Alcohol & Drugs

Study questions with answers

11 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 a driver has any measurable alcohol below 0.04 percent, what happens?

   Correct answer: The driver is placed out of service for 24 hours

   Any detectable amount of alcohol under 0.04 percent puts the driver out of service for 24 hours rather than triggering a full disqualification.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 1 (Disqualifications)

2. 2. For a first offense such as driving a CMV with a BAC of 0.04 or more, how long will you lose your CDL?

   Correct answer: At least one year

   A first major offense costs you your CDL for at least one year. That penalty grows to at least three years if you were hauling placarded hazardous materials.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 1 (Disqualifications)

3. 3. At what blood alcohol concentration does it become illegal to operate a commercial motor vehicle?

   Correct answer: 0.04 percent or higher

   Operating a CMV is illegal at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or higher, a stricter limit than the one that applies to most passenger-car drivers.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 1 (Alcohol Disqualifications)

4. 4. By operating a commercial motor vehicle, a driver is considered to have agreed to what?

   Correct answer: Testing for alcohol when required

   Driving a CMV is treated as giving your consent to alcohol testing. Refusing to be tested is itself a disqualifying offense.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 1 (Alcohol Disqualifications)

5. 5. What is the only thing that will actually lower a drinker's blood alcohol concentration?

   Correct answer: Letting enough time pass

   Because the liver processes alcohol at a steady rate, only the passage of time reduces your level. Black coffee, food, or a cold shower will not speed it up.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (How Alcohol Works)

6. 6. As blood alcohol rises, which ability is affected first?

   Correct answer: Judgment and self-control

   Alcohol first hits the part of the brain that governs judgment and self-control. That is dangerous because it can keep drinkers from realizing they are getting drunk.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Alcohol and the Brain)

7. 7. Which factors together determine a person's blood alcohol concentration?

   Correct answer: The amount consumed, the speed of drinking, and body weight

   How much you drink, how quickly you drink it, and your body weight all shape your BAC. A lighter person reaches a given level on less alcohol.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (What Determines BAC?)

8. 8. A standard drink of beer, wine, or hard liquor is best described how?

   Correct answer: A beer, a glass of wine, and a shot of liquor hold about the same alcohol

   A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of table wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof liquor each contain the same amount of alcohol. It is the alcohol, not the type, that matters.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (What Is a Drink?)

9. 9. If a first major alcohol or drug offense happens while you drive a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials, the CDL loss is at least how long?

   Correct answer: Three years

   The minimum disqualification jumps to three years when the offense occurs in a vehicle carrying placarded hazardous materials.

   Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 1 (Disqualifications)

10. 10. What is the only genuine cure for fatigue while driving?

    Correct answer: Getting sleep and rest

    Rest and sleep are the only real remedy for fatigue. Drugs that mask tiredness may keep you awake but do not restore true alertness.

    Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Other Drugs)

11. 11. What should you know about common over-the-counter cold medicines before driving?

    Correct answer: They can cause drowsiness and impair safe driving

    Many legal cold and allergy medicines can make a driver drowsy or otherwise unsafe. Heed the warning labels, and never assume a non-prescription drug is harmless behind the wheel.

    Source: Ohio CDL Driver Manual, Section 2 (Other Drugs)