Tennessee Driver License: Night, Weather, Alcohol and Drugs

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Night, Weather, Alcohol and Drugs. Free, no account needed.

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1. An oncoming car at night fails to dim its high beams. What should the driver do?

  1. Look toward the oncoming headlights to track the other car's position
  2. Steer by watching the right edge of the road or the white line
  3. Flash their own high beams back as a signal
  4. Speed up to pass the oncoming glare more quickly

Answer: B — Steer by watching the right edge of the road or the white line

Looking into oncoming glare temporarily blinds you, so drivers should avoid it by watching the right edge or the white line instead; flashing high beams back is specifically discouraged.

2. How far ahead must headlights be able to make a person visible?

  1. 300 feet
  2. 500 feet
  3. 200 feet
  4. 100 feet

Answer: C — 200 feet

The legal minimum for headlight range is 200 feet, so a properly aimed and clean headlight must reveal a person at that distance.

3. A driver is meeting an oncoming vehicle at night. At what distance should they switch from high beams to low beams?

  1. 500 feet
  2. 300 feet
  3. 100 feet
  4. 200 feet

Answer: A — 500 feet

Headlights should be dimmed within 500 feet of an oncoming or overtaken vehicle to avoid blinding the other driver.

4. A driver parks on the side of the road overnight. Which lights should stay on?

  1. Emergency and parking lights, not the headlights
  2. No lights at all, to avoid draining the battery
  3. Headlights only
  4. High beams, to warn other traffic

Answer: A — Emergency and parking lights, not the headlights

A parked vehicle should leave its emergency and parking lights on for visibility while the headlights stay off.

5. Rain has just started falling on a road that's been dry and dusty for weeks. Compared to conditions after an hour of steady rain, how is traction right now?

  1. About the same, since dry roads don't affect wet traction
  2. Worse, because oil and dirt form a slick film on the surface
  3. Better, since the first rain washes away loose grit immediately
  4. Worse only once heavy standing water starts to pool

Answer: B — Worse, because oil and dirt form a slick film on the surface

Roads are slickest at the first drops of rain because accumulated dirt and oil mix with the water to form a greasy film.

6. A car begins hydroplaning in heavy rain. What is the correct response?

  1. Ease off the gas and avoid slamming the brakes
  2. Brake hard immediately to slow down
  3. Turn the wheel sharply toward the shoulder
  4. Shift to a lower gear and accelerate slightly

Answer: A — Ease off the gas and avoid slamming the brakes

With the tires lifted off the road, hard braking or sharp steering can spin the car; easing off the gas is the safe response.

7. In a skid, the rear of the car begins sliding to the left. What should the driver do?

  1. Brake firmly to regain traction
  2. Steer left, in the direction the rear is sliding
  3. Steer right to counter the slide
  4. Take hands off the wheel and let the car correct itself

Answer: B — Steer left, in the direction the rear is sliding

Steering into the direction the rear is sliding, then straightening as the car comes back in line, is the correct skid recovery.

8. A driver's right wheels drop off the edge of the pavement onto the shoulder. What is the correct recovery technique?

  1. Accelerate to build momentum back onto the road
  2. Lift off the gas, keep the wheel steady, brake lightly, and steer back only once slowed and clear of traffic
  3. Brake hard immediately and steer back onto the pavement
  4. Turn the wheel sharply back onto the pavement right away

Answer: B — Lift off the gas, keep the wheel steady, brake lightly, and steer back only once slowed and clear of traffic

Jerking the wheel or braking hard can cause loss of control; the safe method is to ease off the gas, brake lightly, and return to the road gradually once clear.

9. When is low-beam headlight use required by law during the daytime?

  1. In rain, fog, or snow
  2. Only below freezing temperatures
  3. Only when visibility drops below 100 feet
  4. Only on interstate highways

Answer: A — In rain, fog, or snow

Daytime low beams are legally required in rain, fog, or snow, not tied to temperature or road type.

10. Heavy fog forces a driver to continue on the road. Which headlight setting should they use?

  1. High beams, for maximum visibility
  2. Low beams only
  3. Fog lights alone, with headlights off
  4. Parking lights alone

Answer: B — Low beams only

High beams reflect off fog back into the driver's eyes, and using parking or fog lights alone is illegal, so low beams only are correct.

11. A driver approaches a stretch of road covered by fast-moving floodwater. What should they do?

  1. Drive through slowly in a low gear
  2. Drive through quickly to minimize exposure
  3. Turn around and find another route
  4. Proceed only if the water looks less than a foot deep

Answer: C — Turn around and find another route

Floodwater should never be driven through regardless of speed or apparent depth; the correct action is to turn around.

12. How little moving water can be enough to take control of a car away from the driver?

  1. 6 to 12 inches
  2. Depth doesn't matter, only speed does
  3. 18 to 24 inches
  4. 1 to 2 inches

Answer: A — 6 to 12 inches

As little as 6 to 12 inches of moving water can take control of a car away from the driver.

13. A vehicle gets stuck in mud with the wheels spinning. What is the correct technique to get free?

  1. Turn the wheels sharply while spinning the tires
  2. Place boards under the tires with the car still in gear
  3. Low gear, straight wheels, gentle throttle, and rocking the car forward and backward
  4. Full throttle in a high gear to power through

Answer: C — Low gear, straight wheels, gentle throttle, and rocking the car forward and backward

The correct method avoids wheel spin entirely, using low gear, straight wheels, gentle throttle and rocking the vehicle; boards go under the tires only with the car out of gear.

14. A driver is caught outdoors in a car when a tornado approaches and there's no time to reach shelter. What should they do?

  1. Leave the car and lie face down in a ditch
  2. Stay in the car with the seatbelt on and head down
  3. Park under an overpass and wait it out
  4. Try to outrun the tornado by driving away from its path

Answer: A — Leave the car and lie face down in a ditch

Drivers should not try to outrun a tornado; the correct action is to leave the car and lie face down in a ditch. Sheltering under an overpass is the advice for hail or sleet, not tornadoes.

15. A car equipped with ABS needs to brake hard in an emergency on an icy road. What's the correct technique?

  1. Shift to neutral and coast to a stop
  2. Apply constant firm pressure all the way to the floor
  3. Pump the brakes rapidly
  4. Brake gently and release at the first sign of lockup

Answer: B — Apply constant firm pressure all the way to the floor

With ABS, the correct technique is constant firm pressure all the way to the floor, unlike non-ABS braking.

16. A car without ABS starts to lock its wheels while braking on snow. What should the driver do?

  1. Ease off the brake slightly, without pumping
  2. Push the brake pedal harder to force a stop
  3. Release the brake completely and steer only
  4. Pump the brakes rapidly

Answer: A — Ease off the brake slightly, without pumping

The correct technique is to brake gently to just short of lockup and ease off slightly if the wheels lock, without pumping.

17. Which spot on a winter roadway tends to ice over first?

  1. Intersections with heavy traffic
  2. Sunny hillside roads
  3. Bridges and overpasses
  4. The middle of a straight open road

Answer: C — Bridges and overpasses

Bridges and overpasses lose heat faster than the surrounding road and ice first; sunny hillsides tend to stay wet rather than icy.

18. A driver has been drinking and wants to sober up before getting behind the wheel. Coffee, a cold shower, and exercise are all tried. What actually lowers BAC?

  1. A cold shower
  2. Time alone
  3. Strong coffee
  4. Vigorous exercise

Answer: B — Time alone

Coffee, exercise, and a cold shower cannot speed up alcohol elimination; only time allows the liver to process it.

19. What is the lowest BAC at which it is always illegal to drive?

  1. .08
  2. .15
  3. .05
  4. .10

Answer: A — .08

A BAC of .08 is always illegal to drive with, so it is the lowest level that is illegal on its own.

20. A driver's BAC is .15. Roughly how many times more likely are they to cause a crash compared to a sober driver?

  1. 25 times
  2. 100 times
  3. 7 times
  4. 50 times

Answer: A — 25 times

At .15 BAC, crash risk rises to about 25 times that of a sober driver; 7 and 50 times correspond to the neighboring .10 and .17 thresholds.

21. Of the abilities alcohol impairs, which is affected first?

  1. Reaction time
  2. Alertness
  3. Vision
  4. Judgment

Answer: D — Judgment

Judgment is the first ability alcohol affects, with vision impaired next.

22. Someone taking a cold remedy medication also has a couple of drinks. What happens to alcohol's impairing effect?

  1. It only affects reaction time, not judgment
  2. It is reduced by the medication
  3. It is unaffected by the medication
  4. It is multiplied

Answer: D — It is multiplied

Mixing alcohol with medications such as cold remedies multiplies its impairing effect, and a prescription is no legal defense.

23. An officer with reasonable grounds requests a blood or breath test, and the driver refuses after being arrested. What's a consequence of that refusal?

  1. A mandatory ignition interlock for 3 years
  2. A six-month court suspension
  3. No penalty unless a DUI conviction follows
  4. A 12-month court suspension

Answer: D — A 12-month court suspension

Refusing a test after arrest typically leads to a 12-month court-ordered license suspension under implied consent.

24. A driver is convicted of a first DUI with a BAC of .20. What is the minimum jail time?

  1. 120 days
  2. 45 days
  3. 7 days
  4. 48 hours

Answer: C — 7 days

A first DUI conviction normally carries a 48-hour minimum, but rises to 7 days when BAC is .20 or more.

25. A driver shows clear signs of impairment on field sobriety tests, but a breath test comes back at .00 BAC. Can they still be convicted of DUI?

  1. Yes, a driver can be convicted at .00 based on impairment evidence
  2. Only if they had refused the test entirely
  3. Only if a child was in the vehicle
  4. No, a BAC below .08 cannot result in a DUI conviction

Answer: A — Yes, a driver can be convicted at .00 based on impairment evidence

A DUI conviction can rest on evidence of impairment even when the measured BAC is .00.

26. A driver is convicted of DUI while a child was riding in the car. What additional penalty applies beyond the standard DUI penalties?

  1. Immediate felony charge regardless of injury
  2. Permanent loss of license
  3. Doubling of the standard fine only
  4. An extra 30 days mandatory jail and a $1,000 fine

Answer: D — An extra 30 days mandatory jail and a $1,000 fine

DUI with a child under 18 in the vehicle adds a mandatory 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine on top of standard penalties.

27. A driver has three prior DUI convictions and is now convicted a fourth time. How is this offense classified?

  1. A Class C felony
  2. A Class A misdemeanor
  3. A Class E felony
  4. A Class D felony

Answer: C — A Class E felony

A fourth or later DUI conviction is a Class E felony; Class D and Class C apply instead to DUI crashes causing serious injury or death.

28. A 19-year-old is convicted for the first time of possessing alcohol, even though they weren't driving at the time. What happens to their driver's license?

  1. No effect, since they weren't driving
  2. Permanently revoked
  3. Suspended for two years
  4. Suspended for one year

Answer: D — Suspended for one year

An 18-to-20-year-old convicted of buying, trying to buy, or possessing alcohol loses the license for one year on a first offense, two years on a repeat.

29. A 17-year-old is stopped and found to be driving with a BAC of .03. What offense does this constitute, given their age?

  1. Underage possession only, with no driving offense
  2. No offense, since .03 is below the standard .08 limit
  3. A standard first-offense adult DUI
  4. Underage driving while impaired

Answer: D — Underage driving while impaired

Drivers aged 16 to 20 commit underage driving while impaired at a BAC of .02 or under any influence, well below the adult .08 limit.

30. A 15-year-old is found to have consumed alcohol, unrelated to driving. What is the license consequence?

  1. Suspended for one year or until age 17, whichever is longer
  2. Suspended for one year flat, no exceptions
  3. No consequence until they turn 16 and can be licensed
  4. Suspended only if they were also driving at the time

Answer: A — Suspended for one year or until age 17, whichever is longer

Juveniles 13 to 17 who possess or consume alcohol or drugs face suspension for one year or until age 17, whichever is longer.

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