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, roughly what share of riders killed in crashes had been drinking?

   Correct answer: Between 40 and 45 percent

   Research indicates that 40 to 45 percent of riders who died in motorcycle wrecks had been drinking beforehand.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol and Other Drugs

2. 2. How do alcohol and other drugs used together compare with using either one by itself?

   Correct answer: They are more dangerous than either alone

   The manual warns that alcohol and other drugs together are more dangerous than either substance used by itself.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol and Other Drugs

3. 3. In North Carolina, at what alcohol concentration is a non-commercial driver considered impaired?

   Correct answer: 0.08 percent

   In North Carolina a test reading of 0.08 percent alcohol, or 0.04 for a commercial vehicle, brings an immediate revocation.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol and the Law

4. 4. At about what rate does the body eliminate alcohol?

   Correct answer: Roughly one drink per hour

   Alcohol leaves the body at a rate of nearly one drink per hour, so it can build up if you drink faster than that.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol in the Body

5. 5. Which of the following is a possible penalty for riding under the influence?

   Correct answer: License suspension along with fines and community service

   Penalties can include license suspension, heavy fines, community service, and other costs such as legal fees and lost work time.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Consequences of Conviction

6. 6. How quickly does alcohol begin to affect a rider after it is consumed?

   Correct answer: Within minutes, since it needs no digestion

   Alcohol does not need to be digested; it enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain within minutes.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol in the Body

7. 7. Which three factors play the biggest role in determining a person's blood alcohol concentration?

   Correct answer: The amount you drink, how fast you drink, and your body weight

   BAC is driven mainly by how much you drink, how fast you drink it, and your body weight.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol in the Body

8. 8. Which ability does alcohol tend to affect first?

   Correct answer: Your judgment and self-assessment

   Your judgment, including your ability to tell how well you are riding, is among the first things alcohol impairs, so you take greater risks while feeling fine.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Minimize the Risks

9. 9. Using the manual's simple formula, someone who has 8 drinks over 4 hours still has at least how many drinks in their system?

   Correct answer: At least 4

   Subtracting one drink for each hour, 8 drinks minus 4 hours leaves at least 4 drinks remaining in the body.

   Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Blood Alcohol Concentration

10. 10. In crashes involving substance abuse, injuries occur in what share of motorcycle crashes versus car crashes?

    Correct answer: About 90 percent of motorcycle crashes and 33 percent of car crashes

    Injuries happen in about 90 percent of such motorcycle crashes but only about 33 percent of comparable automobile crashes.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol and Other Drugs

11. 11. Of the riders killed who had been drinking, how many were above the legal alcohol limit?

    Correct answer: Only about one-third

    Only about one-third of those drinking riders were legally over the limit; the rest had just enough alcohol to impair their riding.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol and Other Drugs

12. 12. How does the alcohol in a can of beer compare with that in a glass of wine or a mixed drink?

    Correct answer: They all contain roughly the same amount of alcohol

    A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a mixed drink with one shot all contain about the same amount of alcohol.

    Source: NC Motorcyclists' Handbook — Alcohol in the Body