Impaired Driving & Penalties — Kansas
Kansas CDL practice test: 397 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: 13 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 | Kansas CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 13 (3% of 397 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 (13)
1. 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.
2. To best reduce the distractions of a cell phone, you should:
- Stay on a single call for an entire trip.
- Turn the phone off before driving. ✓
- Only us the phone to accept incoming calls.
- Use the phone to text rather than talk.
Answer: B. Turn the phone off before driving.
3. In cold weather, an alcohol evaporator should be checked and filled:
- Once a week.
- Every day. ✓
- Every hour.
- Once a month.
Answer: B. Every day.
Check and fill the alcohol evaporator every day during cold weather. The handbook says some air brake systems use an alcohol evaporator to put alcohol into the air system, which helps lower the chance of ice forming in valves and other parts in cold weather. Ice in the system can stop the brakes from working. For that reason, the cold-weather instruction is to check the alcohol container and fill it as needed each day. Daily air tank drainage is still required unless the system has automatic drain valves.
4. If feeling tired and frequently yawning, you should:
- Press on and continue driving.
- Get some coffee.
- Drive faster.
- Pull over and take a nap. ✓
Answer: D. Pull over and take a nap.
You should pull over and take a nap. The handbook treats tiredness as a serious driving risk and says trying to push on is more dangerous than many drivers think, even a major cause of fatal accidents. When you notice signs of fatigue, it says to stop driving and either sleep for the night or take a short nap. Frequent yawning is a fatigue sign, so the right response is to stop and rest, not keep driving. The handbook also says caffeine may help for a short while but should not be relied on to prevent fatigue.
5. Sending text messages while driving:
- May be done if the messages are short.
- Is encouraged.
- Is permitted if you are asking a question of your employer.
- Is not permitted. ✓
Answer: D. Is not permitted.
Sending text messages while driving is not permitted. The handbook states plainly that you may not send or read text messages while driving. It treats texting as a serious distraction: you take your eyes off the road to look at a screen and use your hands, and the risk of a safety-critical event rises sharply. The rule is written as a flat prohibition, not as something that depends on message length or who the message is for. That is why the correct choice is that texting is not permitted.
6. A fatigued driver:
- Is extra alert.
- Should take over-the-counter remedies to wake them up.
- May make critical decisions too slowly. ✓
- Is usually more conscientious than a typical driver.
Answer: C. May make critical decisions too slowly.
A fatigued driver may make critical decisions too slowly. The handbook describes fatigue as physical or mental tiredness from strain, repetitive tasks, illness, or lack of sleep. It says fatigue impairs your vision and judgment much like alcohol and drugs, and that it affects your ability to make critical decisions. It also slows how quickly you see and react to hazards and makes you more likely to misjudge speed and distance. So a tired driver does not simply feel sleepy; the thinking behind driving choices gets worse.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. If a driver begins to feel fatigued while driving, they should:
- Continue driving.
- Drink coffee.
- Stop and rest. ✓
- Drive faster to finish the trip more quickly.
Answer: C. Stop and rest.
If you begin to feel fatigued while driving, you should stop and rest. The handbook's fatigue section says that when you feel tired, you should stop driving and get some rest or take a nap. It also says caffeine can increase awareness for only a few hours, then wears off, so you should not rely on it to prevent fatigue. The signs of fatigue should tell you to stop and rest. That supports stopping to rest rather than continuing, using coffee, or trying to finish faster.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook