Impaired Driving & Penalties — Tennessee
Tennessee CDL practice test: 468 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: 17 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 | Tennessee CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 17 (4% of 468 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (17)
1. 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.
2. When experiencing cold weather, be sure to check your vehicle's alcohol evaporator:
- Every three hours.
- Every day. ✓
- Every other week.
Answer: B. Every day.
3. Drowsy driving is most common during:
- The night. ✓
- The early morning.
- The mid-afternoon.
Answer: A. The night.
Drowsy driving is most common at night, so the correct choice is the one naming the night. The handbook says drowsy-driving crashes tend to happen when sleepiness is strongest, and it names the night and the mid-afternoon as those times. It then explains that most people are less alert at night, particularly after midnight, and that drivers who drive at night are much more likely to have fall-asleep crashes. That reasoning points to night as the time when drowsy driving is most common, which is what the question asks for.
4. If feeling tired while driving, it is best to:
- Take a pep pill.
- Get some rest. ✓
- Continue driving.
Answer: B. Get some rest.
When you feel tired while driving, the best thing to do is get some rest. The handbook lists stopping driving to rest or nap as one of the ways to stay alert behind the wheel, and it warns that caffeine only helps for a few hours before wearing off, so you should not depend on it to prevent fatigue. Drugs may keep you awake but will not make you alert. The passage also points out that many drivers cannot tell when they are about to fall asleep, which is why the signs of fatigue should tell you to stop and rest.
5. An alcohol evaporator is especially important:
- In cold weather. ✓
- In hot weather.
- In dry weather.
Answer: A. In cold weather.
An alcohol evaporator is especially important in cold weather. The handbook explains that certain air brake systems include an alcohol evaporator that adds alcohol to the air system. Its purpose is to lower the chance of ice forming in air brake valves and other parts when the weather is cold. The passage also says ice inside the system can make the brakes stop working. That supports the cold-weather choice, because the evaporator is described as protection against ice in air brake components.
6. If approaching a vehicle with a distracted driver, you should:
- Quickly pass the vehicle.
- Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle. ✓
- Closely follow the vehicle.
Answer: B. Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle.
When you approach a vehicle whose driver seems distracted, keep a safe distance back from it. The handbook tells you to give a distracted driver plenty of room and hold your normal safe following distance. It also warns that these drivers drift over lane lines or within their lane and run at inconsistent speeds, so staying back gives you room to see and react. The handbook adds that passing such a driver calls for extra care, because they may not notice you and may drift in front of you. Space is the protection it recommends, so holding a safe distance is the right choice.
7. Alcohol begins to affect the body:
- After only one drink. ✓
- After several drinks have been consumed.
- At the legal limit.
Answer: A. After only one drink.
Alcohol begins to affect the body after only one drink. The handbook explains that alcohol enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, and it lists mild effects such as a mellow feeling and slight body warmth among the early BAC effects. It also says the liver handles only about one drink per hour, so alcohol from a single drink is present and can affect you before it clears. The effects are tied to rising BAC, not to reaching the legal limit or to having several drinks first.
8. Which of the following is not a sign of a person being drowsy?
- Frequent blinking
- Drifting from your lane
- Feeling hungry ✓
- Yawning
Answer: C. Feeling hungry
Feeling hungry is not a sign of drowsiness; the handbook's fatigue warnings include drifting from your lane and feeling restless or irritable. Feeling hungry is not among the fatigue warning signs the Texas CDL Handbook gives. The handbook tells drivers to stop and rest when they notice signs such as drifting from the lane, following too closely, hitting a shoulder rumble strip, trouble remembering the last few miles, missing exits or signs, or feeling restless and irritable. It describes fatigue as physical or mental tiredness that impairs vision and judgment. Hunger is not listed as an alertness warning, while lane drifting is directly named.
9. Alcohol evaporators are:
- Illegal.
- Used to introduce alcohol into air brake systems. ✓
- Only allowed in the northern parts of the state.
Answer: B. Used to introduce alcohol into air brake systems.
10. Which of the following indicates drowsy driving?
- Eyes going out of focus by themselves
- Having trouble keeping your head up
- Drifting from lane to lane
- All of the above ✓
Answer: D. All of the above
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook