New Hampshire NH DMV Permit Practice Test 15

  • 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. Which facility does this sign direct a traveler toward?

    A blue square with a white letter H
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    Answer B: A hospital offering emergency care

    This is the standard marker for medical care, used to lead a traveler to a hospital where emergency treatment is available.

  2. 2. How many demerit points in one calendar year lead to a suspension for a New Hampshire driver aged 21 or older?

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    Answer A: 12 points

    New Hampshire suspends a driver aged 21 or older for up to three months after 12 demerit points in one calendar year; the thresholds are 18 points in two years and 24 points in three years.

  3. 3. Does using a hands free device remove the risk of distraction?

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    Answer A: No, the conversation still takes attention away from driving

    Hands free equipment removes the manual part of the distraction but not the mental part, and a driver deep in conversation can look straight at a hazard without registering it.

  4. 4. You are behind a snow plow working on a highway. What is the correct way to drive?

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    Answer C: Stay well back and do not try to pass it

    A plow throws snow, runs wider than its body and works on the poor surface ahead of it, so the cleared road behind it is the safest place to be.

  5. 5. A sign showing a figure with an outstretched thumb inside a red circle with a slash means that

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    Answer B: soliciting a ride is prohibited there

    The no hitchhiking sign bars standing beside the road to solicit a ride, and it is common along freeway ramps and shoulders.

  6. 6. A pedestrian is crossing a wide four-lane street and has reached the lanes on the far side. When may you go on?

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    Answer C: Only after the person has finished crossing the roadway

    Waiting until the pedestrian has finished crossing is correct in every state and removes any doubt about how much clearance your state demands.

  7. 7. How should a driver respond to this sign?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed

    Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.

  8. 8. A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

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    Answer C: Do not start crossing, but finish a crossing already begun

    The flashing upraised hand is the pedestrian change interval: nobody may start to cross, but a pedestrian already in the crosswalk may continue to the far side or to a median.

  9. 9. Which action involving equipment is expressly permitted while driving under the New Hampshire hand-held ban?

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    Answer C: Performing any action required by an ignition interlock device

    RSA 265:79-c lists performing an action required by an ignition interlock device among the exceptions to the hand-held prohibition, alongside emergency reporting and non-cellular two-way radio use.

  10. 10. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?

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    Answer B: After the through movement has run

    A lagging left turn phase runs at the end of the green rather than the start, so a driver waiting to turn should not assume the arrow has been missed.

  11. 11. You correct a rear wheel skid and the back of the vehicle swings the other way. Why?

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    Answer D: You steered too far, so be ready to correct back the other way

    Over correcting sends the tail past straight and starts a second skid the opposite way. Steer smoothly and be ready to unwind the correction.

  12. 12. Loose items slide around your car and rattle every time you brake. What is the answer?

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    Answer C: Secure them before you start driving

    Sliding objects pull your attention and can roll under the pedals, so stow them in the trunk or wedge them before the trip rather than chasing them during it.

  13. 13. Your passengers are being noisy and you are losing concentration. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Ask them to settle down, or pull over safely until they do

    The driver is responsible for the conditions inside the vehicle, and stopping is always better than driving distracted.

  14. 14. You are circulating in the inner lane of a two-lane roundabout, your exit is next, and a vehicle is beside you in the outer lane. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Keep circulating around the island and take that same exit on your next time around

    You may not cut across a vehicle in the outer lane; if you cannot exit safely, continue around the circle and try again.

  15. 15. A yellow diamond shows a car with wavy lines behind its rear tires. What is the warning?

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    Answer D: The surface loses grip badly when it is wet

    The slippery when wet sign marks a stretch where traction falls off sharply in rain, so speed and braking must be reduced well in advance.

  16. 16. Why is following distance measured in seconds rather than in car lengths?

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    Answer A: Because a time gap automatically grows with speed, while a fixed number of car lengths does not

    A gap counted in seconds keeps the same margin of reaction time at any speed, whereas a fixed number of car lengths becomes far too small as speed rises.

  17. 17. What fines does New Hampshire set for using a hand-held mobile electronic device while driving?

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    Answer A: $100, then $250, then $500 plus penalty assessment within 24 months

    RSA 265:79-c fines a violator $100 plus penalty assessment for a first offense, $250 for a second and $500 for any subsequent offense within a 24-month period.

  18. 18. A shared-use path crosses the road ahead at a marked crossing and people are already crossing on it. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Yield and let them finish crossing the road

    People already crossing at a marked crossing have the right of way, and a path crossing is a crossing of the roadway like any other.

  19. 19. A driver passes this sign on an entrance ramp while merging onto a freeway. Who has priority?

    A downward pointing white triangle with a wide red border
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    Answer B: The traffic already traveling on the freeway

    The sign places the duty on the entering driver, who must adjust speed and fit into a gap without forcing through traffic to brake or swerve.

  20. 20. The green left-turn arrow ends and a steady red ball comes on for your lane, at an intersection where no turn on red is allowed. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop and wait, because no turn is allowed while the red ball is lit

    Once a red indication faces your lane and no turn on red is permitted there, the turn is over; only a vehicle already inside the intersection completes its movement.

  21. 21. A sign with a yellow background and a black legend generally conveys

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    Answer B: a general warning

    Yellow is the background color used for general warning signs, so a yellow sign tells the driver to expect something ahead rather than to obey a rule.

  22. 22. How much clearance does New Hampshire presume reasonable when a vehicle passes a bicycle at 30 mph or less?

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    Answer A: 3 feet, with one more foot for every 10 mph above 30

    RSA 265:143-a presumes a passing distance reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet at 30 miles per hour or less, with one additional foot of clearance for every 10 miles per hour above that.

  23. 23. A sign at the signal reads LEFT TURN ON GREEN ARROW ONLY. The ball turns green but no arrow appears. What may you do?

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    Answer C: Wait, because your turn is allowed only while the arrow is showing

    The sign removes the permissive turn, so the left is legal only during the green arrow and you must wait behind the line until it appears.

  24. 24. What is the correct order of a pass on a two-lane road?

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    Answer A: Check ahead and behind, signal left, move out, accelerate past, signal right and return

    A pass begins with the decision that the road is clear and ends with a signaled return, and each step warns other drivers before the vehicle moves.

  25. 25. How does going a long time without sleep compare with drinking?

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    Answer A: It can impair a driver in much the same way

    Long periods awake produce slow reactions, poor judgment and lapses of attention that resemble the effects of alcohol, which is why fatigue counts as impairment.

  26. 26. Where must a New Hampshire driver stop at a railroad grade crossing that carries a stop sign ordered by the commissioner of transportation?

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    Answer A: Within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail

    RSA 265:49 requires a driver facing such a stop sign to stop within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail and to proceed only after exercising due care.

  27. 27. What should you expect while driving through a parking lot?

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    Answer D: Pedestrians and vehicles moving from any direction, so drive slowly

    Parking lots mix walking people, reversing vehicles and poor sight lines, so low speed and constant scanning are the only reliable protection.

  28. 28. A funeral procession with headlights on is crossing an intersection when your light turns green. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Wait and let the whole procession go through

    Most states let a funeral procession stay together once the lead vehicle has lawfully entered an intersection, and in every state you must yield to vehicles already in the intersection, so wait until the line has passed.

  29. 29. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?

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    Answer D: About the length of a football field

    Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.

  30. 30. What is a marked loading zone for?

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    Answer A: Loading and unloading only, not for general parking

    A loading zone is reserved for actively loading or unloading goods or passengers; leaving a vehicle there for other reasons is a parking violation.

  31. 31. How should a pregnant driver or passenger wear a seat belt?

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    Answer A: Lap belt below the belly across the hips, shoulder belt across the chest

    A properly worn belt protects both mother and baby. The lap portion goes low under the belly, snug across the hip bones, and the shoulder belt crosses between the breasts.

  32. 32. What is the correct order of steps as you finish parking an automatic on a grade?

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    Answer C: Turn the wheels, set the parking brake, then select park

    Setting the parking brake before shifting into park lets the brake take the load, instead of leaving the whole weight of the car on the parking pawl.

  33. 33. How long should a glance at a mirror or an instrument take?

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    Answer A: A brief glance of about a second, returning your eyes to the road at once

    Checks should be quick flicks of the eyes. At highway speed, a few seconds with your eyes off the road covers a distance long enough for a hazard to appear.

  34. 34. You turn left onto a road that has a center two-way left-turn lane. In which lane should you be traveling once the turn is finished?

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    Answer D: The first through lane to the right of the center turn lane

    The shared center lane is only for turning movements, so even where a state lets you pause in it to merge you must end up in the first ordinary travel lane beside it.

  35. 35. How can you tell a tire has reached its wear limit without measuring it?

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    Answer C: The wear bars across the grooves become level with the tread

    Molded bars sit at the bottom of the grooves. Once the surrounding tread has worn down to them, the tire has reached the end of its safe life.

  36. 36. A driver is following you far too closely. What is the best response?

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    Answer D: Increase your own following distance and let the driver pass when it is safe

    More room ahead of you means you can slow gradually instead of braking hard, which reduces the chance of being struck from behind, and letting the driver by removes the problem entirely.

  37. 37. Why should you avoid swinging wide to the left before making a right turn in a car?

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    Answer A: Another driver may think you are turning left and try to pass on your right

    Swinging left first misleads other road users about your intention and invites someone to move up on your right, exactly where you are about to go.

  38. 38. A driver ignores this sign and passes on the opposite side. What is the main risk?

    A white vertical rectangle with a black border and black legend
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    Answer B: Ending up on the wrong side of a divider, facing traffic coming the other way

    The sign settles which side of a fixed divider is the legal one, so taking the other side sends the vehicle into the opposing stream or straight at the obstruction.

  39. 39. A yellow pennant, an isosceles triangle with its long axis horizontal, is reserved for which message?

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    Answer D: No passing zone

    The pennant shape is used only for the no passing zone sign, which marks the point where overtaking is no longer allowed.

  40. 40. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?

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    Answer C: Oncoming vehicles will turn across your path, so you must wait

    A green ball is permissive, so when the oncoming side receives a protected arrow those vehicles have priority and you must yield until they clear.