left in park
    Show answer

    In gear, while an automatic is left in park. Leaving a manual vehicle in gear adds a second restraint beside the parking brake, while an automatic belongs in park for the same purpose. Neutral in either design lets the vehicle depend on the brake alone, and a running engine in neutral adds hazard without holding the car. Set the brake first, select the proper gear or park position, then turn the wheels toward the curb on a hill. Check that the vehicle stays planted before you step away from it.

    Study this in the handbook: Speed limits

20. 20. A provisional driver returns late from a school activity. Whose signed statement can support that drive?

    1. Classmates of the driver
    2. School or parent signed statement
    3. Only a licensed passenger in the car
    4. Only the vehicle owner signature
    Show answer

    School or parent signed statement. School or religious activity travel in restricted hours can rest on a signed statement from the school, a religious official, or a parent or guardian. Classmate notes and passenger or owner signatures lack standing. Obtain the signed note from the sponsoring adult before the event ends, and keep it reachable during the drive home. Keep the note dated for that night, since officers check the activity and the hours against it roadside.

    Study this in the handbook: Permits and the graduated license