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. South Carolina's implied consent law means that by getting a driver's license, you have agreed to:

   Correct answer: Submit to a lawful alcohol test when suspected of impaired driving

   Implied consent means you have already agreed to a lawfully requested breath, blood, or urine test if you are suspected of impaired driving.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law

2. 2. According to the manual, a driver's vision begins to be impaired at a blood alcohol content of:

   Correct answer: 0.02 percent

   Vision is affected at a BAC of 0.02 percent for all drivers, blurring focus and hurting distance and speed judgment.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Effects of Alcohol, Vision

3. 3. The term BAC used in drunk-driving laws refers to:

   Correct answer: The percentage of alcohol in your blood

   BAC stands for blood alcohol concentration and expresses how much alcohol is present compared with the volume of blood in the body.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law

4. 4. About what share of yearly traffic deaths involve alcohol or other impairing drugs?

   Correct answer: About 40 percent

   Impairing substances play a role in about 40 percent of the yearly crashes that end in a fatality.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving

5. 5. According to the manual, impairment from alcohol begins:

   Correct answer: With the first drink

   Impairment starts with the very first drink; even one drink can affect your ability to operate a vehicle.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Driving

6. 6. A driver younger than 21 whose test shows a BAC at or above 0.02 percent will lose driving privileges for at least:

   Correct answer: Three months

   Under the zero-tolerance rule, a driver under 21 with a BAC of 0.02 percent or more loses driving privileges immediately for at least three months.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law

7. 7. Alcohol and other impairing drugs affect a driver by:

   Correct answer: Reducing judgment and slowing reactions

   These substances reduce judgment, blur or double vision, dull color distinction, and slow reaction time behind the wheel.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Effects of Alcohol and Other Impairing Drugs

8. 8. Mixing alcohol with prescription or over-the-counter drugs is dangerous because the drugs may:

   Correct answer: Multiply alcohol's effects or add their own

   Other drugs can multiply the effects of alcohol or add effects of their own, so you should never combine them before driving.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Combining Alcohol and Other Impairing Drugs

9. 9. For a person under the age of 21, drinking alcoholic beverages is:

   Correct answer: Illegal

   Anyone below 21 is legally barred from buying, having, or consuming alcohol, and zero-tolerance rules govern their driving.

   Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — If You are Under 21

10. 10. A conviction in South Carolina for driving under the influence of illegal drugs is treated:

    Correct answer: The same as a DUI or DUAC conviction

    Being convicted of driving while impaired by drugs is handled like a DUI or DUAC conviction.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Illegal Drugs

11. 11. Under the law, a driver can still be convicted of impaired driving with a BAC as low as:

    Correct answer: 0.05 percent when combined with drugs

    You can be convicted of driving impaired at 0.05 percent, or lower, when alcohol is combined with drugs, including prescription or over-the-counter medicine.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law

12. 12. Over-the-counter medicines for colds or allergies can affect driving because they may:

    Correct answer: Make you drowsy

    Such medicines can make you drowsy, so read the label for warnings and ask a pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure it is safe to drive.

    Source: South Carolina Driver's Manual — Over-the-Counter Drugs