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. Combining alcohol with other drugs, even an over-the-counter medicine, usually:

   Correct answer: Multiplies the effects of both

   Mixing alcohol with other drugs typically multiplies the effects of both and can badly impair your ability to drive. Many common medicines cause drowsiness on their own.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

2. 2. A DUI conviction while a passenger 17 or under is riding along adds a mandatory:

   Correct answer: Five-day jail term and an added fine

   Having a juvenile passenger during a DUI adds a mandatory five-day jail term plus an extra fine of at least $500, on top of the other penalties.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Transporting Children While Under the Influence

3. 3. In terms of alcohol content, a 12-ounce beer is roughly equal to:

   Correct answer: A single shot of liquor or a glass of wine (about five ounces)

   A 12-ounce beer holds roughly the same alcohol as one shot of hard liquor or a five-ounce pour of wine.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

4. 4. Compared with driving sober, driving after drinking makes your chance of a crash about:

   Correct answer: Seven times greater

   Because alcohol clouds judgment and driving skill, your odds of a crash are roughly seven times greater after drinking than when sober.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

5. 5. Which parts of driving ability are affected even by a small amount of alcohol?

   Correct answer: Vision, judgment, and coordination

   Even a little alcohol affects brain functions important to driving, especially vision, judgment, and coordination.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

6. 6. After drinking, the only thing that will actually lower your blood alcohol level is:

   Correct answer: The passage of time

   Only time reduces intoxication. Coffee, a cold shower, or exercise will not sober you up or make you safe to drive.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

7. 7. In Virginia, although possessing marijuana is legal for adults over 21, driving after using it is:

   Correct answer: Still illegal

   Driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal regardless of legal possession. Cannabis affects how you drive, just as alcohol and other drugs do.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Drunk and Drugged Driving

8. 8. Suppose you are stopped while driving on a license already suspended because of an alcohol offense. Your vehicle will be impounded immediately for:

   Correct answer: 30 days

   The vehicle is impounded right away for 30 days, and a court may add up to 90 more days upon conviction.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Vehicle Impoundment

9. 9. Under Virginia's implied consent law, operating a vehicle on public roads means you have agreed to:

   Correct answer: Take a breath test when lawfully requested

   By driving on Virginia's public roads you consent to a breath test on request when an officer has probable cause to suspect impairment.

   Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Alcohol and the Law

10. 10. Under Virginia's zero-tolerance law, a driver under age 21 can be convicted of illegal alcohol consumption when their BAC is:

    Correct answer: At least .02 but less than .08

    For drivers under 21, a BAC of at least .02 but below .08 can bring an illegal-consumption conviction. At .08 or higher they face the same penalties as adults.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Alcohol Related Violations Involving Persons Under Age 21

11. 11. You can be charged with drinking while driving in Virginia if an open alcohol container is found:

    Correct answer: In the passenger area within your reach

    The offense involves an open container in the passenger area, partly emptied, together with signs you have been drinking. The passenger area includes an unlocked glove box.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Open Alcohol Containers in Vehicles

12. 12. For a first offense, refusing a breath test or driving with a BAC of .08 or higher brings an automatic administrative license suspension of:

    Correct answer: Seven days

    A first offense triggers an automatic seven-day suspension. A second offense is 60 days or until trial, and a third lasts until trial.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual — Administrative License Suspension