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Vermont driving lesson · Impaired & Distracted Driving

Alcohol & the law

A 3-minute lesson from the Vermont course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Impaired & Distracted Driving
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
53, 54, 55

The drinking driver is the number one cause of fatal traffic crashes. Alcohol is a depressant: it slows your thinking and reactions while making you feel fine. Vermont's BAC limits, implied consent law and administrative suspension are all on the test.

Every 40 minutes

On average, someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes

Handbook p. 53 ↗
.08

BAC at or above which a driver is legally "under the influence" or "impaired" in Vermont

Handbook p. 53 ↗

Know the rule

You are impaired at BAC levels below .08. Even one drink impairs your judgment.

Handbook p. 53 ↗
.02

BAC at which a driver under 21 can get a civil traffic violation, a license suspension and a required alcohol and driving education program at their own expense

Handbook p. 53 ↗

How alcohol affects your driving:

  • Judgment: you can't make good decisions and may not see the risks you're taking
  • Vision: your overall vision may be greatly reduced
  • Concentration: your mind wanders
  • Understanding: you may not realize what's happening, or what you're doing
  • Feelings (senses): you don't feel speed, so you may not realize you're speeding
  • Reaction time: it takes longer to move your foot from gas to brake
Handbook p. 54 ↗

Know the rule

Only time reduces the effects of alcohol. It takes at least an hour per drink. Coffee, a cold shower or exercise will not sober you up.

Handbook p. 54 ↗

Implied consent

By getting a license, you agree to say yes when an officer who thinks you're impaired asks you to take a test for alcohol or other drugs in your body.

Handbook p. 54 ↗
6 months

Minimum loss of license if you refuse the implied consent test

Handbook p. 54 ↗

Administrative suspension

A civil process that can take your license before any criminal DUI conviction.

Handbook p. 54 ↗

Think before you drink:

  • Use a designated driver, who agrees not to drink or use drugs and gets everyone home
  • Call a parent or other responsible person for a safe ride
  • Stay overnight where you are, if it's safe
  • Listen to friends who warn you not to drive
  • Before drinking, give your keys to a friend who doesn't drink and won't let you drive
Handbook p. 54 ↗

Know the rule

ENCARE signs mark sites of alcohol-related fatal crashes; each means someone died there because of a drunk driver. VT Helplink offers free, confidential alcohol and drug support.

Handbook p. 55 ↗

Put it into practice

You had three drinks between 9 and 10 p.m. and feel fine by 11. You are not fine. It takes at least an hour per drink, so at least three hours in all, and coffee doesn't speed that up. Get a ride with a designated driver.

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.

At what BAC is a driver 21 or older considered "under the influence" in Vermont?
  1. 0.05% or above
  2. 0.08% or above
  3. 0.10% or above
  4. 0.02% or above

Answer: 0.08% or above

Vermont law sets 0.08% BAC as the threshold for being "under the influence" for drivers 21+.

Handbook p. 53 ↗
What BAC triggers a civil traffic violation for a driver under 21?
  1. 0.08% or more
  2. 0.05% or more
  3. 0.02% or more
  4. 0.01% or more

Answer: 0.02% or more

Drivers under 21 face a civil violation at a BAC of 0.02% or more.

Handbook p. 53 ↗
Can a driver be impaired at a BAC below 0.08%?
  1. No, 0.08% is the only threshold that matters
  2. Only if the driver is also tired
  3. Only for drivers who are under 21
  4. Yes, impairment can start below 0.08%

Answer: Yes, impairment can start below 0.08%

The handbook stresses that a person is impaired at BAC levels below 0.08% too.

Handbook p. 53 ↗
Under Vermont's Implied Consent law, what happens if a driver refuses a BAC test when a police officer suspects impairment?
  1. They lose their license for at least 6 months
  2. Nothing, since refusal is legally protected
  3. They receive only a written warning
  4. They lose their license for 30 days

Answer: They lose their license for at least 6 months

Refusing the test under Implied Consent results in losing your license for at least six months.

Handbook p. 54 ↗
What is Vermont's "administrative suspension" process?
  1. A process only used after a criminal conviction
  2. A civil process that can suspend your license before any DUI conviction
  3. A voluntary program drivers can opt into
  4. A process that only applies to CDL holders

Answer: A civil process that can suspend your license before any DUI conviction

Administrative suspension lets Vermont suspend a license through a civil process before a criminal DUI conviction.

Handbook p. 54 ↗
Which of these will actually reduce the effects of alcohol in your system?
  1. Drinking a strong cup of coffee
  2. Taking a cold shower
  3. Time, at least an hour per drink
  4. Exercising vigorously

Answer: Time, at least an hour per drink

Only time reduces alcohol's effects; it takes at least an hour per drink to process out of your body.

Handbook p. 54 ↗
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