Drink driving: majority of Germans for zero alcohol limit

Created: 06/22/2022, 07:24

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

Alcohol severely impairs driving ability.

According to a survey, a majority of Germans would welcome a complete ban.

Berlin – Again and again, drunk drivers get behind the wheel – sometimes with dire consequences.

Just recently, a drunk Volvo driver rammed a Kia in which was a small child who was injured in the accident.

It's often just good luck when nothing happens - as in the case of a drunk Audi driver who drove through the train station in Hamburg because he wanted to go to the supermarket.

Appropriately on topic, British police have released a terrifying dashcam video of a drunk driver driving.

Even with a low blood alcohol level, the ability to drive can be impaired.

According to a recent survey, the majority in Germany would like a zero alcohol limit for drivers.

An absolute ban on alcohol currently only applies to novice drivers in the probationary period and persons under the age of 21.

(Iconic image) © Action Pictures/Imago

Drink driving: majority of Germans for zero alcohol limit

According to a representative survey of 1,000 people aged 16 and over for the TÜV Mobility Study, 80 percent of Germans are in favor of a complete alcohol ban for drivers.

"Alcohol massively impairs the coordination and the ability of drivers to react and make decisions," says Marc-Philipp Waschke, a traffic safety officer at the TÜV association.

"Whether driving a car, motorcycle or any other vehicle: Driving under the influence of alcohol increases the risk of accidents and is a particularly important contributor to accidents with serious consequences and fatalities." 

Drink driving: More women than men for a total ban

Striking: at 85 percent, significantly more women are in favor of a total ban on alcohol at the wheel than men, of whom "only" 76 percent were in favor of it.

In Germany, there is currently a complete alcohol ban only for novice drivers in the probationary period and drivers under the age of 21.

For the other driver groups, a blood alcohol level of 0.3 or more is referred to as “relative unfitness to drive”.

In the event of an obviously unsafe driving style or an accident, a penalty can already be imposed.

If the police stop you with more than 0.5 per mille, there is an administrative offense - and in any case a fine is due.

Drink driving: A blood alcohol limit was not introduced until 1953

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From 1.1 per thousand, a driver is considered "absolutely unfit to drive" and commits a criminal offense if he sits behind the wheel anyway - in this case, the driver's license is gone.

Alcoholic drivers who have more than 1.6 per mille detected may then also have to go to the so-called medical-psychological examination - MPU for short.

If there is an accident with a drunk driver, there can even be trouble for the passenger.

Unimaginable today - but in the past drunk driving was seen as a minor offence: In 1953 a limit value of 1.5 per mille was introduced for the first time!

In 1966, the value fell by just 0.2 to 1.3 per mille - it was not until 1973 that the upper alcohol limit was lowered to 0.8.