NT DriveSafe test alcohol, drugs and fatigue practice questions

Question 1

What blood alcohol concentration may a driver on a learner or provisional licence have while driving?

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

Learner and provisional drivers must have no alcohol in their blood at all while driving. The only reliable way to meet that is to drink nothing before you drive.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: alcohol limits

Question 2

What is the general blood alcohol limit for a driver on a full open licence?

• Zero
• Under 0.02
• Under 0.03
• Under 0.05Correct answer

The general limit is under 0.05, and lower limits apply to some licence types and some vehicles. Being under the limit is not the same as being safe to drive.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: alcohol limits

Question 3

You have been drinking and need to lower your blood alcohol level. What actually works?

• Time, which is the only thing that lowers blood alcoholCorrect answer
• Strong black coffee
• A cold shower
• A large meal

The liver clears alcohol at its own pace. Coffee, food and a shower may make you feel more awake while you are still over the limit.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: alcohol and driving

Question 4

How does alcohol affect your driving?

• It sharpens reaction time
• It has no effect at all while you are under the legal limit
• It slows reaction time and affects judgement, even at levels below the legal limitCorrect answer
• It only affects your eyesight

Alcohol makes you slower to react and more willing to take risks, and it does that before you feel drunk.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: alcohol and driving

Question 5

What should you know about driving after taking medicine?

• Prescription medicine never affects your driving
• Some prescription and over the counter medicines affect driving, so check the label and ask a pharmacist or doctorCorrect answer
• You can drive on any medicine as long as you feel fine
• Medicine only matters if you mix it with alcohol

Antihistamines, strong painkillers and sleeping tablets are common causes of drowsiness at the wheel. The warning label is there for a reason.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: drugs and driving

Question 6

Which of these is a warning sign of fatigue while driving?

• Feeling sharper than you did at the start of the trip
• Yawning, heavy eyelids, drifting within the lane and missing signsCorrect answer
• Seeing more clearly at night than during the day
• Wanting to talk to your passengers

Those signs mean you are already impaired. Fatigue does not build slowly and politely, and microsleeps arrive without warning.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: fatigue

Question 7

You are two hours into a long drive and you are struggling to keep your eyes open. What is the right thing to do?

• Open the window and turn the radio up
• Drink an energy drink and push on
• Stop somewhere safe and sleep, or swap with another licensed driverCorrect answer
• Drive faster so the trip ends sooner

Fresh air, music and caffeine mask fatigue for a few minutes at most. Sleep is the only thing that fixes it.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: fatigue

Question 8

You are planning a long drive on a remote highway. What is the best way to manage fatigue?

• Plan rest breaks into the trip, carry water, and share the driving where you canCorrect answer
• Drive through the night, when the road is quiet
• Skip breaks so you arrive before dark
• Rely on caffeine to get you the whole way

Long, straight, empty roads are the ones that put drivers to sleep. Build the breaks into your timing rather than pushing until you feel tired.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: long distance driving

Question 9

What is true about illegal drugs and driving?

• They only matter if you personally feel affected
• They are acceptable if a friend gave you a prescription medicine
• Cannabis improves concentration behind the wheel
• They can impair your driving, it is an offence to drive while impaired, and roadside testing is used to detect themCorrect answer

Drugs affect reaction time, attention and judgement, and some stay in your system long after the obvious effects wear off.

Rule cited: Northern Territory Road Users Handbook, topic: drugs and driving