Driver fitness, alcohol/drugs, fatigue and first aid
What the exam tests
This domain tests whether you can judge your own fitness to drive and give basic first aid. The exam links alcohol, drugs, medicines, fatigue and illness to specific crash risks, and expects the standard first-aid sequence rather than heroic improvisation.
Alcohol and drugs
Alcohol slows reactions, narrows attention, reduces night vision and creates false confidence. The legal maximum blood alcohol concentration is low, and novice or professional drivers face stricter treatment. There is no safe way to speed up elimination: coffee, cold air and cold showers do not sober you up. Drugs and some medicines - antihistamines, sedatives, strong painkillers - cause drowsiness and must not be combined with driving. Read the label and ask a pharmacist if unsure.
Fatigue
Warning signs: heavy eyelids, yawning, drifting within the lane, missing signs, and difficulty keeping a steady speed. A microsleep can last several seconds at 100 km/h - enough to cross the road. The only reliable remedy is to stop in a safe place and sleep briefly; a 15–20 minute nap plus a short coffee helps, but coffee alone does not replace sleep. Avoid driving during hours when you would normally be asleep.
First aid
Use DRABC: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Protect yourself from traffic before helping. Check response, open the airway, check breathing, and control severe bleeding with direct pressure. Place an unconscious but breathing casualty in the recovery position. Do not give food or drink. For burns, cool with clean water; for fractures, immobilise and do not realign. Treat for shock by keeping the casualty warm and lying down.
Worked example
You feel drowsy on a long rural drive. Reasoning: opening the window or turning up the radio only masks the problem for minutes. The correct action is to stop at a safe place, rest briefly, and continue only when alert. If drowsiness returns, stop for the night.
Traps
Believing coffee sobers you up, relying on fresh air against fatigue, ignoring a medicine's warning label, and moving a casualty before checking danger.