Impaired Driving & Penalties — California
California CDL practice test: 392 free practice questions (20 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Impaired Driving & Penalties: 11 questions.
Blood alcohol limits, drugs and fatigue, licence suspensions, demerit points and fines.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | Impaired Driving & Penalties |
| License test | California CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 11 (3% of 392 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
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Questions (11)
1. If you are feeling tired and yawning a lot while you are driving, you should:
- Pull over and take a nap. ✓
- Get some coffee.
- Drive faster.
Answer: A. Pull over and take a nap.
You should pull over and take a nap. Yawning a lot is a sign of fatigue, and the handbook says to stop driving when you notice any sign of fatigue. It tells tired drivers to sleep for the night or take a short nap of about 15 to 20 minutes. The handbook also says forcing yourself to continue when tired is more dangerous than many people realize and is a major cause of deadly crashes. So the safe action is to get off the road and rest, not to keep driving.
2. The more alcohol in the body:
- The quicker the liver will digest the alcohol.
- The less effect the alcohol will have on the individual.
- The longer it will take to remove the alcohol from the body. ✓
Answer: C. The longer it will take to remove the alcohol from the body.
The more alcohol in the body, the longer it will take to remove it, so choose the answer saying removal takes longer. The handbook explains that the liver handles alcohol at a fixed rate — only about one-third of an ounce per hour, which is less than what a standard drink contains. Because that rate does not speed up, drinking faster than the body can clear alcohol means more of it builds up in your blood. The handbook states plainly that only time, not black coffee or a cold shower, sobers you up. So a larger amount of alcohol in the body simply means a longer wait before it is gone.
3. You may not consume alcohol within ____ of going on duty.
- One hour
- Two hours
- Four hours ✓
Answer: C. Four hours
4. If asked by a law enforcement officer to take a test to determine your blood alcohol concentration (BAC):
- You can refuse to take the test without a penalty.
- You can refuse taking the test but will be required to pay a $50 fine.
- You will lose your CDL if you refuse to take the test. ✓
Answer: C. You will lose your CDL if you refuse to take the test.
If an officer asks you to take a BAC test, refusing will cost you your CDL. The handbook explains that driving a commercial motor vehicle in the state means you have already agreed to submit to a chemical test of breath, blood, or urine to measure BAC or detect drugs. Because that consent is implied by the act of driving, saying no to the test is treated as a serious matter: the handbook states plainly that refusing a BAC test while operating a CMV results in losing your CDL for a period set by law. The length of that loss is not given here, only that it happens.
5. Talking on a cell phone while driving removes about ____ of a person's focus from the task of driving.
- 10 percent
- 39 percent ✓
- 82 percent
Answer: B. 39 percent
Talking on a cell phone while driving takes about 39 percent of a person's focus away from the driving task. The handbook reports research showing that talking on a cell phone drains the brain of 39% of the energy it would normally give to safe driving, and it notes this holds even when the phone is hands-free. So the phone conversation itself pulls attention away from driving, and the passage puts that loss at 39 percent. The same section lists talking on a cell phone among the activities inside the vehicle that can distract you and lead to collisions.
6. Which of the following determines your blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?
- How much you drink ✓
- How frequently you drink
- The temperature of the drink
Answer: A. How much you drink
The amount you drink determines your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Your blood alcohol concentration goes up with the amount of alcohol you drink. The handbook lists the amount consumed, how fast you drink, and your weight as the things that set BAC, with more alcohol producing a higher BAC. It also says the source of the alcohol does not matter, so whether it comes from beer, wine, or liquor, what counts is the alcohol itself. Nothing in the passages says the temperature of a drink changes BAC. That is why the amount you drink is the listed factor among these choices.
7. Compared to talking on a cell phone while driving, texting while driving is:
- Much safer.
- Just as safe.
- More dangerous. ✓
Answer: C. More dangerous.
Texting while driving is more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. The handbook states that text messaging is even riskier than a phone conversation. It explains that texting pulls your eyes to a small screen and ties up your hands on the keypad, and it distracts you physically and mentally at the same time. That combination is why the handbook treats texting as the most alarming distraction. Talking on a phone can also distract you, but the passage puts texting in a higher-risk category, so the correct choice is the one saying it is more dangerous.
8. Which of the following is not a sign of fatigue?
- Difficulty focusing, with frequent blinking
- Yawning repeatedly or rubbing eyes
- Staying in your lane ✓
Answer: C. Staying in your lane
Staying in your lane is not a sign of fatigue — drifting out of your lane is. The handbook lists the warning signs of tired driving, and among them is drifting from your lane, along with trouble remembering the last few miles, missing exits or signs, following too closely, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip. It also mentions feeling restless and irritable. Holding a steady position in your lane is normal driving, not a fatigue signal. The handbook adds that pushing on while tired is more dangerous than most drivers think and is a major cause of fatal crashes, so any sign of fatigue means you should stop and sleep or take a short nap.
9. When driving, you should stop every ____ to take a break to avoid becoming too tired.
- Half hour
- Two hours ✓
- Six hours
Answer: B. Two hours
You should stop about every two hours during a long trip to take a break. The handbook's list of ways to stay alert behind the wheel includes taking periodic breaks, roughly every 100 miles or 2 hours on long trips. It also warns that pushing on while tired is more dangerous than most drivers realize. A two-hour break interval fits that guidance directly, while the other intervals listed in the choices do not appear anywhere in the handbook's fatigue advice.
10. Which of the following is not a type of distraction?
- Physical
- Mental
- Obtuse ✓
Answer: C. Obtuse
Obtuse is not a type of distraction. The handbook says a distraction is anything that takes your attention away from driving, and it gives examples such as talking to passengers, adjusting controls, eating or drinking, texting, and daydreaming or being occupied with other mental distractions. Those examples include physical actions and mental attention. The handbook never lists obtuse as a distraction category, and nothing in the passage ties that word to something that pulls your attention from driving.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · 20 official sample questions · Official driver handbook