New Hampshire NH DMV Permit Practice Test 14

  • Questions40
  • Correct to pass32
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years, after an approved driver education program

40 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 32 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You have just passed a vehicle on a two-lane road. When may you return to your lane?

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    Answer B: When you can see the whole vehicle in your inside mirror

    Seeing the entire vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror shows there is room to pull back in without cutting it off.

  2. 2. You will leave your vehicle for several hours after dark. Where is the best place to park it?

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    Answer D: In a well-lit spot with people and cameras nearby

    Light, passing people and cameras all discourage theft and make your own return to the vehicle safer.

  3. 3. Besides the night and passenger rules, what limit does New Hampshire place on the holder of a youth operator license?

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    Answer B: The number of occupants may not exceed the number of safety restraints

    RSA 263:14 forbids the holder of a youth operator license to drive when the number of occupants exceeds the number of safety restraints in the vehicle.

  4. 4. What is the benefit of looking far down the road rather than just ahead of the hood?

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    Answer A: You steer with smaller corrections and you see trouble in plenty of time

    A distant view steadies your steering and gives you time to plan, because you meet hazards after you have already seen them.

  5. 5. You are approaching the entry of a roundabout and a pedestrian is crossing the marked crosswalk on your approach lane. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop before the crosswalk and let the pedestrian cross

    Roundabout crosswalks sit a short distance back from the yield line, and drivers must yield there before they ever reach the circulating lanes.

  6. 6. A signal stands part way up a freeway entrance ramp and turns green briefly again and again. How many vehicles does such a signal normally release on each green?

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    Answer A: One for each lane of the ramp

    A ramp control signal releases a single vehicle per lane on each green so that vehicles reach the merge one at a time instead of in a bunch.

  7. 7. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?

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    Answer B: A right turn

    The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.

  8. 8. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signals are completely dark after a power failure. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop and take turns

    When a signal is dark or out of order, drivers on every approach must stop and proceed in turn, exactly as at a four-way stop.

  9. 9. Why should your thumbs rest along the rim rather than hook inside the spokes?

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    Answer D: A jolt can spin the wheel and injure hooked thumbs

    A pothole or a dropped wheel can snap the wheel round violently, and thumbs hooked through the spokes are trapped when it happens.

  10. 10. The driver of a slow farm vehicle moves partly onto the shoulder and waves you past. Who is responsible for the pass?

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    Answer A: You are, so pass only if you can see that the road is clear

    A courtesy wave is not a traffic control, and the driver who changes lanes is the one answerable for the maneuver.

  11. 11. Which ability does alcohol usually affect first?

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    Answer A: Judgment and self control

    Alcohol reduces judgment and inhibition before a drinker notices any clumsiness, which is why an impaired driver often feels perfectly capable while already driving worse.

  12. 12. You are on a one-way street with two marked lanes. May you pass a slower vehicle on the right?

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    Answer A: Yes, using the right lane, provided that the move is safe and signaled

    On a roadway with two or more marked lanes in your direction, moving into the free lane and going by is a normal lane change rather than an unlawful pass.

  13. 13. What does a sign reading Slower Traffic Keep Right require?

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    Answer C: Traffic moving slower than the general flow must use the right-hand lane

    The sign applies to any vehicle traveling below the speed of the traffic around it, which must keep right so faster vehicles can use the lanes to the left.

  14. 14. You realize you have just gone past your exit on a freeway. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Carry on to the next exit and turn around there

    A missed exit costs a few minutes, while backing up or cutting across the striped gore area puts you in the path of traffic that is not expecting it.

  15. 15. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?

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    Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself

    Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.

  16. 16. You are passing a crash on the other side of a divided highway. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Keep your eyes on your own lane and the traffic around you

    Staring at a crash scene, often called rubbernecking, causes sudden slowing and secondary collisions. Your attention belongs on the traffic in front of you.

  17. 17. A fire truck with lights and siren has just passed you and is heading down the same road. How closely may you follow it?

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    Answer B: Well back, because following a responding emergency vehicle closely is illegal

    Following a responding emergency vehicle closely is prohibited; the exact minimum distance is set by each state, so stay far enough back to keep the scene and other responders clear.

  18. 18. Another driver cuts you off and you feel your temper rising. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Take a breath, drop back and let it go, because the whole trip matters more

    Retaliation turns a moment of bad driving into a crash, and dropping back costs you only a few seconds.

  19. 19. Where should your hands normally rest on the steering wheel?

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    Answer C: On opposite sides of the wheel, near the 9 and 3 positions

    Hands placed opposite each other near the middle of the wheel give smooth, balanced control and keep the arms clear of a deploying air bag.

  20. 20. What should you do about snow and ice on your vehicle before driving?

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    Answer C: Clear all glass, mirrors and lights, and the roof and hood as well

    Snow left on the roof or hood slides onto your windshield when you brake and blows into the path of drivers behind you, and covered lights make your vehicle hard to see.

  21. 21. A sign shows a lane joining from the right with no merge required. What does that mean?

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    Answer B: The joining traffic gets its own new lane, so nobody has to merge

    An added lane means the roadway gains a lane at that point, so entering vehicles have somewhere to go without anyone changing lanes.

  22. 22. Trees block the view along the tracks as a driver approaches this sign. What approach speed is correct?

    Two white crossed boards forming an X, with black lettering along each board
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    Answer B: Slow enough to stop before the nearest rail once a train comes into view

    Where the view along the track is obstructed, the only safe speed is one that still leaves stopping distance after a train first becomes visible.

  23. 23. Traffic ahead of you has stopped in your lane while the next lane is still moving. What is the first thing to do?

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    Answer C: Slow down first and check the next lane before moving over

    Braking is the action that keeps you from hitting the stopped traffic, and the lane change is only safe once you have looked.

  24. 24. Is it acceptable to watch a video on a screen positioned where you can see it while driving?

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    Answer B: No, the screen pulls your eyes and attention away from the road

    Moving pictures are among the strongest visual distractions. Video screens must be out of the driver's view while the vehicle is moving.

  25. 25. The word SCHOOL is painted in large letters across the roadway. What is it doing?

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    Answer D: Backing up the signs marking a school zone

    Word markings on the pavement reinforce a message that is already signed, and a driver looking at the road ahead cannot miss them.

  26. 26. You are driving slower than the general flow on a multilane highway. Which lane should you use?

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    Answer D: The right lane, keeping the left lanes free for faster traffic and passing

    Slower traffic must keep right so that faster vehicles and overtaking traffic can use the left lanes without weaving between lanes.

  27. 27. What does it mean to scan the road while driving?

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    Answer A: Moving your eyes constantly over the road, the sides and the mirrors

    Scanning keeps information coming in from every direction, while a fixed stare leaves you blind to everything else.

  28. 28. When is passing another vehicle on the right generally permitted?

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    Answer C: When the road has two or more lanes in your direction, or the vehicle ahead is turning left and there is room without leaving the pavement

    Passing on the right is limited to situations where a lawful lane exists for it or the vehicle ahead is turning left, and it may never be done by driving onto the shoulder.

  29. 29. You are driving in the left lane at the posted speed limit and a line of vehicles has built up behind you. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Move into a lane on your right when it is safe and let the traffic behind go by

    Most states require traffic moving slower than the flow to keep right and reserve the left lane for passing, so a driver holding up a line of vehicles should move right when it is safe rather than block the lane.

  30. 30. After turning right you see a sign showing that your lane ends a short way ahead. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Signal and merge into the next lane while there is still room

    Merge early and smoothly while a gap is still available, rather than running out of pavement or forcing your way in at the last moment.

  31. 31. A deer has just crossed in front of you on a stretch signed for animal crossings. What is the best assumption?

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    Answer B: More animals are likely to follow the first one

    Deer travel in groups, so one animal crossing usually means others are about to follow, and a driver should slow and keep scanning both shoulders.

  32. 32. Why is standing water across a road dangerous even when it looks shallow?

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    Answer B: It can hide a washed out roadbed, a deep hole or a missing cover

    You cannot see the surface under the water, and floods commonly wash the roadbed away or lift covers off drains.

  33. 33. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?

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    Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go

    Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.

  34. 34. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop

    Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.

  35. 35. A power line has fallen across your vehicle after a crash. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Stay inside and wait for utility workers unless fire forces you out

    The vehicle body may be energized, and touching it and the ground at the same time can be fatal. If you must leave because of fire, jump clear with both feet together and shuffle away.

  36. 36. A pedestrian is crossing at a corner where no crosswalk is painted on the pavement. What is your duty?

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    Answer A: Yield, because a legal crosswalk exists at the corner even without paint

    Every intersection has a crosswalk whether or not it is marked, and drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing there.

  37. 37. You are leaving a private driveway and entering a public street. What are you required to do?

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    Answer B: Stop and yield to traffic on the street and to pedestrians on the sidewalk

    A driver entering a roadway from a driveway, alley or private road must stop and yield to traffic on the roadway and to pedestrians on the sidewalk being crossed.

  38. 38. Your exit from a three-lane highway is about a mile ahead on the right, and you are in the left lane. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Start moving right now, one lane at a time

    Plan ahead and change lanes one at a time well before the exit, so you never have to cut across several lanes at the gore.

  39. 39. Another driver is behaving aggressively toward you. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Avoid eye contact, give them room to go on their way and do not respond to provocation

    Responding to an aggressive driver escalates the conflict, while creating distance and refusing to engage takes you out of the situation. Report serious threats once you can do so safely.

  40. 40. You reach a one-lane bridge and a vehicle is already partway across it coming toward you. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Stop before the bridge and let it come through

    A vehicle already on a one-lane bridge has the right of way, and the driver who has not yet entered waits at the approach.