Alcohol & Drugs

Study questions with answers

12 sample Alcohol & Drugs questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. If you become too ill to drive safely, you should:

   Correct answer: Not drive, except to reach the nearest safe stopping point in an emergency

   When illness makes safe operation impossible you must not drive, other than reaching a safe place to stop in a true emergency.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22.3 (Illness)

2. 2. Combining other drugs with alcohol tends to:

   Correct answer: Make the effects of the drugs much worse

   Alcohol can greatly amplify the effects of other drugs, so mixing any drug with driving is unsafe.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22.2 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - Other Drugs)

3. 3. After alcohol passes through the brain, most of the remainder is carried to the:

   Correct answer: Liver, which processes it at a fixed rate

   A small share leaves through urine, sweat, and breath, but most alcohol goes to the liver, which breaks it down slowly.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - How Alcohol Works)

4. 4. What blood alcohol concentration makes it illegal to operate a commercial vehicle?

   Correct answer: 0.04 percent or higher

   The commercial limit is 0.04 percent - stricter than the usual 0.08 percent for non-commercial drivers.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving)

5. 5. Which statement about a 'standard drink' is correct?

   Correct answer: A beer, a glass of wine, and a shot of liquor contain similar amounts of alcohol

   It is the alcohol that impairs you, and a typical beer, glass of wine, and shot of liquor each contain about the same amount.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - What Is a Drink)

6. 6. What should a driver do about a drug that only hides fatigue?

   Correct answer: Avoid it, because rest is the only real cure for fatigue

   Drugs that merely mask tiredness are dangerous; only sleep genuinely relieves fatigue.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22.2 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - Other Drugs)

7. 7. Alcohol impairs which of the following abilities needed for driving?

   Correct answer: Judgment, vision, coordination, and reaction time

   Drinking affects judgment, vision, coordination, and reaction time, leading to errors like weaving and slow responses.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22.1 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - How Alcohol Affects Driving)

8. 8. Roughly how much alcohol can the liver process in one hour?

   Correct answer: About one-third of an ounce

   The liver clears only about one-third ounce of alcohol per hour - far less than a single standard drink holds - so it builds up if you drink faster.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - How Alcohol Works)

9. 9. What commonly measures the amount of alcohol in a person's body?

   Correct answer: Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

   BAC is the standard measure of how much alcohol is in the body and rises when you drink faster than the liver can process it.

   Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - How Alcohol Works)

10. 10. What will actually sober up a person who has been drinking?

    Correct answer: Only the passage of time

    The liver removes alcohol at a fixed rate, so only time - not coffee or a shower - lowers your BAC.

    Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving - How Alcohol Works)

11. 11. How much alcohol does it take to begin impairing some drivers?

    Correct answer: As little as one drink

    For some people even a single drink is enough to show signs of impairment.

    Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 2.22 (Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving)

12. 12. By operating a commercial vehicle, a driver is considered to have consented to:

    Correct answer: Alcohol testing

    Driving a CMV means you have given implied consent to alcohol testing.

    Source: Alabama CDL Manual - Section 1.3.2 (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)