Impaired Driving & Penalties — Texas
Texas CDL practice test: 429 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: 10 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 | Texas CDL permit (CLP) knowledge tests |
| Topic questions | 10 (2% of 429 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 (10)
1. A distracted driver:
- Usually reacts well to hazards.
- Usually has slowed perception. ✓
- Is usually aware of what is happening around them.
- Is a good person to follow.
Answer: B. Usually has slowed perception.
A distracted driver usually has slowed perception, so they may notice hazards late or miss them entirely. The handbook lists slowed perception as an effect of distracted driving. It says this can delay you in perceiving an important traffic event or make you fail to perceive it at all. The same section also mentions delayed decision making and improper action, which means distraction affects how you take in and respond to what is happening. Because the handbook ties distracted driving to slowed perception and increased risk, the answer that says perception is usually slowed fits directly.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. If convicted of violating two or more texting laws at the state level, your CDL may be:
- Unaffected if the violations occurred in another state.
- Unaffected if you are a fast texter.
- Disqualified for a month.
- Disqualified for six months. ✓
Answer: D. Disqualified for six months.
6. Which factor does not have an impact on a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC)?
- The number of alcoholic drinks consumed
- How quickly the alcoholic drinks were consumed
- The weight of the drinker
- The temperature of the drinks ✓
Answer: D. The temperature of the drinks
The temperature of the drinks does not affect a person's blood alcohol concentration; BAC depends on how much alcohol is consumed, how quickly it is consumed, and the drinker's weight. The handbook says BAC is set by the amount of alcohol you drink, the speed at which you drink it, and your weight. It also notes that what matters is the alcohol itself, not the type of drink it comes in. Drink temperature is not listed among the things that change BAC. That makes the temperature choice the one that does not have an impact.
7. Which of the following will not result in losing your CDL for at least one year for a first offense?
- Driving a CMV with a minimum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 percent
- Driving a CMV while under the influence of alcohol
- Refusing to undergo blood alcohol testing
- Committing a misdemeanor involving the use of a CMV ✓
Answer: D. Committing a misdemeanor involving the use of a CMV
8. 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.
9. When you are driving while drowsy, you should:
- Press on and try to finish the trip.
- Take drugs to keep awake.
- Stop and take a nap. ✓
- Stop for a coffee break.
Answer: C. Stop and take a nap.
When you are driving while drowsy, you should stop and take a nap. The handbook lists stopping driving and getting rest or taking a nap as a way to stay alert. It also says that when you notice signs of fatigue, you should stop driving and either sleep for the night or take a 15–20 minute nap. It warns that trying to push on when tired is far more dangerous than many drivers think and is a major cause of fatal accidents.
10. 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.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook