Impaired Driving & Penalties — California
California DMV practice test: 617 free practice questions (38 official sample questions · Official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Impaired Driving & Penalties: 36 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 Car learner's permit test (Class C) |
| Topic questions | 36 (6% of 617 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 (36)
1. When is it legal for a person to drive with an alcoholic beverage container that has been opened?
- If the container is under the front seat.
- If the container is in the trunk of the vehicle. ✓
- If the container is in the glove compartment.
Answer: B. If the container is in the trunk of the vehicle.
It is legal to drive with an opened alcoholic beverage container only if you keep it in the trunk or another place where passengers do not sit. The handbook says that if you carry alcohol in your vehicle, the container must be sealed and unopened. When a container is already open, you have to keep it in the trunk or in a place where passengers do not sit. So an open container belongs in the trunk, not within reach of anyone riding in the car. The handbook also points out that an open container of alcohol in your glove box is against the law.
2. What should you do if your cell phone rings and you do not have a hands-free device?
- Answer the call and keep the conversation short.
- Do not answer the phone and let it go to voice mail. ✓
- Answer the call if you are stopped at a red light.
Answer: B. Do not answer the phone and let it go to voice mail.
Do not answer the phone; let the call go to voicemail. The California Driver Handbook says a ringing cell phone should not be answered while you drive. It tells drivers to let the call go to voicemail, and if a call must be made or returned, to pull safely off the road first. The handbook also states that using a handheld phone while driving is unsafe and illegal. Because the question says you have no hands-free device, answering would mean using the phone handheld, which the passage does not allow. Letting it ring avoids that.
3. If you become drowsy while driving, you should:
- Try to fight it.
- Take a break. ✓
- Take some caffeine pills.
Answer: B. Take a break.
4. Which of the following driving skills are affected by the use of alcohol and/or drugs?
- Alertness and concentration.
- Reaction time and coordination.
- All of the above. ✓
Answer: C. All of the above.
All of the above — alcohol and drugs affect alertness and concentration as well as reaction time and coordination. The handbook says DUI law covers alcohol and any drug, and that the law treats prescription and over-the-counter medications the same as illegal drugs. It states these substances can affect your ability to drive safely and to react to what you see and hear. Being alert enough to decide the right action in traffic is also described as a requirement for driving. Since alcohol and drugs touch both your mental sharpness and your physical responses, every skill listed is affected, which is why the choice covering all of them is correct.
5. Which of these statements is true about driving and taking medications?
- Most cold medications can make a person drowsy. ✓
- Over-the-counter medications cannot impair driving ability if taken in the recommended dosages.
- Medications are safe to take at any time, if prescribed by a doctor.
Answer: A. Most cold medications can make a person drowsy.
Most cold medications can make a person drowsy. The handbook says prescription and over-the-counter medicines can make you an unsafe driver and that some medicines make you sleepy. It also lists cough syrup among medications that can affect driving and tells you to read labels. That supports treating cold medicine as something that can make you drowsy, so you should not assume you are fine to drive after taking it.
6. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 percent:
- Won't have any effect on your driving.
- Won't put other drivers at risk.
- Will double your chances of having an accident. ✓
Answer: C. Will double your chances of having an accident.
7. Which of these statements is true about drinking alcohol and driving?
- If you can walk in a straight line after drinking, it is safe to drive.
- If you are under the legal blood alcohol concentration limit, your driving isn't impaired.
- Alcohol affects judgement, which is needed to drive safely. ✓
Answer: C. Alcohol affects judgement, which is needed to drive safely.
The true statement is that alcohol affects judgement, which you need to drive safely. The handbook says a BAC under the legal limit does not make driving safe. It also says most people notice bad effects from alcohol at levels below that limit, and a single drink can change how well you drive. The passage does not use the word judgement, but it links alcohol to the abilities safe driving requires. That makes the statement about judgement the supported choice.
8. Which of the following factors affect an individual's absorption of alcohol?
- Weight ✓
- Height
- Intelligence
Answer: A. Weight
Body weight is the factor among these that affects how alcohol is absorbed and how high your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches. The handbook explains that alcohol enters your bloodstream and that BAC measures how much alcohol is in it. It then presents a table of BAC estimates built on three things: how many drinks you have had, your gender, and your body weight. Because body weight is one of the inputs the handbook uses to estimate BAC, it is the listed factor that makes a difference from person to person.
9. If your cell phone rings while you are driving and you do not have a hands-free device, you should:
- Answer the call because it may be an emergency.
- Let the call go to voicemail. ✓
- Check the incoming number before answering the call.
Answer: B. Let the call go to voicemail.
If you don't have a hands-free device, let the call go to voicemail. The handbook names cell phones as the main source of distracted driving and says driving with a handheld phone is unsafe and illegal. Its specific instruction is not to answer when the phone rings, but to let the call go to voicemail. If you need to make or return a call, the handbook says to pull safely off the road first. So the safe and legal choice here is simply to leave the call alone.
10. The first thing that alcohol effects is:
- Vision.
- Judgment. ✓
- Balance.
Answer: B. Judgment.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Not yet verified
Updated: · 38 official sample questions · Official driver handbook