Sharing the road in New Mexico

By the end of this topic you can

• You can pass a bicyclist with safe clearance and respond correctly to sharrows.
• You can stay out of a large truck's blind spots.
• You can give motorcycles enough following room.
• You can respond correctly to emergency vehicles and railroad crossings.
• You can protect pedestrians, including blind pedestrians.

What you need to know and understand

• Try to give at least five feet when passing a bicyclist.
• Bicyclists may take the whole lane when needed, for example to avoid hazards or prepare to turn left.
• Sharrows are shared lane markings; slow down and yield to bicyclists using them.
• A car at 55 mph can stop in about 400 feet; a large truck may need almost 800 feet.
• If you cannot see a truck driver in their side mirror, they cannot see you.
• Allow a four-second following distance behind motorcycles.
• Pull to the right for emergency vehicles with a siren, air horn, or red or blue flashing lights.

Bicycles are vehicles

Treat a bicyclist like a slow-moving vehicle. Wait behind until it is safe and legal to pass, then leave at least five feet. Do not turn right just after passing a bicyclist; slow down and turn behind them instead. Young riders can swerve unexpectedly.

Where you see sharrows, the bicyclist is encouraged to ride in the center of the lane. Slow down, yield, and pass only when the road is wide enough for the rider to move right. New Mexico requires minors on bicycles to wear helmets.

Trucks, RVs and motorcycles

• Do not cut in front of a truck and then slow down; it needs far more distance to stop.
• Pass a truck or RV on the left, then move ahead of it rather than staying alongside.
• Big vehicles swing wide to turn right. Check their signals and do not squeeze in beside them.
• Do not tailgate a truck: the driver may not know you are there.
• Give motorcycles a full lane and at least four seconds of following distance. They are harder to see, so check twice at intersections.

Pedestrians, emergency vehicles and trains

1. Yield to pedestrians in or about to enter a crosswalk, marked or not, and when you cross a sidewalk from a driveway or alley.
2. Take extra care near anyone using a white or metallic cane or a guide dog; New Mexico's White Cane Law holds careless drivers liable.
3. When an emergency vehicle approaches from any direction with siren, air horn, or red or blue lights, pull to the right and stop. If you are in an intersection, clear it first.
4. At railroad crossings, slow down and look both ways. Stop when lights flash or gates are down, never drive around gates, and only cross when there is room on the far side.
5. At crossings with more than one track, wait until a passing train is well clear before moving; a second train may be hidden.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing past a bicyclist in the same lane. Wait for space to leave five feet.
• Driving alongside a truck for long periods. You are in its blind spot.
• Stopping in the middle of an intersection for an ambulance. Clear the intersection, then pull right.
• Starting across the tracks as soon as one train passes. Check for a second train.

Test yourself: Sharing the road in New Mexico

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• New Mexico Road Test Guide
• New Mexico Driver’s License for Adults and New Residents
• Learning to Drive in New Mexico