Speed Limits & Following Distance — 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. Speed Limits & Following Distance: 11 questions.
Posted speed limits, school and construction zones, stopping and following distance.
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 | Speed Limits & Following Distance |
| License test | New Mexico CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 11 (3% 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 (11)
1. What is a bobtail tractor?
- A tractor without a semi-trailer ✓
- A tractor with two semi-trailers
- A tractor that travels faster than the speed limit
Answer: A. A tractor without a semi-trailer
A bobtail tractor is a tractor without a semi-trailer. The handbook uses the term bobtail for a tractor that is running without a semi-trailer attached. It also warns that these tractors can be hard to stop smoothly and may take longer to stop than a fully loaded tractor-semitrailer. That description matches a tractor with no trailer, not a tractor pulling one or two trailers.
2. When in heavy traffic, the safest driving speed is:
- Slower than the speed being driven by surrounding traffic.
- The same speed being driven by surrounding traffic. ✓
- Faster than the speed being driven by surrounding traffic.
Answer: B. The same speed being driven by surrounding traffic.
In heavy traffic, the safest speed is the same speed the surrounding traffic is driving. The handbook says directly that when traffic is heavy you should travel at the speed of other vehicles, because vehicles moving the same direction at the same speed are not likely to run into one another. It adds that you should drive with the flow of traffic if you can do so without going at an illegal or unsafe speed. That is why matching surrounding traffic is the correct choice, not picking a speed above or below the pack.
3. The leading factor resulting in death and injury in work zones is:
- Speeding. ✓
- Stopping.
- Under-inflated tires.
Answer: A. Speeding.
Speeding is the leading factor in deaths and injuries in work zones. The work zone section of the handbook states plainly that speeding traffic is the number one cause of injury and death in roadway work zones. Because of that, it tells drivers to obey posted limits when approaching and moving through a work zone, to keep an eye on the speedometer so their speed does not creep up during long construction stretches, and to slow further in bad weather or when a worker is near the road.
4. If you are braking on dry pavement while traveling at 55 mph, how much distance will brake lag add to your overall stopping distance?
- 32 feet ✓
- 45 feet
- 20 feet
Answer: A. 32 feet
Brake lag adds 32 feet to your overall stopping distance. The handbook explains that with air brakes there is a delay while air flows through the lines before the brakes actually work. At 55 mph on dry pavement, that brake lag distance is about 32 feet. The handbook also lists brake lag as one of the four parts of total stopping distance, along with perception, reaction, and braking distance. So the added distance from brake lag is 32 feet.
5. A ramp's posted speed limit:
- Is suitable for all vehicles.
- Is suitable for some vehicles, but may be too fast for a large CMV. ✓
- Is just a suggestion and may be exceeded.
Answer: B. Is suitable for some vehicles, but may be too fast for a large CMV.
A ramp's posted speed limit is suitable for some vehicles, but it may be too fast for a large CMV. The handbook says off ramps and on ramps often have posted speed limit signs, and it warns that those speeds may be safe for automobiles but may not be safe for larger or heavily loaded vehicles. That is why the sign is not a guarantee for your truck. A downhill exit that also turns is especially risky because the downgrade makes it hard to slow down, and braking while turning is dangerous. The safe approach is to be going slowly enough before you reach the curved part of the ramp.
6. If being tailgated, you should:
- Increase your speed.
- Increase the amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. ✓
- Make quick movements.
Answer: B. Increase the amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
You should increase the amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. The handbook says that when someone is tailgating you, opening up room ahead helps you avoid sudden speed or direction changes. It also gives the tailgater an easier chance to get around you. The same passage says not to speed up and to avoid quick changes, so the safe response is to create more following distance in front rather than reacting sharply or going faster.
7. Stopping distance can be affected by:
- Driving speed. ✓
- Temperature.
- Time of day.
Answer: A. Driving speed.
Driving speed affects stopping distance: as speed rises, the braking distance becomes much longer. The handbook's stopping-distance figure ties speed directly to braking distance. Going from 20 to 40 mph makes braking distance four times longer; going from 20 to 60 mph makes it nine times longer. It also says high speeds greatly increase stopping distances and that slowing down can reduce braking distance. The passage lists conditions such as traction, curves, visibility, traffic, and hills for speed adjustment, but it does not name temperature or time of day as stopping-distance factors.
8. What is the average driver’s reaction time?
- 1/16 of a second
- 1/8 of a second
- 3/4 of a second ✓
Answer: C. 3/4 of a second
The average driver's reaction time is 3/4 of a second, which is the low end of the range the handbook gives. The handbook's discussion of stopping distance breaks the total into perception distance, reaction distance and braking distance. For reaction distance, it states that the average driver takes 3/4 second to 1 second to react before physically hitting the brakes, and notes that at 55 mph this accounts for 61 feet of travel. Since 3/4 of a second is the figure the handbook lists first for an average driver, it is the answer here. Reaction time is separate from perception time, which the handbook puts at 1 3/4 seconds for an alert driver.
9. What is reaction distance?
- The distance you will travel between realizing you must brake and when you physically hit the brakes ✓
- The distance you will travel between a hazard becoming visible and you seeing the hazard
- The distance you will travel between seeing a hazard and realizing you must brake
Answer: A. The distance you will travel between realizing you must brake and when you physically hit the brakes
Reaction distance is the distance you travel after you realize you must brake until you physically hit the brakes. The handbook separates total stopping distance into perception, reaction, and braking parts. Reaction distance is the ground you cover after you have seen and recognized a hazard and decided to brake, up until the brakes actually take hold. The perception part is already over by then. That matches the choice about traveling between realizing you must brake and physically hitting the brakes.
10. When driving a tank:
- Curves should be taken faster than the posted speed limit.
- Curves should be taken more slowly than the posted speed limit. ✓
- If there are two lanes of traffic, the tank should use both lanes.
Answer: B. Curves should be taken more slowly than the posted speed limit.
Take curves more slowly than the posted speed limit when driving a tank. The handbook says liquid tankers are top-heavy and easy to roll over. It notes that tests have shown tankers can turn over at the speed limits posted for curves, so you should take highway curves and on-ramp or off-ramp curves well below the posted speeds. That directly supports slowing down rather than trying to match or beat the sign.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook