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. Using marijuana for a medical purpose:

   Correct answer: is not a defense against a DUI or DWAI charge

   The fact that marijuana or another drug was used medicinally does not excuse impaired driving; it is not a defense to DUI or DWAI.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Drugs and driving)

2. 2. Alcohol affects driving because it acts as a:

   Correct answer: depressant that slows reflexes and impairs judgment

   Alcohol is a depressant that reduces brain function, slowing reaction time and coordination and worsening the decisions needed to drive safely.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

3. 3. Once alcohol is in your bloodstream, what is the only thing that will make you sober?

   Correct answer: the passage of time

   Nothing speeds sobering; only time lets the body eliminate alcohol, dropping BAC by about 0.015% per hour on average.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

4. 4. Prescription and over-the-counter medicines can affect your driving, so before driving you should:

   Correct answer: check the label for warnings and ask a doctor or pharmacist if unsure

   Many legal medicines impair driving; read the label for warnings, and if it is missing or unclear, ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Drugs and driving)

5. 5. Which of these contains about the same amount of alcohol as a 12-ounce beer?

   Correct answer: 5 ounces of wine

   A standard drink equals one 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of spirits, all with about the same alcohol.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

6. 6. Colorado's express consent law means that by driving on public roads you have agreed to:

   Correct answer: take a chemical test for alcohol or drugs if a lawful officer requests it

   Operating a vehicle in Colorado gives your consent to a blood, breath, saliva or urine test when an officer suspects impaired driving.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Express Consent Law)

7. 7. For a driver under 21, a license may be revoked based on a BAC over:

   Correct answer: 0.02%

   Colorado sets a much lower threshold for drivers under 21; a BAC over 0.02% can result in revocation, versus 0.04% for a CDL holder.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

8. 8. In the passenger area of a vehicle on a public road, it is illegal to have an open container of:

   Correct answer: either alcohol or marijuana

   The law bars an open container of alcohol or of marijuana in the passenger area of a vehicle on a public roadway.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

9. 9. If you refuse the required chemical test, your license will be revoked for:

   Correct answer: one year, plus a two-year ignition interlock requirement

   Refusing the test leads to a one-year license revocation and a requirement to install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle you drive for two years.

   Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Express Consent Law)

10. 10. A driver may be presumed to be under the influence if their blood contains THC of at least:

    Correct answer: 5 nanograms per milliliter

    There is a permissible inference of DUI when the blood holds 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter, though most cases also rest on observed impairment.

    Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

11. 11. The offense of DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired) applies when a driver is:

    Correct answer: impaired to even the slightest degree

    DWAI means the driver's ability is affected to the slightest degree, a lower bar than DUI, which means the driver is substantially incapable of driving safely.

    Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence

12. 12. Colorado law regarding alcohol- or drug-related driving offenses does not allow a driver to:

    Correct answer: plea bargain out of the charge

    Because impaired driving is so dangerous, Colorado does not permit plea bargaining out of an alcohol- or drug-related driving offense.

    Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Express Consent Law)