New Hampshire Driver's Manual (DSMV 360): study guide

Key rules by chapter

A few of the rules from each chapter that come up in our practice questions:

1. Driving in New Hampshire

• New Hampshire does not issue permits; a person at least 15½ without a license may drive while being taught, accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed responsible adult 25 or older.
• A person at least 15½ may practice driving accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a licensed responsible adult 25 or older.
• Practice driving must be with a parent, legal guardian, or a licensed responsible adult who is 25 or older.

2. Driver's License and Non-Driver ID Information

• Anyone 16 or older and under 21 receives a Youth Operator license, printed vertically, which expires on the 21st birthday.
• Youth Operators under 18 may not drive between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.
• For the first six months, a Youth Operator under 18 may not carry more than one non-family passenger under 25 unless accompanied by a licensed responsible adult at least 25.

3. Dangerous Driving

• A first DUI is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine not less than $500, 9 months to 2 years loss of driving privileges, and a required impaired driver education program.
• No driver under 21 may transport liquor or alcoholic beverages in any part of a vehicle except when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or legal-age spouse.
• Each ounce of alcohol consumed takes about an hour to go through the body.

4. Before Driving

• There should be 10 inches between the driver's chest and the steering wheel.
• In New Hampshire, safety restraints are required for anyone under 18, though they are highly recommended for all ages.
• A child less than 7 years old and less than 57 inches tall must be secured in an approved child passenger restraint.

5. Basic Driving

• The maximum is 30 mph in any business or urban residence district.
• The maximum is 35 mph in any rural residence district and on Class V highways outside compact areas.
• The limit is 65 mph on the interstate system and turnpikes where they are divided highways of 4 or more lanes; 70 mph on I-93 from mile marker 45 to Vermont.

6. Rules of the Road

• Purple signs are used for E-ZPass; pink is for incident management.
• Pink is the standard color for incident management signs.
• The pennant warns of a no-passing zone ahead and is found on the left side of the road.

7. General Driving and Parking

• Drivers must stop at least 25 feet in any direction from a school bus stopped with red lights flashing and/or stop arm out, unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier.
• You must stop in any direction unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier.
• Pull off as far as possible, leaving a clear view for 200 feet in each direction and room for others to pass.

8. Driving Safely

• Count from when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point; you should not reach that point before counting 'one-thousand-four'.
• Remember: turn your head before you turn the wheel, and develop a searching pattern ahead, to the sides and behind.
• Increase following distance on slippery roads, behind large vehicles, at night or in fog/bad weather, and behind vehicles that must stop at railroad crossings.

9. Accidents and Financial Responsibility

• An accident report must be filed with the DMV within 15 days if there is a fatality, injury, or combined property damage over $1,000.
• A report is required if combined property damage exceeds $1,000 (or there's a fatality or injury).
• New Hampshire has no mandatory insurance law, but after an uninsured accident you can be held responsible for all damages and may lose your license until settled.

10. Driving Emergencies

• Leave flashers on and, if available, place flares or reflectors 200 feet in front of and behind the vehicle.
• Raise the hood and tie a white cloth—red in a snowstorm—to the driver's door handle or antenna.
• Steer where you want to go while avoiding other traffic, but never swerve to the left to avoid a crash.

11. Sharing the Road

• Vehicle-pedestrian collisions account for nearly 20 percent of all traffic deaths each year.
• At 30 mph or less, at least 3 feet is presumed reasonable, plus one more foot for every 10 mph above 30.
• 3 feet at 30 mph or less, plus one foot for every 10 mph above 30: at 50 mph that's 5 feet.

How to study the handbook

Read one chapter, then take a practice test. Every answer explanation names the handbook section it comes from, so when you get one wrong, go back to that section. Pay most attention to exact numbers and to the rules specific to New Hampshire, which are where most people lose points.