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. According to the manual, what is the only real cure for driver fatigue?

   Correct answer: Rest and sleep

   No drug can substitute for rest; the manual states plainly that the only remedy for fatigue is sleep.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Other Drugs)

2. 2. By operating a commercial vehicle, a driver is legally considered to have consented to what?

   Correct answer: Alcohol testing

   Operating a CMV means the driver is deemed to have given consent to alcohol testing under implied-consent rules.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol Disqualifications)

3. 3. If you become too ill to drive safely, what does the manual permit you to do?

   Correct answer: Drive to the nearest safe place to stop in an emergency

   When illness makes safe operation impossible you must not keep driving, though in an emergency you may drive only to the nearest safe place to stop.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Illness)

4. 4. How can common over-the-counter cold medicines affect a commercial driver?

   Correct answer: They can cause drowsiness

   Cold remedies and similar medicines can make a driver drowsy or otherwise reduce safe driving ability, so labels and doctor's orders must be heeded.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Other Drugs)

5. 5. What happens if a CMV driver is found with any detectable alcohol below the .04 legal limit?

   Correct answer: Placed out of service for 24 hours

   Any measurable amount of alcohol under .04 puts the driver out of service for 24 hours.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol Disqualifications)

6. 6. When may a driver use a prescription drug and still operate a commercial vehicle?

   Correct answer: Only if a doctor confirms it won't affect safe driving

   Using a drug the doctor prescribed is allowed only if the doctor states it will not impair the driver's ability to operate safely.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Other Drugs)

7. 7. What is the only thing that will actually lower your blood alcohol concentration?

   Correct answer: The passage of time

   Only the passage of time sobers a person up; black coffee, a cold shower, or fresh air do nothing to speed alcohol removal.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (How Alcohol Works)

8. 8. Which mental function does alcohol impair first as blood alcohol concentration rises?

   Correct answer: Judgment and self-control

   Alcohol first affects the part of the brain governing judgment and self-control, which can keep drinkers from realizing how impaired they are.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Alcohol and the Brain)

9. 9. For a first alcohol offense, how long does a driver lose the CDL at minimum?

   Correct answer: At least one year

   A first offense such as driving with a BAC at or above .04, refusing testing, or driving under the influence costs the CDL for at least one year.

   Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol Disqualifications)

10. 10. How long is the disqualification if a first alcohol offense happens while hauling placarded hazardous materials?

    Correct answer: At least three years

    When the disqualifying offense occurs in a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials, the loss of the CDL stretches to at least three years.

    Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol Disqualifications)

11. 11. Which of these servings contains the same amount of alcohol as a 12-ounce glass of ordinary beer?

    Correct answer: A 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor

    A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of table wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor each hold roughly the same amount of alcohol.

    Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (What Is a Drink)

12. 12. 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 of an ounce of alcohol per hour, a fixed rate that is less than a standard drink contains.

    Source: Utah CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (How Alcohol Works)