NM Permit Test cheat sheet

Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for current traffic, road, and weather conditions, even below the posted limit.

Default limits unless otherwise posted: 15 mph in school zones, 30 mph in business or residential districts, 75 mph on rural interstate highways.

Right turn on red is permitted after a complete stop when no sign prohibits it; left on red is legal only from one one-way street onto another one-way street.

At a four-way stop the vehicle that stopped first goes first; if two arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

When a school bus shows flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, traffic in both directions must stop unless a raised median or physical barrier separates the directions.

Move Over Law: approach any stopped emergency, tow, or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights by changing lanes if possible, or slowing down if a lane change is unsafe.

Railroad crossings: when a signal, gate, or flagger requires a stop, stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail.

Pedestrians in a marked or unmarked crosswalk have the right of way, and you may not pass a vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk.

Passing is prohibited on a hill crest, on a curve, at an intersection, and at any marked no-passing zone; you must return to the right lane before reaching a solid line on your side.

Sign shape carries meaning: octagon = stop, inverted triangle = yield, diamond = warning, vertical rectangle = regulatory, pennant = no-passing zone, round = railroad advance warning, crossbuck = railroad crossing.

Sign colors: red = stop or prohibition, yellow = warning, orange = construction or work zone, green = guidance and distances, blue = services, brown = recreation and points of interest.

Steady red means stop and stay stopped; a right turn on red is allowed after stopping unless posted otherwise, but a red arrow means no turn in that direction.

Flashing red is treated as a stop sign; flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution; steady yellow means stop unless you are too close to stop safely.

A broken yellow center line permits passing on your side when safe; a solid yellow line on your side prohibits passing.

Double solid yellow lines prohibit passing in both directions and may be crossed only to turn into a driveway or side road where legal.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions and also mark the left edge of divided highways and one-way roads.

White lines separate traffic moving in the same direction: dashed means lane changes are allowed, solid means stay in lane, and a solid white edge line marks the right edge.

Orange signs and channeling devices in work zones take priority over normal markings and often carry increased fines for moving violations.

Three-second following rule: after the vehicle ahead passes a fixed object, you should not reach that object sooner than three seconds; add a second in rain and much more on ice.

Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is poor; use low beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic and within 200 feet when following another vehicle.

In fog, dust, or heavy snow use low beams, not high beams, because high beams reflect off the particles and reduce your view.

Anti-lock brakes: press the pedal firmly and hold it; do not pump. A pulsing pedal and grinding noise during an emergency stop are normal.

In a skid, ease off the accelerator, look and steer where you want the vehicle to go, and avoid sudden hard braking.

Hydroplaning can begin around 35 mph on wet pavement; ease off the gas, hold the wheel straight, and do not brake hard until traction returns.

If a tire blows out, grip the wheel with both hands, keep the vehicle straight, ease off the accelerator, and pull off the road only after slowing.

Handheld cell phone use is prohibited while driving in New Mexico, and a distracted driver can be cited even when no crash occurs.

Backing up: check behind the vehicle before entering it, back slowly, and remember that most backing crashes happen in driveways and parking lots where children are hard to see.

Large trucks have blind spots roughly 20 feet ahead, 30 feet behind, and one lane wide on each side; if you cannot see the truck driver's mirror, the driver cannot see you.

Trucks must swing left before turning right; never pass a right-turning truck on the right or move into the space between it and the curb.

Trucks and buses need far more distance to stop than cars, so do not cut back into their lane immediately after passing.

Leave at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist; if the lane is too narrow, wait behind until passing is safe.

Motorcyclists are entitled to a full lane; never share a lane with a motorcycle, because the rider needs the whole lane to steer around hazards.

A motorcycle's single headlight makes its speed and distance hard to judge at night, so allow extra following distance before pulling out or turning across its path.

When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren, pull to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes, and never stop in the middle of an intersection.

Passenger vehicles must never drive in a lane marked for buses only, and must yield to transit buses re-entering traffic from a stop where state law requires it.

A pedestrian using a white cane or a guide dog always has the right of way; stop, wait until the person clears your path, and do not sound the horn.

School zones are 15 mph when children are present or the zone is in effect, and children stepping out from between parked cars are a leading hazard.

In work zones, obey flaggers over signs and signals, and expect increased fines for moving violations when workers are present.

Bridges and overpasses freeze before ordinary pavement because cold air circulates beneath them; reduce speed on them first when temperatures near freezing.

Never drive into flooded roadway: six inches of moving water can sweep a car away, and depth and current cannot be judged from the driver's seat.

In blowing dust or snow, slow down, use low beams, and if visibility drops too far, pull completely off the roadway and stop; use hazard lights only once stopped.

The first minutes of rain are the most slippery because oil and dust lift off the pavement, so reduce speed as soon as rain begins.

Deer are most active at dusk, dawn, and during the fall; after one crosses, slow down and scan for others following.

Winter braking on ice or snow should be gentle and early, and stopping distances can be many times longer than on dry pavement.

Per se limits in New Mexico: 0.08 BAC for drivers 21 and over, 0.04 for commercial drivers, and 0.02 for drivers under 21 under zero tolerance.

Implied consent: driving in New Mexico constitutes consent to a chemical test after a DWI arrest; refusing revokes the license for at least one year.

Aggravated DWI applies at a BAC of 0.16 or higher, on refusal to test, or when the offense causes bodily injury, and it carries enhanced penalties.

A first DWI conviction carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, a one-year license revocation, and a required ignition interlock device.

DWI does not require a moving vehicle: a person in actual physical control of a parked car with the engine running and keys available can be arrested.

Alcohol is a depressant that impairs judgment first, then coordination, reaction time, and vision, producing a false sense of confidence in the driver.

One standard drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, and the body eliminates roughly one drink per hour regardless of coffee, food, or cold showers.

Open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of a vehicle are prohibited, whether the vehicle is moving or parked.

Minimum liability insurance required in New Mexico is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $10,000 for property damage.