How does an ignition interlock device work?
Saskatchewan Class 7 overview
Saskatchewan Class 7: Alcohol, drugs and impaired driving penalties
How alcohol and drugs affect driving, zero tolerance for new drivers, roadside suspensions and impoundments, Criminal Code impaired driving, ignition interlock and licence disqualifications.
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Study reference: Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook (online edition, Rev. 2026), Ch. 7 Drinking, drugs and driving — Alcohol, Drugs, Drinking and drugs combined; Ch. 8 Complying with the law when driving — The Traffic Safety Act, The Criminal Code of Canada
All 24 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
How does an ignition interlock device work?
- It limits the car's top speed
- It won't start the car if it detects alcohol
- It tracks the driver's location for the police
- It locks the doors at night
How long is a new driver's roadside suspension for a third offence?
- 18 months
- 5 years
- 6 months
- 120 days
What is the only thing that removes alcohol from your body?
- Eating a big meal
- A cold shower
- Coffee
- Time
Which ability does alcohol affect first?
- Balance
- Judgment
- Hearing
- Steering
Your allergy medicine warns against operating heavy machinery. What should you do?
- Drive only short distances close to home
- Treat it as a warning not to drive
- Drink coffee and drive
- Ignore it for cars
A driver gets a second Criminal Code driving conviction within 10 years. How long is the disqualification?
- Five years
- Three years
- Two years
- One year
About how fast does alcohol leave the body?
- About .05% per hour
- About .001% per hour
- About .015% per hour
- About .10% per hour
What financial penalty follows a first conviction at .08 to .159 BAC?
- $5,000
- $1,250
- $2,250
- $500
A 21-year-old has held a full Class 5 licence for three years. What alcohol limit applies to them?
- Under .04, like experienced drivers
- Zero, as a new driver
- Under .05
- Under .08
Who counts as an experienced driver for the .04 roadside limit?
- Age 22+, out of GDL, Class 5 or higher
- Anyone over 18
- Anyone who passed the road test
- Anyone with a Class 5 licence
A tired driver drinks strong coffee to keep going. What does the handbook say?
- The effect can wear off suddenly
- Coffee lowers blood alcohol
- Coffee makes driving safe
- Coffee cures fatigue for hours
You hold a Class 7 learner's licence. How much alcohol may be in your system when you drive?
- None at all
- Less than .08
- Less than .05
- Less than .04
A driver is charged with an alcohol-related criminal impaired offence. How long until they can apply to drive with an ignition interlock?
- Right away
- After serving at least 90 days
- After 30 days
- After one year of the suspension
A person has two drinks and a cold remedy antihistamine. What impairment might that equal?
- About 10 drinks
- About 4 to 5 drinks
- About 2 drinks
- About 3 drinks
How long is the provincial disqualification after a first Criminal Code driving conviction?
- Three years
- Six months
- Five years
- One year
For which drivers is there zero tolerance for drugs?
- Commercial truck and bus drivers only
- Both new and experienced drivers
- Learners only
- New drivers only
How are penalties for drug-impaired driving compared with alcohol-impaired driving?
- They are only fines
- They are the same
- They are lighter
- They apply only to new drivers
At what blood alcohol level is it a Criminal Code offence to drive?
- .04 or more
- .08 or more
- .10 or more
- .05 or more
A driver charged with impaired driving has a BAC of .17. How long is the vehicle impounded?
- 30 days
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 60 days
A police officer at a check stop asks for a breath sample, though you show no signs of drinking. Must you comply?
- Yes, refusing is an offence
- Only if you are a new driver
- No, they need a reason
- Only if you were speeding
A Class 7 driver is caught with a small amount of alcohol for the first time. How long is the roadside suspension?
- 18 months
- 60 days
- 3 days
- 30 days
An experienced driver blows over .04 but under .08 for the first time. How long is the roadside suspension?
- 24 hours
- 3 days
- 60 days
- 21 days
At .05 to .09% BAC, how much more likely is a crash?
- About 48 times
- About 2 times
- About 11 times
- About 380 times
A new driver gets a second alcohol roadside suspension within five years. How long is it?
- 90 days
- 120 days
- 365 days
- 60 days
Alcohol, drugs and impaired driving penalties: 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 ↗
Facts (five-year average 2020-2024)
- Impaired drivers are involved in four of every 10 fatal collisions; about 6% of injury collisions.
- Most fatal impaired collisions on highways; most injury ones on urban streets. Highest-risk months June to September; most likely time 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.; ages 25 to 34 involved most.
Effects
- First affected: judgment (from the first drink), then muscle control (small eye muscles, so vision suffers even at low levels).
- Most alcohol-related collisions come from faulty identifying, predicting and deciding, not poor execution. Plan your ride before the first drink.
- Crash likelihood: .05-.09% BAC = 11 times; .10-.14% = 48 times; .15%+ = 380 times. The only truly safe BAC is 0%.
- Only time removes alcohol; about .015% per hour. Someone at .25 at midnight can still be over .08 at 10 a.m.
Drugs
- Cannabis: wandering concentration, slower reactions, drowsiness, distorted perception. Alcohol plus cannabis increases impairment.
- Depressants (sedatives, antihistamines, painkillers) slow brain and body. A label warning against heavy machinery = don't drive.
- Stimulants like caffeine do not improve driving skill; the effect can wear off suddenly; the only cure for fatigue is sleep.
- Drug-impaired driving carries the same penalties as alcohol-impaired driving. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about medication before driving.
Drinking and drugs combined
- Synergistic (multiplying) effect: 2 drinks + antihistamine = 4 to 5 drinks; + one joint = 5 to 6; + Valium = about 6; + Gravol = about 6. The breath test shows only the alcohol.
- One drink = one bottle regular beer, 5 oz table wine, 3 oz fortified wine, or 1.5 oz hard liquor.
Impaired driving
- Zero tolerance for alcohol for new drivers; zero tolerance for drugs for all drivers.
- New drivers include: age 21 and under, Learner (Class 7), Novice 1 and 2, motorcycle GDL, no licence in the past five years, some out-of-country and restricted drivers.
- New driver roadside suspension (any alcohol up to .08, or drugs; five-year look-back): 1st 60 days + 3-day impound + DWI program; 2nd 120 days + 7-day impound + ADE + 120-day interlock (voluntary); 3rd 18 months + 14-day impound + addictions assessment + 365-day interlock (mandatory). Each: -4 Safe Driver Recognition points.
- Carrying passengers under 16 increases impoundment length.
- Experienced drivers (22+, out of GDL, Class 5+) at over .04 to .08 or drug-impaired: 1st 3 days + 3-day impound; 2nd 21 days + 7 days; 3rd 90 days + 14 days + 365-day interlock.
- Criminal impaired charge: immediate indefinite suspension until charges are resolved; early reinstatement possible with an ignition interlock after at least 90 days if alcohol-related.
The Criminal Code of Canada
- Offence at 80 mg per 100 ml of blood (.08) or more; impaired to any degree; drug over the federal limit; combinations.
- Mandatory alcohol screening: police may demand a breath sample without suspecting you have been drinking. Refusing a demand is an offence.
- Impoundment on a Criminal Code impaired charge: at least 30 days; 60 days if BAC is .16 or more or for refusal.
- Financial penalty on conviction: $1,250 (.08 to .159) or $2,250 (.16+ or refusal). SDR: move to -20 (minimum -10 drop).
- Programs: 1st DWI, 2nd ADE, 3rd addictions assessment (10-year look-back).
- Disqualification after Criminal Code driving convictions (last 10 years): 1 conviction 1 year; 2 convictions 3 years; 3 convictions 5 years. Courts may also prohibit driving anywhere in Canada.
- Ignition interlock: blow to start and periodically while driving; if alcohol detected while moving, horn honks and lights flash.
- Reinstatement fee for special restricted licence: $75.
- Other Criminal Code driving offences: criminal negligence, dangerous driving, failure to stop at a collision, driving while disqualified.
Study the Alcohol, drugs and impaired driving penalties rules as flashcards →
Other topics
- Regulatory road signsThe six basic sign shapes, standard sign colours, and regulatory signs: speed, one-way, do not enter, passing, U-turn, parking and stopping, crosswalk, lane designation and turn control signs.
- Warning signs and railway crossingsYellow diamond warning signs for curves, hills, lane endings, intersections, animals and hazards, school and playground signs, chevrons, the slow-moving vehicle sign, railway crossings and crossroad delineators.
- Construction, guide and information signsOrange construction and maintenance signs, highway route markers, and blue information and service signs.
- Traffic signalsGreen, amber and red lights, right and left turns on red, green and amber arrows, flashing lights and pedestrian signals.
- Pavement markings, bus lanes and bike lanesYellow and white lines, solid and broken lines, lanes that end, bus and bicycle lanes, sharrows and where to stop at stop lines and crosswalks.
- Class 7 and Graduated Driver LicensingClass 7 age and ID rules, the supervising driver, the written tests, Learner, Novice 1 and Novice 2 stages, mandatory driver education, new residents and your driver's licence.
- Speed limits, stunting and racingDefault speed limits, the 60 km/h rule for stopped emergency, tow and highway vehicles, work zone fines, school zones, photo speed enforcement and stunting.
- Distracted driving, fatigue and road rageCellphone rules for GDL and experienced drivers, other distractions, fatigue, stress, aggressive driving, fog and heavy rain, and smoking with children in the vehicle.
- Basic driving skills and getting readySeatbelts, car seats and airbags, seat and mirror adjustment, steering hand positions, the IPDE method, gates, blind spots, following distance and eye use.
- Right of way, pedestrians and parking lotsUncontrolled intersections, T-intersections, two-way and four-way stops, entering highways, pedestrians and wheelchair users, zipper merges and parking lot right of way.
- Turning, signalling and changing lanesSignal distances, hand signals, lane position, lane changes, right and left turns, centre turning lanes, roundabouts, diverging diamond and RCUT interchanges, U-turns and two-point turns.
- Passing, highways and freewaysWhen and where you may pass, passing lanes, safe passing time, being passed, divided highways, medians, entering and leaving a freeway and freeway emergencies.
- Sharing the roadLarge trucks and the no-zone, snow plows, emergency vehicles, farm equipment, school buses, motorcycles, bicycles, e-scooters, tow trucks and funeral processions.
- Stopping, parking and backingStopping on rural roads and highways, marking stopped vehicles, parallel and angle parking, parking on a hill, back-up cameras and safe backing.
- Headlights, night, winter and rural roadsWhen headlights are required, dimming distances, glare, overdriving your headlights, winter driving and survival, black ice, whiteouts, curves, mountains and gravel grid roads.
- Braking, emergencies and collisionsABS, threshold and four-wheel lock braking, skids, soft shoulders and ditches, blow-outs, brake failure, animals on the road, collision facts and what to do after a collision.
- Traffic law, points, insurance and registrationPolice stops, impoundments, the Driver Improvement Program, GDL improvement steps, Safe Driver Recognition, vehicle registration, plate insurance and rules related to vehicles.