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. Which factors determine a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?

   Correct answer: Body weight, amount consumed, drinking speed, and food eaten

   Four things set your BAC: how much you drink, your body weight, the pace of your drinking, and whether you have eaten.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — How Much is Too Much

2. 2. Under New Jersey's implied consent law, what does refusing to take a breath test result in?

   Correct answer: Penalties including license loss and an interlock device

   Refusing a breath test is illegal under the implied consent law and brings penalties including loss of driving privileges, IDRC referral, fines, and an ignition interlock device.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Breath Test

3. 3. For a driver under age 21, what is the illegal BAC limit in New Jersey?

   Correct answer: 0.01 percent or higher

   Anyone under 21 breaks the law by driving at a blood alcohol level of just 0.01 percent, and extra penalties follow.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Driving Under the Influence

4. 4. At what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is it illegal to drive in New Jersey for a person age 21 or older?

   Correct answer: 0.08 percent or higher

   Operating a vehicle is against the law once your blood alcohol reaches 0.08 percent, or any time liquor or drugs leave you impaired.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — How Much is Too Much

5. 5. How does alcohol begin to affect a driver after only a few drinks?

   Correct answer: It impairs reaction time, coordination, and judgment

   A handful of drinks is enough for alcohol to dull your reflexes, steadiness, and coordination while also clouding vision and the sense of distance.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Effects of Alcohol

6. 6. How much of the alcohol the body detoxifies is burned up by the liver?

   Correct answer: About 90 percent

   The liver oxidizes about 90 percent of the alcohol that is detoxified, while the remaining 10 percent leaves through breath, urine, and sweat.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Effects of Alcohol

7. 7. What is the safest choice a host can make when a guest has had too much to drink at a party?

   Correct answer: Keep them from driving and arrange another way home

   When a guest has overdone it, keep them off the road; line up another ride, propose they rest, or offer a place to sleep over.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Good Hosts and the Drinking Driver

8. 8. Does eating food prevent a high BAC when a person drinks steadily?

   Correct answer: No, heavy drinking still produces a high BAC

   Food may delay how fast alcohol enters the blood, but a steady stream of heavy drinking still drives the BAC up, and a meal never sobers anyone.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — How Much is Too Much

9. 9. What is the only thing that will actually make an intoxicated person sober?

   Correct answer: The passage of time

   Only time can make a person sober; the body removes alcohol slowly, so coffee, food, or a cold shower will not speed the process.

   Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Effects of Alcohol

10. 10. An ignition interlock device prevents a vehicle from starting when the driver's BAC exceeds what level?

    Correct answer: 0.05 percent

    The interlock unit contains its own breath tester and will block the engine from turning over whenever a reading tops 0.05 percent.

    Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Ignition Interlock Device

11. 11. Compared with a 12-ounce beer, how much alcohol is in a typical 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof whiskey?

    Correct answer: About the same amount

    A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof whiskey all contain about the same amount of alcohol — roughly a half ounce per drink.

    Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — How Much is Too Much

12. 12. After alcohol, which drug is most often found in drivers involved in crashes?

    Correct answer: Marijuana

    Marijuana ranks second only to alcohol among substances found in crash-involved drivers, and it can hurt lane-tracking, distance judgment, and focus.

    Source: New Jersey Driver Manual — Drugs and Driving