Oregon Alcohol, Drugs, and Distracted Driving Practice Questions

Alcohol, Drugs, and Distracted Driving questions

1. 1. What is the only reliable way to lower blood alcohol concentration?

   1. A. Time
   2. B. Coffee
   3. C. A cold shower

   Answer: A — Time

   The liver processes alcohol at a fixed rate; nothing else speeds it up.

2. 2. How can a lawfully prescribed medicine affect your driving?

   1. A. It cannot, because it was prescribed
   2. B. It only matters if combined with alcohol
   3. C. It can impair you enough to make driving unlawful

   Answer: C — It can impair you enough to make driving unlawful

   A prescription does not exempt an impaired driver; the impairment itself is what the law addresses.

3. 3. Why is combining alcohol with medication especially dangerous?

   1. A. Medication slows alcohol absorption
   2. B. The combined effect is greater
   3. C. Alcohol neutralises most medications

   Answer: B — The combined effect is greater

   Many drugs multiply rather than add to alcohol's effects on reaction time and judgement.

4. 4. What should you check before driving after taking an over-the-counter medicine?

   1. A. The label's drowsiness warning
   2. B. Only the dosage amount
   3. C. Nothing, since it is sold without prescription

   Answer: A — The label's drowsiness warning

   Common cold and allergy remedies carry drowsiness warnings precisely because they affect driving.

5. 5. Which is the most complete description of distracted driving?

   1. A. Only using a mobile phone at the wheel
   2. B. Only eating or drinking while driving
   3. C. Anything taking eyes, hands, or mind away

   Answer: C — Anything taking eyes, hands, or mind away

   Visual, manual, and cognitive distractions all reduce a driver's ability to detect and respond to hazards.

6. 6. What is the safest way to handle a call that must be taken while driving?

   1. A. Use a knee to steer while dialling
   2. B. Pull over safely and stop before answering
   3. C. Answer briefly while maintaining speed

   Answer: B — Pull over safely and stop before answering

   Stopping removes the distraction rather than trying to manage it while the vehicle is moving.

7. 7. What is the only real remedy for drowsiness at the wheel?

   1. A. Stopping to rest or sleep
   2. B. Opening a window
   3. C. Turning up the radio

   Answer: A — Stopping to rest or sleep

   Stimulation masks fatigue briefly; only rest restores alertness.

8. 8. What is highway hypnosis?

   1. A. A medical condition affecting night vision
   2. B. A form of glare from oncoming headlights
   3. C. A drowsy state from monotonous driving

   Answer: C — A drowsy state from monotonous driving

   Long, unvarying stretches of road can dull a driver's attention without producing obvious sleepiness.

9. 9. How can a driver reduce the risk of fatigue on a long trip?

   1. A. Drive only at night when traffic is lighter
   2. B. Take regular breaks and share driving
   3. C. Drive faster to shorten the journey

   Answer: B — Take regular breaks and share driving

   Scheduled breaks prevent the accumulation of fatigue that no amount of willpower overcomes.

10. 10. What is the correct relationship between airbags and seat belts?

    1. A. Airbags supplement seat belts and do not replace them
    2. B. Airbags replace the need for seat belts
    3. C. Seat belts are only for vehicles without airbags

    Answer: A — Airbags supplement seat belts and do not replace them

    An airbag is designed to work with a fastened belt; unbelted occupants can be injured by the deployment itself.

11. 11. How does anger or frustration affect driving ability?

    1. A. It sharpens concentration
    2. B. It has no measurable effect
    3. C. It narrows your attention

    Answer: C — It narrows your attention

    A driver's personality and emotional state directly affect the decisions they make behind the wheel.

12. 12. What is the best response to an aggressive driver behind you?

    1. A. Match their speed to stay ahead
    2. B. Let them pass without reacting
    3. C. Brake sharply to make a point

    Answer: B — Let them pass without reacting

    Disengaging removes you from the conflict; retaliation escalates it.

13. 13. How does alcohol affect a driver's judgement of speed and distance?

    1. A. It degrades both unnoticed
    2. B. It sharpens both
    3. C. It affects only vision

    Answer: A — It degrades both unnoticed

    The first faculties alcohol impairs are judgement and self-assessment, which is what makes it dangerous.

14. 14. Does the type of drink change how quickly blood alcohol rises?

    1. A. Yes, spirits are always worse than beer
    2. B. Yes, wine is metabolised instantly
    3. C. No, only the amount of alcohol

    Answer: C — No, only the amount of alcohol

    A standard drink of beer, wine, or spirits contains a similar quantity of alcohol.

15. 15. What is the safest plan if you intend to drink?

    1. A. Wait an hour after the last drink
    2. B. Arrange a ride before you start
    3. C. Limit yourself to two drinks and drive

    Answer: B — Arrange a ride before you start

    Deciding before the first drink avoids relying on impaired judgement to make the decision later.

16. 16. Which categories of drug can impair driving?

    1. A. Prescription, over-the-counter, illegal
    2. B. Only those drugs that are illegal to hold
    3. C. Only drugs prescribed by a doctor

    Answer: A — Prescription, over-the-counter, illegal

    Impairment is determined by the effect on the driver, not by whether the drug was lawfully obtained.

17. 17. What should you do if a new medication makes you drowsy?

    1. A. Drive only on short familiar local trips
    2. B. Take a second dose to steady the effect
    3. C. Do not drive until you know how it affects you

    Answer: C — Do not drive until you know how it affects you

    The first doses are when the effect is least predictable, so driving should wait.

18. 18. How long does a driver travel blind while glancing away for five seconds at 55 mph?

    1. A. Roughly two ordinary car lengths
    2. B. Roughly the length of a football field
    3. C. Roughly the length of a single-decker bus

    Answer: B — Roughly the length of a football field

    At 55 mph a vehicle covers about 400 feet in five seconds, all of it without the driver looking.

19. 19. Why is a hands-free conversation still a distraction?

    1. A. It still occupies your attention
    2. B. It is not a distraction at all
    3. C. It only affects hearing

    Answer: A — It still occupies your attention

    Cognitive load reduces hazard detection even when the eyes are forward and the hands are on the wheel.

20. 20. What is the safest way to use a navigation system?

    1. A. Enter addresses while stopped in traffic
    2. B. Hold the phone to read the map
    3. C. Set the destination before starting

    Answer: C — Set the destination before starting

    Programming a route while moving combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction at once.

21. 21. What are the warning signs of driver fatigue?

    1. A. A noticeably stronger grip on the wheel
    2. B. Drifting, heavy eyelids, missed exits
    3. C. Sharper vision and quicker reactions

    Answer: B — Drifting, heavy eyelids, missed exits

    Micro-lapses show up as lane drift and lost time before the driver recognises the drowsiness.

22. 22. Why is a short nap more effective than caffeine for fatigue?

    1. A. Only sleep restores alertness
    2. B. Caffeine has no effect at all
    3. C. A nap makes drowsiness worse

    Answer: A — Only sleep restores alertness

    Caffeine masks fatigue temporarily, after which the underlying sleep debt returns.

23. 23. How far should a driver sit from the steering wheel airbag?

    1. A. As close as possible for control
    2. B. Directly against the wheel
    3. C. At least ten inches back

    Answer: C — At least ten inches back

    An airbag deploys with great force, and distance is what makes that force survivable.

24. 24. What should you check about your seating position before driving?

    1. A. Only that the mirror is centred
    2. B. That you can reach the pedals fully
    3. C. Only that the seat is comfortable

    Answer: B — That you can reach the pedals fully

    Reach, sight lines, and mirror coverage are what make control and awareness possible.

25. 25. How should the head restraint be positioned?

    1. A. Level with the back of the head, not the neck
    2. B. As low as it will go, behind the neck
    3. C. Tilted well forward, touching the head

    Answer: A — Level with the back of the head, not the neck

    A restraint set too low acts as a pivot and increases neck injury in a rear-end impact.

26. 26. What is the safest response to being cut off in traffic?

    1. A. Sound the horn and close the gap
    2. B. Match their speed and stay alongside
    3. C. Ease off and restore your distance

    Answer: C — Ease off and restore your distance

    Restoring space protects you; retaliation converts a nuisance into a crash.

27. 27. How does stress or worry affect driving?

    1. A. It improves concentration
    2. B. It reduces available attention
    3. C. It has no effect on driving

    Answer: B — It reduces available attention

    A driver's state of mind directly affects their performance behind the wheel.

28. 28. At what blood alcohol concentration does Oregon law presume impairment?

    1. A. 0.08 percent or more
    2. B. 0.10 percent or more
    3. C. 0.05 percent or more

    Answer: A — 0.08 percent or more

    A driver can still be arrested for DUII below that figure.

29. 29. Can an Oregon driver be arrested for DUII below 0.08 percent?

    1. A. No
    2. B. Only if under 21
    3. C. Yes

    Answer: C — Yes

    The 0.08 figure creates a presumption, not the only route to arrest.

30. 30. Which drug besides alcohol does Oregon name as contributing to many collisions?

    1. A. Nicotine
    2. B. Marijuana
    3. C. Caffeine

    Answer: B — Marijuana

    Oregon warns that using alcohol and marijuana together compounds the impairment.