Passing safely — New Mexico Permit Test

As a general rule, pass only one vehicle at a time.

Passing a line of cars takes far more time and road than most drivers guess, and an oncoming car can arrive first.

As a general rule only pass one vehicle at a time.

At 55 mph you need about 10 seconds to pass, so you need a 10-second gap in oncoming traffic and sight distance.

If you start a pass without enough time, you end up face to face with an oncoming car.

At a speed of 55 mph, you need about 10 seconds to pass.

Do not start to pass if you are within one-third of a mile of a hill or curve, because an oncoming vehicle may be just out of sight.

A car can be hidden just over a hill or around a bend. Treat that spot as if a car were already coming.

This means you should not start to pass if you are within one-third of a mile of a hill or curve.

It is dangerous to pass where a vehicle is likely to enter or cross the road, such as intersections, railroad crossings and shopping center entrances.

The car you are passing blocks your view of people and cars coming out of side roads, so you cannot see them in time.

Such places include intersections, railroad crossings and shopping center entrances.

Before you pass, look ahead for things that may push other vehicles into your lane, such as bicyclists near the road, a narrow bridge, or a patch of ice or pothole.

Those things can make the car you are passing swerve toward you, leaving you nowhere to go.

Before you pass, look ahead for road conditions and traffic that may cause other vehicles to move into your lane.

Do not pass unless you have enough space to return to the driving lane, and do not count on other drivers to make room for you.

If no gap opens to get back in, you are stuck in the oncoming lane, and other drivers may not slow to help.

Space to return—Do not pass unless you have enough space to return to the driving lane.

Do not pass if there is a railroad grade crossing ahead.

A train or a car stopping at the crossing can leave you trapped in the wrong lane with no way out.

Railroad grade crossing—Do not pass if there is a railroad grade crossing ahead.

After passing, it is safe to return to the driving lane when you can see both headlights of the vehicle you just passed in your rear-view mirror.

Cutting back in too soon puts you right in front of the car you passed, which may not be able to stop.

When you can see both headlights of the vehicle you just passed in your rear-view mirror, it is safe to return to the driving lane.

As a general rule, how many vehicles should you pass at a time?

Only one. Passing a line of cars takes far more time and road than most drivers guess, and an oncoming car can arrive first. New Mexico Driver Manual, p.24: “As a general rule only pass one vehicle at a time.”