A 3-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
DUI isn't only about alcohol. Prescription pills, over-the-counter cold medicine and marijuana can all impair you — and Tennessee punishes drug DUIs exactly like alcohol DUIs. By driving here, you've also agreed ahead of time to be tested.
Know the rule
Mixing alcohol with another depressant, like tranquilizers or sedatives, doesn't just add the effects — it multiplies them.
Cold tablets, cough syrups and allergy remedies may contain antihistamines, alcohol or codeine. Read the labels ('may cause drowsiness,' 'do not operate machinery') and ask a doctor or pharmacist.
Driving or being in physical control of a vehicle on a public road or place like a shopping center while under the influence of an intoxicant or drug, or with a BAC of .08+.
You take a prescribed muscle relaxant labeled 'may cause drowsiness,' then drive and weave across the line. Your BAC is .00, but you can still be convicted of DUI — and 'my doctor prescribed it' is not a defense.
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.
Tennessee's Implied Consent Law means that by driving in the state, you have already agreed to:
Pay any DUI fine before a court date
A test of your blood's alcohol or drug content
Give up your right to an attorney
A search of your vehicle at any time
Answer: A test of your blood's alcohol or drug content
By driving in Tennessee, you have given implied consent to be tested for alcohol or drug content when an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect DUI.