North Dakota driving lesson · Alcohol, Drugs & DUI
Alcohol & how it affects you
A 3-minute lesson from the North Dakota course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Alcohol causes more traffic deaths on the nation's highways than any other single cause. In North Dakota, nearly half of traffic deaths involve drivers who had been drinking. Even a little alcohol makes a crash far more likely.
7 times
How much greater your chance of a crash is if you drink, even just a little
Alcohol is a drug that slows brain activity. It goes from the stomach directly into the blood and reduces the oxygen reaching brain cells. As you drink more, impairment rises rapidly.
After two beers at a party, a friend says a strong coffee will sober you up for the drive home. It won't. Only time eliminates alcohol, so get a sober driver or wait.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How much more likely is a crash if you drink even a little before driving?
No more likely if you only drink a little
Three times greater
Twice as likely
Seven times greater
Answer: Seven times greater
Evidence shows that if you drink even a little, your chances of a crash are seven times greater than if you were sober.
What are the three factors that influence a person's alcohol concentration?
Type of vehicle, road conditions, and weather
Food eaten, mood, and driving experience
Alcohol content, time consumed, and lean body weight
Age, gender, and time of day
Answer: Alcohol content, time consumed, and lean body weight
The three factors influencing alcohol concentration are the alcohol content consumed, the time period over which it was consumed, and the person's lean body weight.