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 part of the brain does alcohol affect first as blood alcohol concentration builds?

   Correct answer: The part controlling judgment and self-control

   Alcohol first affects the part of the brain that controls judgment and self-control, which can keep drinkers from realizing they are getting drunk.

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

2. 2. Besides judgment, what abilities does alcohol impair that are critical to driving?

   Correct answer: Coordination, reaction speed, depth judgment, and night sight

   Drinking degrades coordination of the muscles, slows reactions, distorts depth judgment, and weakens night sight, and for some a single drink already shows impairment.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (Alcohol and Driving)

3. 3. What is the result of having any measurable alcohol under .04% in your system while operating a CMV?

   Correct answer: You are placed out of service for 24 hours

   Any detectable alcohol under .04% results in being placed out of service for 24 hours.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)

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

   Correct answer: They can make you drowsy and impair driving

   Cold medicines and similar over-the-counter drugs can make a driver drowsy or otherwise impair safe driving ability, so warning labels must be heeded.

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

5. 5. How long does the liver need to process the alcohol in a standard drink, and what actually sobers a person up?

   Correct answer: The liver works at a fixed rate, so only time sobers you up

   The liver clears only about one-third of an ounce of alcohol per hour at a fixed rate, so only the passage of time — not coffee or a cold shower — sobers you up.

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

6. 6. What is the penalty for a second major alcohol or drug offense involving a CMV?

   Correct answer: Loss of the CDL for life

   A second offense results in loss of the CDL for life.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)

7. 7. A 12-ounce glass of 5% beer contains about the same amount of alcohol as which of the following?

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

   The same alcohol content is found in a 12-ounce serving of 5% beer, a 5-ounce pour of 12% wine, or a one-and-a-half-ounce shot of 80-proof spirits.

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

8. 8. It is illegal to operate a commercial motor vehicle if your blood alcohol concentration is at or above what level?

   Correct answer: .04%

   Operating a CMV with a BAC of .04% or more is illegal, and by driving a CMV you are considered to have consented to alcohol testing.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)

9. 9. How long is the CDL lost for a first offense of operating a CMV under alcohol's influence?

   Correct answer: At least one year

   A first offense of driving under the influence in a CMV, or related offenses, costs the driver the CDL for at least one year.

   Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)

10. 10. How does the loss period change if an alcohol offense occurs while operating a CMV placarded for hazardous materials?

    Correct answer: It rises to at least three years

    If the offense happens in a CMV placarded for hazardous materials, the CDL is lost for at least three years instead of one.

    Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 1: Introduction (Alcohol, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Commission of a Felony)

11. 11. Under what condition may a driver possess and use a drug prescribed by a doctor while on duty?

    Correct answer: Only if the doctor says it will not affect safe driving

    A driver may use a doctor-prescribed drug only if the doctor states it will not affect the ability to drive safely.

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

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

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

    BAC depends on how much alcohol you drink, how fast you drink it, and your body weight; a lighter person reaches a given BAC with less alcohol.

    Source: New Jersey CDL Manual — Section 2: Driving Safely (What Determines Blood Alcohol Concentration?)