Alabama Driver License: Phones, Fatigue, Alcohol, Drugs, Crashes and Railroads

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Phones, Fatigue, Alcohol, Drugs, Crashes and Railroads. Free, no account needed.

1. A driver has just had a heated argument at home and feels genuinely angry getting behind the wheel. What is the safest choice?

Drive as normal since anger does not affect driving skill
Drive a little faster than usual to work off the tension
Let someone else drive instead
Turn on loud music to distract from the anger

Answer: C — Let someone else drive instead

Strong emotions like anger make a driver temporarily accident-prone, so the safest choice is to let someone else drive.

2. Roughly what share of highway crashes result from driver error, ignorance, inattention, or poor attitude rather than mechanical or road causes?

About 50 percent
Almost none, most crashes are due to road conditions
More than 90 percent
About 75 percent

Answer: C — More than 90 percent

Records show more than 90 percent of highway crashes come from driver error, ignorance, inattention, or poor attitude.

3. What does a driver's behavior behind the wheel reveal about them, according to safe-driving guidance?

Only their reaction time
Nothing, since driving skill is unrelated to personality
Only their level of experience
Whether they are a bully, lawbreaker, and lane-stealer, or reliable, courteous, and sportsmanlike

Answer: D — Whether they are a bully, lawbreaker, and lane-stealer, or reliable, courteous, and sportsmanlike

The wheel reveals whether a person is a bully and lawbreaker or a courteous, sportsmanlike driver.

4. A driver in Alabama is convicted for the first time of texting while driving. What fine applies?

Answer: D — $25

A first texting-while-driving offense carries a $25 fine.

5. A driver is convicted a third time of texting while driving. What fine applies?

$75
$50
$25
$100

Answer: A — $75

A third or later texting offense carries a $75 fine.

6. A driver urgently needs to make a phone call while on the road. What is the recommended practice?

Use the phone only during heavy traffic when speeds are low
Hold the phone to the ear and glance at the road periodically
Pull off the road to dial or finish the call
Dial while driving slowly in the right lane

Answer: C — Pull off the road to dial or finish the call

Drivers should pull off the road to dial or finish a call rather than doing so while moving.

7. On a long interstate trip, how often should a driver take a break to walk and stretch?

Every 25 miles or 30 minutes
Only when the fuel tank needs filling
Every 250 miles or four hours
Every 100 miles or two hours

Answer: D — Every 100 miles or two hours

Breaks every 100 miles or two hours are recommended to fight fatigue.

8. What causes highway hypnosis?

Driving with the radio turned off
The monotony of wind, tires, and engine noise on long stretches of road
Sudden bright headlights from oncoming traffic
Excessive caffeine consumption before driving

Answer: B — The monotony of wind, tires, and engine noise on long stretches of road

Highway hypnosis is drowsiness or unawareness brought on by the monotony of wind, tires, and engine.

9. A driver becomes drowsy on the interstate, and coffee and stretching do not wake them up. What should they do?

Turn up the radio and keep driving to the next exit
Get off the highway and nap
Take a stay-awake drug and continue
Open the window and drive faster to stay alert

Answer: B — Get off the highway and nap

If coffee and stretching do not work, the driver should get off the highway and nap rather than keep driving.

10. At what blood alcohol concentration does research show most people become impaired to some degree?

.08 percent
.02 percent
.05 percent
.10 percent

Answer: C — .05 percent

Research shows a BAC of .05 percent impairs most people to some degree.

11. At what blood alcohol concentration is it unlawful for a general (non-commercial, adult) driver to operate a vehicle in Alabama?

.05 percent or more
.02 percent or more
.08 percent or more
.04 percent or more

Answer: C — .08 percent or more

Alabama law makes it unlawful for a general driver to drive at .08 percent or more BAC, the point at which everyone is definitely impaired.

12. A commercial vehicle operator is found driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .045 percent. Under Alabama law, is this lawful?

No, because the commercial driver limit is .04 percent
Yes, because commercial drivers are only restricted above .08 like other drivers
No, because commercial drivers have zero tolerance for any alcohol
Yes, because commercial drivers have a higher limit of .05 percent

Answer: A — No, because the commercial driver limit is .04 percent

Commercial operators are unlawful at .04 percent or more, so .045 percent exceeds the limit.

13. A 19-year-old driver has a blood alcohol concentration of .03 percent. Under Alabama law, is this lawful?

Yes, because the limit for any driver is .08 percent
No, because drivers under 21 are unlawful at .02 percent or more
Yes, because drivers under 21 are limited only to .04 percent
No, because any detectable alcohol is unlawful regardless of age

Answer: B — No, because drivers under 21 are unlawful at .02 percent or more

Drivers under 21 are unlawful at .02 percent or more, so .03 percent exceeds that limit.

14. A driver's first DUI conviction results in a fine, possible jail time, and what length of license suspension?

30 days
90 days
Three years
One year

Answer: B — 90 days

A first DUI conviction brings a 90-day license suspension along with a $600 to $2,100 fine and up to a year in jail.

15. A driver arrested for DUI in Alabama refuses to take a breath test. What happens under the implied consent law?

The driver automatically receives the maximum DUI fine
Nothing, since refusal carries no penalty
The driver's license is suspended
The driver is charged with a felony regardless of BAC

Answer: C — The driver's license is suspended

Under implied consent, refusing a breath test after a DUI arrest results in license suspension.

16. Roughly what share of fatal crashes involve a drinking driver?

About 25 percent
Nearly 90 percent
As many as 50 percent
About 10 percent

Answer: C — As many as 50 percent

Drinking drivers are involved in as many as 50 percent of fatal crashes.

17. A driver takes an over-the-counter allergy pill before getting on the road. Why might this be risky?

They are risky only for drivers under 21
Allergy and cold pills may contain codeine, alcohol, antihistamines, or bromides that affect driving
Allergy pills always cause immediate unconsciousness
They are only risky when combined with caffeine

Answer: B — Allergy and cold pills may contain codeine, alcohol, antihistamines, or bromides that affect driving

Allergy and cold pills may contain substances such as codeine, alcohol, antihistamines, or bromides, each of which affects driving.

18. A driver takes prescribed medicine and then has a drink of alcohol. What is the effect on driving ability compared to alcohol alone?

There is no added risk if the dose of medicine is small
The effects roughly cancel each other out
The combined effect is about double that of alcohol alone
The combined effect is many times worse, multiplying rather than doubling

Answer: D — The combined effect is many times worse, multiplying rather than doubling

The drug-alcohol mix is many times worse than either alone, multiplying rather than doubling the effect.

19. What effect do barbiturates such as phenobarbital have in excess that makes a person unfit to drive?

They have no effect on driving ability
They mimic drunkenness with drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, and slurred thinking
They sharpen reflexes but reduce peripheral vision
They cause hyperactivity and aggressive driving

Answer: B — They mimic drunkenness with drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, and slurred thinking

Excess barbiturates mimic drunkenness with drowsiness, confusion, poor coordination, tremors, and slurred thinking.

20. How should a driver judge a safe following distance behind the vehicle ahead in normal conditions?

Match the speed of the vehicle ahead with no gap requirement
Stay exactly two car lengths back at all times
One car length for every 10 mph, counted visually
Count 'one thousand one, one thousand two' from when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point

Answer: D — Count 'one thousand one, one thousand two' from when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point

The two-second rule has a driver count off two seconds from a fixed point after the vehicle ahead passes it.

21. A driver is towing a long trailer in heavy rain. How should the normal two-second following distance be adjusted?

Increased only if visibility drops below 100 feet
Reduced to one second since rain slows all traffic
Increased to a four- or five-second count
Kept at two seconds regardless of conditions

Answer: C — Increased to a four- or five-second count

In poor weather or with a vehicle longer than a car, the following distance should increase to a four- or five-second count.

22. A driver must choose between wide tires and narrow tires for a car mostly driven on wet roads. What tradeoff applies?

Wide tires stop faster on dry pavement but skid and hydroplane more easily, while narrow tires cut through water better
Narrow tires always outperform wide tires in every condition
Tire width has no effect on stopping distance or traction
Wide tires hydroplane less because they displace more water

Answer: A — Wide tires stop faster on dry pavement but skid and hydroplane more easily, while narrow tires cut through water better

Wide tires stop faster on dry pavement but skid and hydroplane more easily, while narrow tires cut through water but have less traction.

23. A vehicle traveling around 65 mph needs roughly how much combined thinking and braking distance to stop?

About 306 feet
About 62 feet
About 150 feet
About 500 feet

Answer: A — About 306 feet

The combined thinking plus braking distance runs to about 306 feet at 65 mph.

24. Immediately after being involved in a crash, what should a driver do first?

Stop at once, aid the injured, and call for medical help if needed
Wait inside the vehicle until police arrive
Move all vehicles off the road before doing anything else
Exchange insurance information before checking on anyone injured

Answer: A — Stop at once, aid the injured, and call for medical help if needed

A driver in a crash must stop at once, aid the injured, and call for medical help if needed.

25. A crash causes $700 in vehicle damage and the at-fault driver was uninsured. What must the driver do?

File a written SR-31 report within 30 days
File a written report within 24 hours
Nothing, since no injury occurred
Only notify their own insurance company

Answer: A — File a written SR-31 report within 30 days

When damage is $500 or more and the at-fault party was uninsured, a written SR-31 report must be sent within 30 days.

26. A driver backs into a parked, unattended car in a parking lot and cannot find the owner. What should they do?

Leave a conspicuous note with their name and address and notify police
Wait at the scene indefinitely until the owner returns
Only report it if the damage exceeds $500
Drive away since no one witnessed it

Answer: A — Leave a conspicuous note with their name and address and notify police

Hitting an unattended vehicle requires notifying police and either finding the owner or leaving a conspicuous note with name and address.

27. How far in advance of a railroad track is the round yellow sign with a black X and 'RR' typically placed?

350 feet
1,000 feet
150 feet
750 feet

Answer: D — 750 feet

The advance warning sign is placed 750 feet before the track.

28. At a railroad crossing, the gates are down and the red lights are flashing. What must a driver do?

Drive around the gate if traffic behind is backing up
Stay stopped until the gates rise and the lights stop
Proceed if no train is visible on either side
Honk and wait only 30 seconds before proceeding

Answer: B — Stay stopped until the gates rise and the lights stop

With gates down and lights flashing, a driver must stay stopped until the gates rise and the lights stop.

29. A freight train traveling at 55 mph needs roughly how much distance to come to a complete stop?

About a quarter mile
About 500 feet
A mile or more
About five miles

Answer: C — A mile or more

A freight train at 55 mph needs a mile or more, about 18 football fields, to stop.

30. When a driver is required to stop at a railroad crossing, how close to the tracks should the vehicle stop?

Right at the edge of the rail, as close as possible
Within 15 to 50 feet of the crossing
Exactly 10 feet back
At least 200 feet back

Answer: B — Within 15 to 50 feet of the crossing

When a stop is required, the driver should stop within 15 to 50 feet of the crossing.