Roadwise States New Mexico Driving lessons Helmets, mirrors, night & group riding New Mexico driving lesson · Motorcycles
Helmets, mirrors, night & group riding A 3-minute lesson from the New Mexico course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Motorcycles
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 40, 41 Helmet law, mirror habits, night riding and group formations round out safe motorcycling. Several of these have exact numbers the test can ask about.
Know the rule
New Mexico law requires all motorcycle drivers and passengers under 18 to wear a helmet. Wearing one is recommended for all riders and passengers.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ For the most protection, the helmet should: Meet U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards (ANSI or Snell labels add assurance) Fit snugly, all the way around Have no obvious defects such as cracks, loose padding or frayed straps Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
Keep the helmet securely fastened whenever you ride.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Check your mirrors especially: When stopped at an intersection: watch cars coming up from behind Before you change lanes: make sure no one is about to pass Before you slow down: the driver behind may not expect it Handbook p. 40 ↗ Convex mirrors Rounded mirrors on most motorcycles. They give a wider view behind than flat mirrors, but make cars seem farther away than they are.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ Know the rule
Practice with convex mirrors until you judge distance well, and even then allow extra distance before changing lanes.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ At night: Reduce speed, especially on unfamiliar roads Open up a three-second following distance and allow more room to pass and be passed Use your high beam whenever you're not following or meeting a car Wear reflective materials and be flexible about lane position Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
When passing in formation, go one at a time. The leader passes, returns to the left position and keeps passing speed; the second rider moves up to the left position, passes, then returns to the right position.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
Don't have the leader move to the right side after passing; it encourages the next rider to cut in before there's enough space.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Know the rule
Switch to single-file when riding curves, turning, or entering or leaving a highway.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Put it into practice
Your group of four approaches a winding canyon road. Switch from staggered to single-file formation through the curves, and return to staggered once the road straightens.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Who is required by New Mexico law to wear a motorcycle helmet? Only riders on highways, not city streets Drivers and passengers under 18 Only the motorcycle driver, never passengers All riders, with no exceptions Answer: Drivers and passengers under 18
New Mexico law requires all motorcycle drivers and passengers under 18 years old to wear a helmet.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ What shape are most motorcycle mirrors, and what effect does this have? Convex; vehicles seem farther away Concave; vehicles seem closer Flat; distances look accurate Convex; vehicles seem closer Answer: Convex; vehicles seem farther away
Most motorcycle mirrors are convex, providing a wider view but making vehicles seem farther away than they are.
Handbook p. 40 ↗ At night, why should a motorcyclist open up a three-second following distance? Headlights are dimmer, so speed drops Distances are harder to judge at night Motorcycle brakes work worse at night It is required only for group rides Answer: Distances are harder to judge at night
Increase distance at night since distances are harder to judge than during the day.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ In a staggered group riding formation, where does the lead rider position? The left side of the lane The center of the lane The right side of the lane Directly behind the second rider Answer: The left side of the lane
In staggered formation, the leader rides in the left side of the lane.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ In staggered formation, how far behind the leader does the second rider stay? Half a second, directly behind One second, on the right side of the lane Two seconds, on the left side of the lane Three seconds, in the center Answer: One second, on the right side of the lane
The second rider stays one second behind the leader, in the right side of the lane.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ When passing while riding in a staggered formation, how should riders proceed? Only the lead rider is allowed to pass In pairs, matched by position One at a time, back to the left after All at once, side by side Answer: One at a time, back to the left after
Riders in a staggered formation should pass one at a time, and the leader returns to the left position after passing.
Handbook p. 41 ↗ Previous lesson Parked cars, lane sharing, lane position & signals Next lesson Intersections, animals, wobble & being passed About the source Roadwise’s New Mexico course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 40, 41. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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