ACT knowledge test alcohol drugs and fatigue practice questions

Question 1

What is the blood alcohol limit for a learner driver in the ACT?

• Under 0.02
• ZeroCorrect answer
• Under 0.05
• Under 0.08

Learner and provisional drivers in the ACT must have no alcohol in their system at all when driving. The zero limit removes any guessing about how much is safe.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: alcohol limits for learner and provisional drivers

Question 2

You are supervising a learner driver from the front passenger seat. Does an alcohol limit apply to you?

• No, only the person driving is affected
• No, provided you are not touching the controls
• Yes, a supervising driver must be under the general limitCorrect answer
• Yes, but only after dark

A supervisor has to be capable of taking over and giving sound instructions, so alcohol limits apply to them too. Check the current requirement before you supervise.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: supervising a learner driver

Question 3

How does alcohol affect driving ability?

• It sharpens reactions but slows vision
• It slows reaction time and impairs judgementCorrect answer
• It has no effect below the legal limit
• It only affects driving after several hours

Alcohol lengthens reaction time, narrows attention and makes drivers overrate their own ability. The effects begin well before anyone feels obviously drunk.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: alcohol and driving

Question 4

You had several drinks last night and feel fine this morning. What is the safest assumption?

• Alcohol may still be in your system and you may be over the limitCorrect answer
• A night of sleep always clears alcohol completely
• Coffee and a shower will make you safe to drive
• You are fine if you can walk in a straight line

The body clears alcohol slowly and nothing speeds it up. Sleep, food, coffee and cold showers change how you feel, not your blood alcohol level.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: alcohol and driving

Question 5

Your doctor prescribes a medicine that carries a warning about drowsiness. What should you do before driving?

• Drive only short distances instead
• Take a smaller dose than prescribed
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether it is safe to driveCorrect answer
• Drive as normal, since it is prescribed

Prescription and over the counter medicines can affect alertness, vision and coordination. It is your responsibility to check before you get behind the wheel.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: medicines and driving

Question 6

Which of these is an early warning sign of driver fatigue?

• Gripping the wheel more tightly than usual
• Yawning repeatedly and drifting within your laneCorrect answer
• Turning the radio volume down
• Noticing more road signs than usual

Repeated yawning, heavy eyelids, wandering thoughts and lane drift all say the same thing. Stop and rest, because fatigue only gets worse from there.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: fatigue

Question 7

You start to feel drowsy on a long drive. What is the most effective response?

• Open the window and turn up the music
• Speed up so the trip ends sooner
• Drink an energy drink and keep going
• Pull over somewhere safe and sleep for a short whileCorrect answer

The only real cure for fatigue is sleep. Fresh air, music and caffeine mask the symptoms briefly and leave you just as likely to have a microsleep.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: fatigue

Question 8

What is a microsleep?

• A short nap taken at a rest area
• A brief loss of concentration caused by loud music
• A short daydream while stopped at lights
• A few seconds of sleep you may not realise you hadCorrect answer

A microsleep lasts only a few seconds but at highway speed the car travels a long way with nobody in control. Drivers often have no memory of it happening.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: fatigue

Question 9

How does combining alcohol with an illegal drug affect driving?

• The effects can combine and impair you more than either aloneCorrect answer
• The two cancel each other out
• Only the alcohol matters for driving
• The combination has no measurable effect

Mixing substances can multiply impairment in ways that are hard to predict. Roadside testing in the ACT covers both alcohol and drugs.

Rule cited: ACT Road Rules Handbook, topic: drugs and driving