NY · STUDY GUIDE
DWI, Points & Penalties
DWI and DWAI limits, Leandra's Law, chemical tests, the point system, and phone fines — Chapter 9 plus current DMV penalty guidance. This guide has 38 questions, each citing the NY manual section it comes from — the first 18 are free to read below.
1 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
A driving distraction can be:
- ✓ Anything that takes your eyes, hands, or mind away from driving
- · Only a handheld phone
- · Only a passenger conversation
- · Only something outside the vehicle
Visual, manual, and mental distractions can all reduce safe driving performance.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Driver Distractions, p. 452 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
While driving, the manual advises you to:
- ✓ Avoid cell phone use and texting
- · Text only at red lights
- · Use a handheld phone below 25 mph
- · Read short messages only
The safest choice is to keep your attention on driving and avoid phone use and texting.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Driver Distractions, p. 453 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
A stressful argument with a passenger can be dangerous because it:
- ✓ Takes mental attention away from driving
- · Makes the vehicle use more fuel
- · Changes the speed limit
- · Disables your mirrors
Mental distractions can be as dangerous as taking your eyes or hands off the driving task.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Driver Distractions, p. 454 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
Eating while driving is discouraged because it:
- ✓ Diverts attention and may take a hand from vehicle control
- · Is illegal in every circumstance
- · Causes tire wear
- · Reduces headlight brightness
Eating can distract your eyes, hands, and attention from the road.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Driver Distractions, p. 455 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
Under current New York law, while driving you generally may not:
- ✓ Use a handheld mobile phone or portable electronic device
- · Use a hands-free phone
- · Call 911 in an emergency
- · Listen to vehicle navigation directions
Handheld phone and portable electronic-device use is prohibited while driving, with limited emergency and official-duty exceptions.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Using a Cellular or Mobile Telephone, p. 526 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
A conviction for handheld phone, portable electronic device, or texting use while driving adds:
- ✓ 5 DMV points
- · 2 points
- · 3 points
- · 8 points
Current NY DMV guidance assigns five points for a cell-phone or portable-electronic-device violation.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Using a Cellular or Mobile Telephone, p. 527 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
The current maximum fine for a first New York handheld-phone or texting offense is:
- ✓ $200
- · $50
- · $100
- · $450
Current DMV guidance lists $50–$200 for a first offense, plus a possible surcharge.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Using a Cellular or Mobile Telephone, p. 528 · DISTRACTED DRIVING
The current maximum fine for a third or later handheld-phone or texting offense within 18 months is:
- ✓ $450
- · $200
- · $250
- · $1,000
For a third or subsequent offense within 18 months, the current maximum fine is $450, plus a possible surcharge.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 8 · Using a Cellular or Mobile Telephone, p. 529 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Alcohol affects driving by:
- ✓ Delaying reaction time
- · Improving night vision
- · Shortening stopping distance
- · Increasing concentration
Alcohol weakens reaction time, vision, judgment, and other skills needed for safe driving.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5410 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Alcohol can make driving at night especially dangerous because it:
- ✓ Reduces vision and makes recovery from headlight glare slower
- · Improves distance judgment
- · Makes headlights brighter
- · Eliminates blind spots
Night visibility is already limited, and alcohol further reduces clear vision and recovery from glare.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5411 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Alcohol can change your judgment of:
- ✓ Speed and distance
- · Only fuel level
- · Only tire pressure
- · Only road-sign color
Alcohol impairs judgment, including your ability to estimate speed and distance.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5412 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Alcohol often makes a driver:
- ✓ Less inhibited and more likely to take risks
- · More cautious and patient
- · More accurate at judging gaps
- · Better able to multitask
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can increase risky decision-making.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5413 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
The effects of alcohol on driving ability can begin:
- ✓ With the first drink
- · Only after legal intoxication
- · Only after three drinks
- · Only when the driver feels drunk
Driving skills can be affected before a person looks or feels intoxicated and before reaching an illegal BAC.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5414 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
One dangerous effect of alcohol is that it can:
- ✓ Increase confidence while reducing the ability to judge your own impairment
- · Make you accurately recognize impairment
- · Improve reaction time
- · Make speed feel faster than it is
Alcohol can reduce your ability to judge your own condition, creating false confidence.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · What Alcohol Does, p. 5415 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Before driving after taking an over-the-counter cold or allergy medicine, you should:
- ✓ Check the label for warnings and ask a doctor or pharmacist if unsure
- · Assume nonprescription drugs are always safe
- · Double the dose to reduce symptoms
- · Drink coffee to cancel the medicine
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can impair driving; check warnings and get professional advice if uncertain.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · Other Drugs, p. 5416 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Combining alcohol with other drugs can:
- ✓ Increase the effects and make driving much more dangerous
- · Cancel the effects of alcohol
- · Make BAC drop faster
- · Improve alertness
Alcohol can intensify the effects of medicines and other drugs; the combination can severely reduce driving ability.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · Other Drugs, p. 5417 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Drugs can impair driving by affecting:
- ✓ Reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness
- · Only hearing
- · Only fuel consumption
- · Only steering effort
Legal and illegal drugs can reduce reflexes, judgment, vision, and alertness.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · Other Drugs, p. 5418 · ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
Driving while impaired by a prescription drug can:
- ✓ Still be a criminal offense
- · Never be illegal
- · Be illegal only if the prescription is expired
- · Be allowed if the medicine was prescribed by a doctor
A valid prescription does not make impaired driving safe or lawful.
📖 NY Manual · Ch. 9 · Other Drugs, p. 54Tip: use your ← and → arrow keys
FullPass is an independent study aid. Questions are reviewed against the cited official NY driver's manual; the state licensing agency remains the final authority.