Alcohol, Drugs & Impaired Driving Flashcards

What is an ignition interlock device (IID) and when is it commonly required?

Answer: A breath-test device wired to the ignition that prevents the car from starting if alcohol is detected

An IID requires the driver to provide a breath sample before the engine will start, and is commonly required after a DUI conviction to allow restricted driving privileges.

Combining alcohol with prescription opioids before driving is especially dangerous because:

Answer: Both depress the central nervous system, multiplying impairment beyond either substance alone

Alcohol and opioids are both CNS depressants; using them together produces a synergistic effect that can cause extreme sedation, dangerously impairing driving ability.

Which organization sets the federal standard BAC limit of 0.04% for commercial motor vehicle drivers?

Answer: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

FMCSA regulations set the BAC limit at 0.04% for commercial drivers, half the standard limit, recognizing the greater responsibility and risk associated with large vehicles.

A driver feels 'fine to drive' after several drinks. Why is this perception dangerous?

Answer: Alcohol impairs the ability to judge one's own level of impairment

One of alcohol's primary effects is impairing self-assessment; drinkers routinely overestimate their own sobriety and driving ability, making subjective feelings an unreliable safety guide.

Which of the following is NOT a physiological factor that influences how quickly BAC rises after drinking?

Answer: The color of the alcoholic beverage

BAC is influenced by body weight, gender (women generally absorb alcohol faster), food consumption, and rate of drinking — the color of a beverage has no physiological effect on absorption.

Under DUI law, 'per se' intoxication means:

Answer: A BAC at or above the legal limit is sufficient proof of impairment by itself, without additional evidence

Per se DUI laws mean that a BAC of 0.08% or higher is automatically proof of illegal impairment regardless of how the driver appears or performs on behavioral tests.

Statistics show that impaired driving crashes peak during which time period?

Answer: Late night and early morning hours, especially on weekends

NHTSA data consistently shows that alcohol-related fatal crashes peak between midnight and 3 a.m. on weekends, coinciding with bar and restaurant closing times.