The roadside screening device reads fail. What happens next?
Nova Scotia Class 7 overview
Nova Scotia Class 7: Impaired driving and fitness to drive
Blood alcohol limits, standard drinks, roadside screening results and suspensions, the administrative licence suspension, penalties by offence, drug impairment, emotions, vision standards and fatigue.
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- 17 questions
- Topic drill
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Study reference: Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook (2017 revision), Ch. 6 Driving and Impairment — Alcohol and drugs, Penalties for impaired driving, Being in shape to drive
All 17 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
The roadside screening device reads fail. What happens next?
- You pay a fine at the roadside
- You must take a road test
- You receive a 24-hour suspension and are free to go
- You are arrested and given a breathalyzer test
For a first impaired driving conviction in Nova Scotia, how long is your licence revoked?
- 3 months from conviction
- 1 year from conviction
- 3 years from conviction
- 6 months from conviction
Before getting your licence back after an alcohol-related revocation, what program must you complete?
- A long driver training course
- A defensive driving course
- An Alcohol Assessment Program
- A first aid course
Which of these counts as one standard drink?
- A 142 ml (5 oz) glass of wine
- A 500 ml can of beer
- A 100 ml glass of spirits
- A 250 ml glass of wine
A roadside screening device shows warn, meaning a BAC between .05 and .08. What can police do?
- Suspend your licence for 7, 15 or 30 days
- Give you a warning only
- Revoke your licence for one year, on the spot
- Nothing, since you are under .08
What minimum visual acuity is required for a Class 5 or Class 7 licence?
- 20/30 in each eye
- 20/50 in the better eye
- 20/20 in both eyes
- 20/40 in at least one eye
What is the minimum revocation for a third impaired driving conviction?
- 10 years
- 5 years
- Permanent
- 3 years
What does the handbook say about using cruise control when you are very tired?
- Use it only on highways
- Use it with the radio loud
- Never use it when overtired
- Use it to rest your legs
Can you be charged with impaired driving if your blood alcohol is below .08?
- Yes, if you show other signs of impairment
- No, .08 is the only legal limit police can use
- Only if you are under 19
- Only if there was a collision
At what blood alcohol content is a driver legally impaired?
- .08 per cent or more
- .02 per cent or more
- .10 per cent or more
- .05 per cent or more
What is the revocation period for a second impaired driving conviction?
- 10 years
- 5 years
- 1 year
- 3 years
What is the only thing that removes alcohol from your body?
- Exercise
- Time
- Black coffee
- A cold shower
Under the Administrative Licence Suspension Program, what happens if you fail the breathalyzer?
- An immediate 3-month suspension
- An immediate 7-day suspension
- A fine with no suspension
- An immediate 1-year revocation
A police officer asks you for a roadside breath sample and you refuse. What happens?
- You must see a doctor
- You are charged with an offence
- Nothing, since it is voluntary
- You get a warning letter
You are taking an allergy medication. What does the handbook advise before driving?
- Nothing, since it is not a prescription
- Read its warnings and ask a pharmacist if unsure
- Drive only in daylight
- Take it with coffee to stay alert
A loud argument breaks out among your passengers while you drive. What should you do?
- Drive faster to get home sooner
- Join in to settle it quickly
- Turn up the radio and keep driving
- Pull off the road safely and deal with it
Your licence is suspended while you are in the GDL program. What happens after the suspension?
- You restart the two-year GDL period
- You go straight to a full licence
- You continue where you left off
- You return to the learner stage
Impaired driving and fitness to drive: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Alcohol and drugs
- Effects depend on age, gender, size and fitness, emotions, fatigue, food eaten and other substances.
- Alcohol goes straight into the bloodstream; impairment begins with the first drink.
- Legal impairment: BAC of .08 per cent or more; you can be charged and convicted below this if you show other signs of impairment.
Removing alcohol, getting caught
- Only time removes alcohol; the liver breaks it down at about .015 per hour; each standard drink takes more than an hour.
- Standard drink: 340 ml (12 oz) beer, 43 ml (1.5 oz) spirits, or 142 ml (5 oz) unfortified wine — all contain the same alcohol.
- Black coffee, cold showers or exercise do not remove alcohol. Feeling better does not mean sober.
- If police reasonably suspect alcohol: roadside screening device first, then a breathalyzer test.
- Roadside result "warn" = .05 to .08 (50–80 mg/100 ml): police may suspend for 7, 15 or 30 days, depending on similar incidents in the past ten years. (Since October 2010, a .05–.08 driver may be removed from the road and suspended for at least 7 days.)
- "Fail" = arrest and breathalyzer at the station.
- Refusing the breathalyzer or roadside test is an offence (failing to comply / refusing).
Statistics and drugs
- About 10 per cent of night drivers have been drinking and 3 per cent are legally impaired.
- Prescription and non-prescription drugs, herbal remedies and illegal drugs can impair; mixing with alcohol is especially dangerous. Read medication warnings; ask a pharmacist.
- Examples: painkillers like codeine, antidepressants, anti-nausea drugs like Gravol, antihistamines (allergy and sinus), tranquillizers, eye drops/ointments, sedatives, muscle relaxants, blood pressure drugs (first week), steroids.
Penalties, administrative suspension
- Criminal Code: operating or having care or control while impaired is an offence; fines up to $2,000 and up to life in prison for impaired driving causing death; a Criminal Code conviction brings a Canada-wide driving prohibition of one year to life.
- Administrative Licence Suspension (since June 1, 1995): immediate 3-month suspension for failing the breathalyzer or refusing a breath sample. Police issue a 7-day temporary licence only if you hold a valid licence.
Penalties by offence (Nova Scotia)
- 1st offence: fines; licence revoked for 1 year from conviction; reinstatement fees; Alcohol Assessment Program; possible re-examination.
- 2nd offence: fines; possible prison of at least 14 days; revoked 3 years; assessment; required re-examination.
- 3rd offence: fines; prison at least 90 days; revocation indefinite (minimum 10 years); assessment; re-examination.
- 4th offence: permanent revocation plus Criminal Code penalties.
- A suspension or revocation while in GDL means restarting the two-year GDL program after serving it.
- Responsible hosting: offer non-alcoholic drinks, serve food early, close the bar an hour before guests leave, support designated drivers.
Being in shape to drive
- Service Nova Scotia may refuse to issue or renew a licence if there are concerns about a person's ability to drive.
- Medical conditions that may affect driving may require a Driver's Medical Examination Report (at your cost), possibly reviewed by the Medical Advisory Committee.
- Commercial drivers file a medical report on first application, every five years until 64, then yearly.
- Emotions: if angry or upset, take a breath or a short walk; stay off the road until you can concentrate; pull over if passengers argue.
- Vision for Classes 3, 5, 6, 7, 8: acuity at least 20/40 (6/12) in at least one eye and a field of vision of at least 120 degrees with both eyes open.
- Classes 1, 2, 4: vision in both eyes, at least 20/50 in the poorer and 20/30 in the better eye, 120 degrees in each eye, no double vision.
- Fatigue: driving overtired risks highway hypnosis and falling asleep; never use cruise control when overtired.
- GDL drivers (Ch. 1 p. 10, 22; update p. V): learner and newly licensed BAC must be zero; restricted individuals must have zero alcohol or drugs; BAC over zero conviction = 6 points and 6-month loss of privileges.
Study the Impaired driving and fitness to drive rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- Regulatory signsStop, yield and school zone signs, green-circle and red-slash signs, turn, passing, parking and stopping restrictions, one-way, keep-right, speed limit and accessible parking signs.
- Warning and guide signsYellow diamond warning signs for curves, narrowing roads, merges, lane endings, divided highways, bumps and hidden hazards, chevrons and checkerboards, lane-use arrows and green guide signs.
- Work zone signsOrange work zone signs, general, arrow, specific and human activity signs, traffic control persons, flashing arrow boards, lane closures and the main causes of work zone collisions.
- Railway crossingsThe crossbuck and advance railway warning sign, flashing lights and gates, vehicles that must stop at crossings, what to do if you are stuck on the tracks, and parking near a crossing.
- Traffic signals and crossing guardsGreen, yellow and red lights, right and left turns on red, arrow signals, flashing red, yellow and green signals, lane-control signals, dark signals, pedestrian Walk signals and crossing guards.
- Pavement markings and special lanesYellow and white lines, broken, solid and double solid centre lines, edge lines on divided highways, climbing lanes, continuity lines and two-way-left-turn lanes.
- Graduated licensing: Class 7, 5N and restricted stageApplying for a Class 7 learner's licence, the knowledge and vision tests, learner and newly licensed restrictions, curfew, waiting periods, driver training, the restricted individual stage, visitors and new residents, and licence classes.
- Demerit points and losing your licenceDemerit point values for common offences, warning, interview and suspension thresholds for learners, newly licensed and other drivers, probationary and conditional licences, revocation and suspension.
- Right of way, pedestrians and emergency vehiclesIntersection right-of-way rules, marked and unmarked crosswalks, pedestrians at signals, driveways, emergency vehicles, the slow down and move over rule and yielding to transit buses.
- Speed, stopping distance and followingDefault speed limits, 50 km/h situations, school zone limits, stopping distances, driving too slowly, keeping right, the two-second rule, safety scans, blind spots and curves.
- Signals, turning, lane changes and passingSignal lights, hand signals and the horn, right and left turns, turning lanes, lane changes, overtaking and passing, places where passing is unsafe, being passed and backing up.
- Parking, roundabouts and drivewaysWhere you may not stop or park and the distances involved, parallel and angle parking, parking on a hill, roundabouts and rotaries, and entering or leaving driveways.
- Highways, school buses and sharing the road100-series controlled-access highways and interchanges, large commercial vehicles and truck blind spots, school bus lights, motorcycles and bicycles.
- Your vehicle: inspection, equipment, registration and insuranceAnnual safety inspection, tires and studded tire dates, maintenance checks, lighting and horn rules, special flashing lights, loads and trailers, vehicle permits and plates, and mandatory liability insurance.
- Seat belts, child seats and safe driving habitsSeat belt law, child restraints and booster seats, airbags, carrying passengers, driving position, steering, braking and ABS, defensive driving and highway hypnosis.
- Night driving and bad weatherHeadlight timing and dimming distances, glare, rain, fog and snow, hydroplaning, wet brakes, ice and black ice stopping distances, gravel roads, four-wheel drive and winter driving.
- Emergencies and collisionsBreakdowns, brake failure, blowouts, power and headlight failure, a stuck gas pedal, fires, skids, wheels off the pavement, animals, water, downed wires, snow plows and collision reporting duties.