SA theory test alcohol, drugs and fatigue practice questions

Question 1

What is the general blood alcohol limit for a full licence holder in South Australia?

• 0.02
• 0.05Correct answer
• 0.08
• 0.10

Full licence holders must stay under 0.05. Learner's permit and provisional licence holders must be at zero.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: alcohol and driving

Question 2

Which of these will actually reduce your blood alcohol concentration?

• Exercise
• Coffee
• TimeCorrect answer
• Food

The liver clears alcohol at a steady rate and nothing speeds it up. The rest only make you feel more awake while still impaired.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: alcohol and driving

Question 3

How does alcohol affect your driving, even below the legal limit?

• It has no measurable effect below 0.05
• It affects only night driving
• It sharpens reaction time but reduces vision
• It slows reaction time, impairs judgement and increases risk takingCorrect answer

Impairment begins well before 0.05, and drivers commonly overestimate how well they are coping.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: alcohol and driving

Question 4

A medicine you have been prescribed carries a warning about drowsiness. What is the right approach?

• Check with your doctor or pharmacist before driving, and do not drive if you are affectedCorrect answer
• Take twice the dose so it wears off faster
• Drive only on quiet roads
• Drive as normal, since it is legally prescribed

Driving while impaired is an offence whatever the substance. Some prescription and over the counter medicines impair as much as alcohol.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: drugs and driving

Question 5

You are two hours into a country drive and start missing turns and drifting in the lane. What should you do?

• Open the window and turn the music up
• Pull over somewhere safe and sleep before continuingCorrect answer
• Drink an energy drink and keep going
• Speed up to reach your destination sooner

Those are signs your attention is already failing. Sleep is the only thing that restores it.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: fatigue

Question 6

You are going out for the evening and expect to drink. What is the safest plan?

• Drink beer only and try to stay under the limit
• Eat a large meal first and drive home slowly
• Decide before you go out how you will get home without drivingCorrect answer
• Wait an hour after your last drink, then drive

Decisions made after drinking are the ones people regret. Arrange the way home while you are still sober.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: alcohol and driving

Question 7

You have taken a medicine that causes drowsiness and you have also had one alcoholic drink. What is the effect?

• The two together can impair you far more than either one on its ownCorrect answer
• The medicine cancels out the alcohol
• There is no effect while you are below the legal alcohol limit
• The alcohol leaves your system faster

Alcohol and sedating medicines multiply each other's effects. Do not drive after mixing them.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: drugs and driving

Question 8

You are planning a long drive across the state. What is the best way to manage fatigue?

• Start very early after a short night so you finish sooner
• Drive straight through and rest at the end
• Rely on caffeine and loud music to stay alert
• Start well rested, take a break about every two hours, and share the driving if you canCorrect answer

Fatigue builds through the trip. Planning breaks into the schedule works better than reacting once you are already tired.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: fatigue

Question 9

Police carry out roadside drug testing in South Australia. When is it an offence to drive with an illegal drug in your system?

• Only if you are also over the alcohol limit
• Whenever the drug is present in your saliva or blood, whether or not you feel affectedCorrect answer
• Only if you took the drug on the same day
• Only if you are also driving above the speed limit

The offence is based on the drug being present, not on how well you say you feel. Traces can remain long after the effects seem to have gone.

Rule cited: The Driver's Handbook (South Australia), topic: drugs and driving