Truck blind spots — New Mexico Permit Test

Truck blind spots on the New Mexico permit test — 7 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

Truckers sit up higher and have bigger mirrors, but there are still large areas they cannot see, called blind spots or the No Zone; do not drive in them.

If the trucker swerves to miss a hazard, a car hidden in a blind spot is right where the truck goes.

These are called their “blind spots” or the “NO ZONE.”
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

In general, if you can't see the truck driver in the side mirror, the driver can't see you.

The mirror check is a quick test anyone can do. If you see no face in the mirror, move to where the trucker can see you.

In general, if you can’t see the driver in the side mirror, the driver can’t see you.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

Don't drive beside a large truck or RV, because it may not be able to swerve to miss a hazard in the road.

Riding next to a truck boxes it in and keeps you in its blind spot, so neither of you has an escape route.

If you drive beside the truck or RV, they may not be able to swerve to miss a hazard in the road.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

Always pass a large truck or RV on the left side, and after you pass, move ahead of it rather than staying in the driver's blind spot.

The truck's right side has the biggest blind spot. Passing on the left and moving ahead gets you seen quickly.

Always pass a large truck or RV on the left side.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

Don't cut in front of a truck or RV in traffic to reach your exit or turn; cutting into the open space in front of a truck is dangerous.

The gap in front of a truck is the room it needs to stop. Filling it takes away that room.

Don’t cut in front of a truck or RV in traffic to reach your exit or turn.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

Don't follow a truck too closely; if you drive too close behind it, the trucker may not know you are there.

Trucks have no rear window, so a car right behind one is hidden from the driver and has no view ahead.

If you drive too close behind a truck, the trucker may not know you are there.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

A big truck or RV may look like it is going more slowly than it is.

Because a truck is so large, it can seem slow, and you may misjudge how fast it closes on you when you pull out.

Remember that a big truck or RV may look like it’s going more slowly than it is.
New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27

On the test

What is the No Zone around a large truck?

The areas the truck driver cannot see. If the trucker swerves to miss a hazard, a car hidden in a blind spot is right where the truck goes. New Mexico Driver Manual, p.27: “These are called their “blind spots” or the “NO ZONE.””

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

What it costs

One payment, once — not a subscription. Nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel, for an exam you sit one time.
Free to start: a 10-question test and the first section of cards. No sign-up and no account.
Paying opens the rest of the cards, unlimited full-length practice tests, and retests built from exactly the questions you got wrong.
Every level up to Prepared — 3 tests passed in a row.
Do the work, fail the real exam, and we refund you.

All New Mexico permit topics

Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against New Mexico Driver Manual, published by the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-04.