What does alcohol do to a driver's reaction time?
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A.
Sharpens the driver's reflexes.
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B.
Leaves reaction time unchanged.
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C.
Slightly speeds up your reflexes.
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D.
Delays it noticeably. Correct
The answer is "Delays it noticeably."
The manual lists reaction time as one of the first things alcohol delays, alongside clear vision and judgment of speed and distances. The trap is C, taken from the loose-and-quick idea drivers repeat about a small amount of alcohol; the manual describes only slowing, never any speed-up.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Sharpens the driver's reflexes.
Alcohol slows reaction time; the manual uses the word 'delays.' This answer repeats the loose-and-quick myth people apply to a first drink, which the manual never grants for driving.
B. Leaves reaction time unchanged.
The manual names reaction time among the abilities alcohol weakens from the start. This answer splits the listed effects apart and assumes only vision or judgment is touched at first.
C. Slightly speeds up your reflexes.
The manual describes only slowing; no speed-up is listed anywhere. This answer carries the everyday phrase about being quick after a beer onto the road, where the manual replaces it with delay.
This question tests your knowledge of Defensive Driving in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "What Alcohol Does," p.54..
Related New York questions
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