2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
The absolute alcohol ban for novice drivers, which has been in force since August 1, 2007, has proven to be a success. It wasn't just the number of accidents under the influence of alcohol that fell dramatically.
The absolute ban on alcohol at the wheel of a car, which applies to novice drivers, has reduced the number of accidents. This has now been confirmed by a study by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt). Within the first twelve months after the introduction of the alcohol ban on August 1, 2007, the number of drunk novice car drivers fell by 17 percent. New drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during their two-year probationary period if they still want to drive. For all other motorists, up to 0.5 per thousand alcohol is allowed in the blood, provided that there are no so-called "behavioral problems" such as driving in serpentine lines.
Decrease of up to 17 percent
The alcohol ban for novice drivers should exclude another source of danger which, in connection with the lack of driving experience, led to unsafe driving and a particularly large number of accidents. The BASt has now confirmed the success of this measure. The number of accidents with drunk young drivers has declined by 15 percent, the number of novice drivers under 21 years of age with alcohol in their blood stopped at police checks by as much as 17 percent.
And the alcohol ban is widely accepted among younger road users, with 95 percent in favor of the measure. At 87 percent, the majority of new drivers are also aware of the possible consequences of a violation, such as an extension of the probationary period by two more years or the withdrawal of a driver's license. When they go out and drink alcohol, almost all novice drivers forego driving afterwards. Almost every second person uses a car pool, 41 percent use public transport. (mid)
