NC DMV Alcohol and Drug Impairment Laws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the only thing that will sober up a person who has been drinking?
- Time (Correct answer)
- Black coffee
- A cold shower
- Fresh air and exercise
Correct answer: Time
Only time allows the liver to metabolize alcohol; coffee, showers, and exercise do not lower BAC.
Question 2: Approximately how fast does the average person's body eliminate alcohol?
- About one standard drink per hour (Correct answer)
- About three drinks per hour
- About one drink every 15 minutes
- All alcohol within 30 minutes of the last drink
Correct answer: About one standard drink per hour
The body metabolizes roughly one standard drink per hour, and nothing can significantly speed this up.
Question 3: Which of these drinks generally contains the most alcohol?
- They contain about the same: a 12 oz beer, 5 oz of wine, and 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor (Correct answer)
- A 12 oz beer
- A 5 oz glass of wine
- A 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof liquor
Correct answer: They contain about the same: a 12 oz beer, 5 oz of wine, and 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor
A standard beer, glass of wine, and shot of liquor each contain roughly the same amount of pure alcohol.
Question 4: A North Carolina driver under 21 is caught driving after consuming alcohol. What offense applies?
- Driving after consuming while under 21, which brings license revocation (Correct answer)
- A parking violation
- No offense if BAC is under 0.08%
- Only a warning for a first offense
Correct answer: Driving after consuming while under 21, which brings license revocation
Drivers under 21 who drive after consuming any alcohol commit a separate offense that results in license revocation.
Question 5: Which factor does NOT affect a person's blood alcohol concentration?
- The type of glass the drink is served in (Correct answer)
- Body weight
- How much food is in the stomach
- How quickly the drinks are consumed
Correct answer: The type of glass the drink is served in
BAC depends on factors like body weight, food intake, and drinking speed, not on the container the drink comes in.
Question 6: At a DWI checkpoint in North Carolina, a driver appears impaired. Which test may an officer request before arrest?
- A roadside alcohol screening test or field sobriety tests (Correct answer)
- Only a blood test at a hospital
- A urine test on the spot
- No test until a lawyer is present
Correct answer: A roadside alcohol screening test or field sobriety tests
Officers may use portable breath screening devices and field sobriety tests to establish probable cause for a DWI arrest.
Question 7: What is the safest choice if you plan to drink alcohol at an event?
- Arrange a sober designated driver or alternate transportation before drinking (Correct answer)
- Limit yourself to beer only
- Wait 20 minutes after your last drink
- Drive slowly on back roads
Correct answer: Arrange a sober designated driver or alternate transportation before drinking
Planning a sober ride before drinking is the only reliable way to avoid impaired driving.
NC DMV Alcohol and Drug Impairment Laws 3
What is the only thing that will sober up a person who has been drinking?