Topics · Alcohol and safety

Alcohol and safety: DMV test questions

What costs you your license (or worse). Here are 42 questions like the ones on the written test, with answers and explanations.

Video lessonNot Even One BeerTwo beers and a coffee... and you can drive?

42 questions with answers

1. 1. For drivers 21 and over, the legal blood alcohol (BAC) limit in nearly every state is…

   1. There's no limit
   2. 0.08%
   3. 0.15%
   4. 0.20%
   Show answer

   Answer: 0.08%

   It's 0.08 percent. Note: Utah is stricter, at 0.05 percent, and commercial drivers have a 0.04 percent limit.

2. 2. What lowers your blood alcohol?

   1. Eating a lot
   2. Strong coffee
   3. Only time
   4. A cold shower
   Show answer

   Answer: Only time

   Only time, kiddo. Everything else is a myth.

3. 3. For drivers under 21, the alcohol law is…

   1. Zero tolerance: a limit near zero
   2. Doesn't apply
   3. They may drink a little if an adult is in the car
   4. The same as adults
   Show answer

   Answer: Zero tolerance: a limit near zero

   Nearly zero. The exact number varies by state, from 0.00 to 0.02 percent.

4. 4. «Implied consent» means…

   1. It only applies to trucks
   2. You need a lawyer first
   3. You can refuse any test with no consequences at all
   4. By driving, you agree to an alcohol test if asked
   Show answer

   Answer: By driving, you agree to an alcohol test if asked

   Refusing usually costs you your license.

5. 5. On a two-way road, a school bus stops with red lights flashing and its STOP arm out. Who must stop?

   1. Only oncoming cars
   2. Traffic in BOTH directions must stop
   3. Only the cars driving behind the school bus
   4. Pass slowly
   Show answer

   Answer: Traffic in BOTH directions must stop

   Both directions stop. On divided highways the rule varies by state.

6. 6. You see a police car or tow truck stopped on the shoulder with lights on. What do you do?

   1. Honk
   2. Move over a lane if you can, or slow down
   3. Pass at the same speed
   4. Stop right next to it in case they need help
   Show answer

   Answer: Move over a lane if you can, or slow down

   That's the Move Over law. Every state has one.

7. 7. Reading a text for 5 seconds at 55 mph is like driving blind across…

   1. A whole football field
   2. Nothing, five seconds is nothing
   3. 30 feet
   4. A short block
   Show answer

   Answer: A whole football field

   About 100 yards blind. Phone stays put away.

8. 8. You're getting very sleepy on the highway. What do you do?

   1. Drink an energy drink and keep going
   2. Open the window and crank the radio to wake up
   3. Pull over somewhere safe and rest
   4. Speed up to get there sooner
   Show answer

   Answer: Pull over somewhere safe and rest

   Tricks don't beat drowsiness. Rest.

9. 9. Who must wear a seat belt?

   1. Only on highways, at high speeds
   2. Only kids
   3. Only the driver
   4. The driver and all passengers
   Show answer

   Answer: The driver and all passengers

   Everybody. Always. Even Grandpa.

10. 10. What does alcohol affect first?

    1. Judgment and self-control
    2. Hearing
    3. The leg strength you need to brake
    4. Distance vision
    Show answer

    Answer: Judgment and self-control

    Judgment goes first. That's why drunk people swear they drive fine.

11. 11. You took a cold medicine that says «may cause drowsiness». What do you do?

    1. Drive with a coffee in hand
    2. Drive, since you bought it legally at the pharmacy
    3. Don't drive until the effect wears off
    4. Drive only short distances
    Show answer

    Answer: Don't drive until the effect wears off

    Legal doesn't mean safe. If the label warns you, listen.

12. 12. In most states, an open container of alcohol inside the car…

    1. Is not allowed in the passenger area
    2. Is fine if a passenger holds it
    3. Is fine if the car is going slow
    4. Only matters if the driver drinks
    Show answer

    Answer: Is not allowed in the passenger area

    Open bottles go in the trunk, not the cabin.

13. 13. What's the safest place for a child in a car seat?

    1. The back seat
    2. In an adult's arms
    3. The front seat
    4. Wherever the child wants
    Show answer

    Answer: The back seat

    In the back and buckled in. Arms can't hold a kid in a crash.

14. 14. Because of the airbag, how far should your chest be from the steering wheel?

    1. About 3 inches
    2. At least 10 inches
    3. As close as possible
    4. Distance doesn't matter
    Show answer

    Answer: At least 10 inches

    Airbags burst out like a cannon. Give them room.

15. 15. Where should you NEVER put a rear-facing infant seat?

    1. In the back seat
    2. In the middle of the back seat
    3. In front of an active airbag
    4. Behind the driver's seat
    Show answer

    Answer: In front of an active airbag

    Airbags and babies don't mix. Always in the back.

16. 16. Another driver yells and makes rude gestures at you. What do you do?

    1. Gesture back at them
    2. Brake hard in front of them
    3. Follow them to have a word with them
    4. Ignore them and give them space
    Show answer

    Answer: Ignore them and give them space

    Let them keep their anger. You get home in one piece.

17. 17. If you're convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), you can…

    1. Keep driving like nothing ever happened
    2. Get just a warning
    3. Pay a small fine and that's it
    4. Lose your license and pay heavy fines
    Show answer

    Answer: Lose your license and pay heavy fines

    It costs a fortune: license, fines, insurance, even jail.

18. 18. Your phone falls on the floor while you're driving. What do you do?

    1. Bend down quickly to grab it
    2. Stop in your lane to look for it
    3. Leave it until you're parked
    4. Feel around for it with your foot
    Show answer

    Answer: Leave it until you're parked

    The phone can wait on the floor. You can't survive a crash as easily.

19. 19. Which has about the same alcohol as a 12-ounce beer?

    1. A 1.5-ounce shot of liquor
    2. A 24-ounce beer, if it's «light»
    3. Two 1.5-ounce shots of liquor
    4. A big glass with 12 ounces of wine
    Show answer

    Answer: A 1.5-ounce shot of liquor

    A drink is a drink: 12 ounces of beer, 5 of wine, or 1.5 of liquor. About the same alcohol.

20. 20. Two people drink the same amount. Why might one have a higher blood alcohol level?

    1. One drove with the window rolled down
    2. One drank standing up, the other sitting
    3. One had a cup of coffee before leaving
    4. They weigh less or drank on an empty stomach
    Show answer

    Answer: They weigh less or drank on an empty stomach

    Weight, food, time, and even sex change your BAC. So don't compare yourself to your buddy.

21. 21. Roughly how much alcohol does your body clear in one hour?

    1. About three or four standard drinks
    2. About one standard drink
    3. Half a bottle of wine, if you drink water
    4. All of it, if you eat something after
    Show answer

    Answer: About one standard drink

    It's approximate and varies by person. If you had four, that's hours, not minutes.

22. 22. Marijuana is legal in your state. May you drive under its influence?

    1. Yes, if you're over 21 and licensed
    2. Yes, if you didn't smoke inside the car
    3. No, driving impaired is illegal
    4. Yes, if you bought it at a legal store
    Show answer

    Answer: No, driving impaired is illegal

    Legal to buy doesn't mean legal to drive high. It's a DUI, same as alcohol.

23. 23. Your doctor prescribed a medicine that makes you dizzy. Can you get a DUI driving like that?

    1. Yes, even if it's prescribed
    2. No, if you carry the prescription
    3. No, only illegal drugs count
    4. Only if you also drank alcohol
    Show answer

    Answer: Yes, even if it's prescribed

    The law looks at whether you're impaired, not where the pill came from. Read the label, kiddo.

24. 24. You took a medicine and then had a beer. What can happen?

    1. The alcohol wears off faster
    2. The effect can be much stronger
    3. The medicine cancels out the alcohol
    4. Nothing, if it's only one beer
    Show answer

    Answer: The effect can be much stronger

    Together they multiply. One beer plus a pill can hit like several.

25. 25. What does a good designated driver do?

    1. Drinks no alcohol at all that night
    2. Drinks only beer, no hard liquor
    3. Drinks less than the rest of the group
    4. Drives if they feel fine at the end
    Show answer

    Answer: Drinks no alcohol at all that night

    Designated means zero, not «just a little». That's the deal.

26. 26. According to the CDC, being awake for 24 hours is like driving with a BAC of about…

    1. 0.10%
    2. 0.01%
    3. 0.02%
    4. 0.30%
    Show answer

    Answer: 0.10%

    Over the legal limit. Being tired makes you drunk without a single drop.

27. 27. What is a «microsleep»?

    1. Dozing off for seconds without noticing
    2. Closing your eyes at a red light
    3. A short nap that wakes you right up
    4. Daydreaming while you listen to the radio
    Show answer

    Answer: Dozing off for seconds without noticing

    Just seconds, but at 60 mph you cover a lot of road asleep.

28. 28. You just got very bad news and you're really upset. What do you do?

    1. Turn the music up loud and drive off
    2. Drive faster so you get there sooner
    3. Drive, but with the windows rolled down
    4. Wait until you calm down to drive
    Show answer

    Answer: Wait until you calm down to drive

    Angry, sad, or nervous, you drive worse. Breathe first, then go.

29. 29. Which of these is a distraction while driving?

    1. Eating a burger
    2. Using your turn signal before turning
    3. Checking your mirrors often
    4. Glancing at the speedometer now and then
    Show answer

    Answer: Eating a burger

    If your hands or eyes are on your food, they're not on the road. Eat parked.

30. 30. When should you set up your phone or car GPS?

    1. While driving slowly in your lane
    2. When freeway traffic is light
    3. At the first red light you hit
    4. Before you start driving
    Show answer

    Answer: Before you start driving

    Destination first, then drive. If it needs changing, pull over.

31. 31. Many states ban holding a phone while driving. What may an adult do?

    1. Hold it if you're driving slowly
    2. Use it hands-free
    3. Hold it for a short call
    4. Text while stopped at a red light
    Show answer

    Answer: Use it hands-free

    Rules vary by state, and teens are usually banned from all phone use. Check your handbook.

32. 32. Where should the shoulder strap of your seat belt go?

    1. Tight up against your neck
    2. Over your shoulder and across your chest
    3. Behind your back, if it bothers you
    4. Under your arm, so it's more comfortable
    Show answer

    Answer: Over your shoulder and across your chest

    Behind your back, it does nothing in a crash. Shoulder and chest, kiddo.

33. 33. The lower part of the seat belt (the lap belt) should be…

    1. Low and snug, across your hips
    2. Above your waist, over your ribs
    3. Over your stomach, at your belly button
    4. Loose, so you can move around
    Show answer

    Answer: Low and snug, across your hips

    Your hips can take the force; your belly can't. Keep it low and snug.

34. 34. How should a pregnant woman wear her seat belt?

    1. Only the shoulder strap, no lap belt
    2. She doesn't, pregnancy makes her exempt
    3. Across the belly, pulled tight
    4. Lap belt below the belly, across the hips
    Show answer

    Answer: Lap belt below the belly, across the hips

    Lap belt under the belly, shoulder strap between the breasts. It protects both of them.

35. 35. In many states, a child should ride in a booster seat until…

    1. They turn 5, no matter how tall they are
    2. They can buckle the seat belt on their own
    3. They're too embarrassed to keep using it
    4. The belt fits right, at about 57 inches tall
    Show answer

    Answer: The belt fits right, at about 57 inches tall

    That's about 4 feet 9 inches. The exact rules vary by state; check your handbook.

36. 36. Experts recommend that children under 13 ride…

    1. In the back seat
    2. Anywhere, as long as they're buckled
    3. In front, if they weigh over 60 pounds
    4. In front, with the seat pushed all the way back
    Show answer

    Answer: In the back seat

    Front airbags are made for adults. Kids ride in back.

37. 37. Your car has side airbags. What should you avoid?

    1. Adjusting your seat before you drive
    2. Driving with the windows closed
    3. Anyone leaning against the door
    4. Wearing a belt, since it blocks the airbag
    Show answer

    Answer: Anyone leaning against the door

    Side airbags come out of the door or roof. Nobody should nap leaning there.

38. 38. How high should your head restraint be?

    1. Level with your head
    2. Removed, to see better in the mirror
    3. It doesn't matter, it's just for resting
    4. As low as possible, at neck level
    Show answer

    Answer: Level with your head

    If you're rear-ended, it stops your head and prevents whiplash. It's not a pillow.

39. 39. Why is it dangerous to let your dog ride loose in the car?

    1. It's only dangerous on the freeway
    2. It's fine if the dog rides up front
    3. It's only dangerous if the dog is big
    4. It distracts you and flies forward in a crash
    Show answer

    Answer: It distracts you and flies forward in a crash

    A loose dog becomes a projectile in a crash. Use a harness or crate.

40. 40. Your license says you must wear glasses to drive. When do you wear them?

    1. Only on long trips out of town
    2. Only on the freeway, not in town
    3. Only at night or in the rain
    4. Every time you drive
    Show answer

    Answer: Every time you drive

    It's a condition of your license. Get your eyes checked regularly, too.

41. 41. At night, the car ahead keeps drifting from side to side and brakes for no reason. What do you do?

    1. Flash your lights to wake the driver up
    2. Stay well back, away from it
    3. Get close and honk at it
    4. Pass it quickly to get it behind you
    Show answer

    Answer: Stay well back, away from it

    Weaving, braking for no reason or speeding up suddenly are signs of a driver who's been drinking, using drugs or falling asleep. They're a danger to themselves and to you: give them plenty of space and don't get close.

42. 42. You're driving and your cell phone rings. What do you do?

    1. Answer, but drive slower
    2. Don't answer: let it go to voicemail and, if you must call, pull over somewhere safe
    3. Check who it is and answer if it's important
    4. Answer quickly with the phone in your hand
    Show answer

    Answer: Don't answer: let it go to voicemail and, if you must call, pull over somewhere safe

    Driving with a phone in your hand is dangerous and illegal. If it rings, don't answer: let it go to voicemail. If you have to call back, first pull over somewhere safe. Don't send or read texts while driving either.