IA DMV Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is true about driving under the influence of marijuana in Iowa?
- It is legal if you have a medical marijuana card
- It is only illegal if your BAC is also over 0.08%
- It is illegal regardless of whether marijuana is prescribed (Correct answer)
- It is only tested for if you refuse a breath test
Correct answer: It is illegal regardless of whether marijuana is prescribed
In Iowa, driving while impaired by any drug, including marijuana, is illegal under OWI laws regardless of whether the drug is legally prescribed.
Question 2: A first-offense OWI conviction in Iowa can result in:
- A verbal warning only
- Up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $1,250 (Correct answer)
- Only a $100 fine
- Community service with no license suspension
Correct answer: Up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $1,250
A first OWI offense in Iowa is a serious misdemeanor carrying up to 1 year in jail, a fine between $625 and $1,250, and license revocation.
Question 3: Iowa law prohibits open containers of alcohol in a motor vehicle:
- Only if the driver is under 21
- Only while the vehicle is moving
- Anywhere in the passenger compartment, whether moving or parked (Correct answer)
- Only on interstate highways
Correct answer: Anywhere in the passenger compartment, whether moving or parked
Iowa's open container law prohibits any open alcoholic beverage container anywhere in the passenger area of a vehicle, whether moving or stationary on a public road.
Question 4: Which factor does NOT affect how quickly alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream?
- Body weight
- Whether you ate food before drinking
- The color of the alcoholic beverage (Correct answer)
- How fast you consumed the drinks
Correct answer: The color of the alcoholic beverage
The color of an alcoholic beverage has no effect on absorption rate; body weight, food consumption, and drinking speed all affect how quickly alcohol enters the bloodstream.
Question 5: If you are convicted of OWI in Iowa with a minor under age 12 in the vehicle, you face:
- No additional penalties
- An enhanced charge with stricter penalties (Correct answer)
- Only a warning if it is a first offense
- Reduced penalties due to the presence of a witness
Correct answer: An enhanced charge with stricter penalties
Having a passenger under age 12 in the vehicle during an OWI incident is an aggravating factor in Iowa that results in enhanced charges and more severe penalties.
Question 6: Coffee, cold showers, and exercise will sober up an intoxicated driver:
- Yes, they speed up alcohol metabolism
- Yes, but only when combined together
- No, only time allows the body to eliminate alcohol (Correct answer)
- Only if the BAC is below 0.10%
Correct answer: No, only time allows the body to eliminate alcohol
Only time allows the liver to metabolize alcohol; coffee, cold showers, and exercise may make a person feel more alert but do not reduce BAC or improve driving ability.
Question 7: In Iowa, a second OWI offense within 12 years is classified as:
- A simple misdemeanor
- A serious misdemeanor
- An aggravated misdemeanor (Correct answer)
- A Class D felony
Correct answer: An aggravated misdemeanor
A second OWI offense within 12 years in Iowa is elevated to an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying more severe penalties than a first offense.
IA DMV Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving 2
Which of the following is true about driving under the influence of marijuana in Iowa?