Impaired Driving & Penalties — Colorado
Colorado CDL practice test: 394 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Impaired Driving & Penalties: 14 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 | Colorado CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 14 (4% of 394 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 (14)
1. To prevent fatigue while driving, you should:
- Keep the cab warm.
- Keep the cab cool. ✓
- Keep the cab poorly ventilated.
- Close the vents.
Answer: B. Keep the cab cool.
Keep the cab cool — the handbook's alertness list says to keep cool by opening a window or running the air conditioner. The fatigue section of the handbook gives a short list of things you can do to stay alert behind the wheel, and one of those items is to keep cool by opening the window or using the air conditioner. That cooling advice sits right alongside other alertness habits such as wearing sunglasses against glare and eyestrain, taking periodic breaks, and stopping to rest or nap. Since the handbook names keeping cool as the way to help maintain alertness, keeping the cab cool is the choice that matches it.
2. An open automobile window in cold weather may indicate that the driver is:
- Driving impaired. ✓
- Inappropriately dressed.
- Using the heat inside their vehicle.
- Enjoying the fresh air.
Answer: A. Driving impaired.
An open window in cold weather may mean the driver is driving impaired. The handbook puts an open window in cold weather in the same short list as speeding up or slowing down suddenly and driving too fast or too slow, right before it tells you to watch for drunk and sleepy drivers late at night. In that section the open window is treated as a clue about the driver's condition, not as a comfort choice, so the handbook answer is that it points to impairment. The passage does not explain the reason behind the clue, only that you should notice it.
3. Distracted drivers may be:
- Staying within their lanes.
- Traveling at consistent speeds.
- Preoccupied with using their cell phones. ✓
- Not talking to anyone else in their vehicles.
Answer: C. Preoccupied with using their cell phones.
Distracted drivers may be preoccupied with using their cell phones. The handbook tells you to watch for other drivers who are busy with things like maps, food, cigarettes, or a phone. It lists that kind of preoccupation as a sign of a distracted driver, along with drifting and uneven speed. That matches the choice about cell phone use. Recognizing distraction early helps you perceive and react in time to avoid a crash, and you should give that driver room.
4. Which of the following is not an activity that causes a distraction?
- Adjusting the radio
- Adjusting the CD player
- Eating
- Checking your mirrors ✓
Answer: D. Checking your mirrors
Checking your mirrors is not a distraction — it is a driving task the handbook tells you to do regularly and quickly. The handbook treats mirror checks as part of normal safe driving. In the tight-maneuver section it says to check your mirrors often and to check them regularly, more often in special situations, and it explains how to use them correctly by looking quickly and understanding what you see. It also mentions using the mirrors to watch for signs of smoke from tires or the vehicle. Since looking in the mirrors is something you are supposed to do on purpose while driving, it counts as a driving task rather than a distraction.
5. Distracted driving:
- Always comes as a result of physical distraction, not mental distraction.
- Can be elevated by pre-programming radio stations.
- Can be avoided by eating while driving.
- Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations while driving. ✓
Answer: D. Can be avoided by not engaging in complex conversations while driving.
You can avoid distracted driving by not engaging in complex conversations while driving. The handbook's driving-safely section lists ways to reduce distraction before and during a trip. It says to pre-program radio stations, review maps, and plan your route before you begin driving. While driving, it says not to read or write, to avoid smoking, eating, and drinking, and not to engage in complex or emotionally intense conversations with other occupants. Choosing not to have complex conversations removes one of the distractions the handbook specifically names, so it is a valid way to help avoid distracted driving.
6. Over-the-counter medication:
- Poses no safety risks to a driver.
- Is not referenced by any laws regarding driving under the influence.
- Cannot impair a driver.
- Can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. ✓
Answer: D. Can affect a person’s ability to drive safely.
Over-the-counter medication can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. The handbook lists prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medicines, among substances that can make a driver unsafe. It says these medicines may make you drowsy or otherwise affect your ability to drive safely. It also tells drivers to pay attention to warning labels and doctor's orders about possible effects. That is why the bank answer treats OTC medication as something that can change how safely you drive, not as a harmless product.
7. Texting while driving a CMV is:
- Acceptable if the text is work-related.
- Acceptable if there are fewer than 10 words in the text message.
- Encouraged because it is safer than talking on the phone.
- Prohibited. ✓
Answer: D. Prohibited.
Texting while driving a CMV is prohibited. The handbook says federal rules prohibit CMV drivers from texting while operating in interstate commerce, and motor carriers may not require or allow it. It also treats texting as a serious distraction and says it is riskier than talking on a phone. The passages give only a narrow exception for contacting law enforcement or emergency services. They do not create exceptions for work-related messages or short messages, so the correct choice is that texting is prohibited.
8. Which of the following is not an example of a distracted person that motorists should be worried about?
- A driver talking to another person in a vehicle
- Children on the side of the road
- Construction workers on the side of the road
- A person sitting on a bench waiting for a bus ✓
Answer: D. A person sitting on a bench waiting for a bus
9. How could you reduce your stress while driving?
- Drink a caffeinated beverage
- Talk on your cell phone
- Gesture at other drivers
- Listen to calming music ✓
Answer: D. Listen to calming music
Listening to calming music, such as easy listening, is a way to reduce your stress while driving. The handbook's section on not being an aggressive driver tells you to reduce stress before and while you drive, and one of its listed steps is to listen to easy listening music. The same passage pairs this with giving the drive your full attention and not letting cell phone talk or eating distract you. So calming music is the stress-reducer the handbook names, while the other choices either add distraction or make things worse.
10. Which of the following is not an example of a distracted person that motorists should be worried about?
- A driver talking to a passenger in their vehicle
- A child on the side of the road
- A construction worker on the side of the road
- A person sitting on a bench waiting for a bus ✓
Answer: D. A person sitting on a bench waiting for a bus
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook