SFST Alcohol Influence and Physiological Effects 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to NHTSA research, measurable impairment of driving-related skills can begin at a BAC as low as:
- 0.02% (Correct answer)
- 0.05%
- 0.08%
- 0.10%
Correct answer: 0.02%
NHTSA research indicates that some driving-related skills, particularly divided attention tasks, begin to be measurably impaired at BAC levels as low as 0.02%.
Question 2: Which cognitive skill is typically the first to be negatively affected by alcohol consumption?
- Long-term memory recall
- Divided attention (Correct answer)
- Gross motor coordination
- Vision acuity
Correct answer: Divided attention
Divided attention — the ability to perform two or more tasks simultaneously — is among the first cognitive skills impaired by alcohol, making it a key focus of SFSTs.
Question 3: In SFST training, 'divided attention' is best defined as:
- The ability to focus exclusively on a single critical task
- The legal threshold used to determine impairment in court
- The ability to perform two or more mental or physical tasks simultaneously (Correct answer)
- A type of eye movement disorder caused by alcohol
Correct answer: The ability to perform two or more mental or physical tasks simultaneously
Divided attention refers to the cognitive ability to simultaneously perform multiple tasks, such as steering while monitoring speed — a skill that alcohol significantly degrades.
Question 4: Alcohol absorption into the bloodstream is most rapid when alcohol is consumed:
- With a large, fatty meal
- On an empty stomach (Correct answer)
- With non-carbonated water
- In small sips over several hours
Correct answer: On an empty stomach
Without food to slow gastric emptying, alcohol passes quickly into the small intestine where the majority of rapid absorption occurs, causing BAC to rise faster.
Question 5: The primary route of alcohol elimination from the body is through:
- Exhalation through the lungs
- Excretion through the kidneys
- Metabolism by the liver (Correct answer)
- Evaporation through the skin
Correct answer: Metabolism by the liver
Approximately 90–95% of consumed alcohol is eliminated through hepatic metabolism (liver), while small amounts are excreted via breath, urine, and sweat.
Question 6: Alcohol-induced nystagmus occurs primarily because alcohol impairs the function of which part of the brain?
- Cerebral cortex
- Cerebellum (Correct answer)
- Hypothalamus
- Temporal lobe
Correct answer: Cerebellum
Alcohol disrupts the cerebellum and brainstem, which control smooth tracking eye movements, causing the jerking motion observed as horizontal gaze nystagmus.
Question 7: Vertical Gaze Nystagmus (VGN) is typically associated with BAC levels at or above:
- 0.04%
- 0.06%
- 0.08%
- 0.15% (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 0.15%
Vertical Gaze Nystagmus generally indicates a very high BAC (typically 0.15% or above) or the influence of certain drugs, and is not present at moderate BAC levels.
SFST Alcohol Influence and Physiological Effects 2
According to NHTSA research, measurable impairment of driving-related skills can begin at a BAC as low as: