Impaired Driving & Penalties — New Mexico
New Mexico CDL practice test: 411 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Impaired Driving & Penalties: 19 questions.
Blood alcohol limits, drugs and fatigue, licence suspensions, demerit points and fines.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Impaired Driving & Penalties |
| License test | New Mexico CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 19 (5% of 411 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
Not yet verified
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Questions (19)
1. Distracted driving can be avoided by:
- Pre-programming radio stations. ✓
- Smoking while driving.
- Eating while driving.
Answer: A. Pre-programming radio stations.
Pre-programming radio stations is a way to avoid distracted driving because it removes the need to adjust the radio while you are driving. The handbook tells drivers to set radio stations before they begin driving and to clear and secure the vehicle. It also says to avoid smoking, eating, and drinking while driving. Another passage lists adjusting the radio, eating, drinking, and smoking as activities inside the vehicle that can take your attention away from the driving task. Setting stations ahead of time means you are not fiddling with the radio once you are moving. The handbook warns that distracted driving can cause collisions with injury, death, or property damage.
2. An alcohol evaporator is especially important:
- In cold weather. ✓
- In hot weather.
- In dry weather.
Answer: A. In cold weather.
An alcohol evaporator is especially important in cold weather. The handbook explains that certain air brake systems include an alcohol evaporator that adds alcohol to the air system. Its purpose is to lower the chance of ice forming in air brake valves and other parts when the weather is cold. The passage also says ice inside the system can make the brakes stop working. That supports the cold-weather choice, because the evaporator is described as protection against ice in air brake components.
3. If feeling tired while driving, it is best to:
- Take a pep pill.
- Get some rest. ✓
- Continue driving.
Answer: B. Get some rest.
When you feel tired while driving, the best thing to do is get some rest. The handbook lists stopping driving to rest or nap as one of the ways to stay alert behind the wheel, and it warns that caffeine only helps for a few hours before wearing off, so you should not depend on it to prevent fatigue. Drugs may keep you awake but will not make you alert. The passage also points out that many drivers cannot tell when they are about to fall asleep, which is why the signs of fatigue should tell you to stop and rest.
4. Which of the following is not a type of distraction?
- Physical
- Mental
- Obtuse ✓
Answer: C. Obtuse
Obtuse is not a type of distraction. The handbook says a distraction is anything that takes your attention away from driving, and it gives examples such as talking to passengers, adjusting controls, eating or drinking, texting, and daydreaming or being occupied with other mental distractions. Those examples include physical actions and mental attention. The handbook never lists obtuse as a distraction category, and nothing in the passage ties that word to something that pulls your attention from driving.
5. If approaching a vehicle with a distracted driver, you should:
- Quickly pass the vehicle.
- Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle. ✓
- Closely follow the vehicle.
Answer: B. Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle.
When you approach a vehicle whose driver seems distracted, keep a safe distance back from it. The handbook tells you to give a distracted driver plenty of room and hold your normal safe following distance. It also warns that these drivers drift over lane lines or within their lane and run at inconsistent speeds, so staying back gives you room to see and react. The handbook adds that passing such a driver calls for extra care, because they may not notice you and may drift in front of you. Space is the protection it recommends, so holding a safe distance is the right choice.
6. Alcohol evaporators are:
- Illegal.
- Used to introduce alcohol into air brake systems. ✓
- Only allowed in the northern parts of the state.
Answer: B. Used to introduce alcohol into air brake systems.
7. Texting while driving is especially dangerous because:
- It is both a mental and physical distraction. ✓
- A message may be upsetting to the driver.
- People like to read and may become too engaged in their phones.
Answer: A. It is both a mental and physical distraction.
Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it is both a mental and physical distraction. The handbook says texting makes you look at a small screen and work the keypad with your hands. That takes your eyes and hands away from driving, while your mind is also busy with the message. The handbook calls this a physical and mental distraction happening at the same time. It also says texting is riskier than talking on a cell phone for this reason. That combination is what makes texting especially dangerous, so the answer that names both kinds of distraction fits the handbook.
8. If you are feeling tired and yawning a lot while you are driving, you should:
- Pull over and take a nap. ✓
- Get some coffee.
- Drive faster.
Answer: A. Pull over and take a nap.
You should pull over and take a nap. Yawning a lot is a sign of fatigue, and the handbook says to stop driving when you notice any sign of fatigue. It tells tired drivers to sleep for the night or take a short nap of about 15 to 20 minutes. The handbook also says forcing yourself to continue when tired is more dangerous than many people realize and is a major cause of deadly crashes. So the safe action is to get off the road and rest, not to keep driving.
9. Alcohol can be removed from your system:
- By exercising.
- By drinking coffee.
- By waiting. ✓
Answer: C. By waiting.
Alcohol can be removed from your system only by waiting. The handbook explains that alcohol enters the bloodstream and is processed by the liver at a fixed rate. It says the liver handles only a small amount per hour, so the process cannot be rushed. The passage specifically says that time, not black coffee or a cold shower, will sober you up. That makes waiting the only listed way for alcohol to leave your system. The handbook does not mention exercise as a way to remove alcohol, and it directly rules out coffee as a sober-up method.
10. When experiencing cold weather, be sure to check your vehicle's alcohol evaporator:
- Every three hours.
- Every day. ✓
- Every other week.
Answer: B. Every day.
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Source
Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook