Several inebriated motorists stopped over the weekend

Two drivers decided to use their cars after drinking at the weekend. One of them even took a sip from a beer can while driving. Both drivers have now been relieved of their driver's license.

On Saturday evening, 5^th December, shortly after 6:45 p.m., a report was received at the Zug Police Operations Headquarters that a motorist was travelling very unsafely and was swerving from side to side. A patrol was able to intercept the vehicle on the Hammerstrasse in the municipality of Steinhausen and check the driver, according to Frank Kleiner, media spokesman for the Zug law enforcement authorities.

The breath alcohol test carried out on the 62-year-old showed a value of 0.91 mg/l. His driver's license was confiscated and forwarded to the administrative authority (the Road Traffic Office).

A few hours later, at 00:45 on Sunday, 6^th December, a civilian police patrol noticed a driver drinking from a beer can while driving. The car was subsequently stopped and the driver checked. The breath alcohol test carried out on the 44-year-old showed a value of 0.87 mg/l. This driver also had to surrender his driver's license on the spot.

Also on the night of Sunday, 6^th December, a patrol of the Zug police on the Ägeristrasse in the municipality of Baar checked an 18-year-old learner driver. It turned out that the accompanying person had been drinking, with the breath alcohol test showing a value of 0.14 mg/l. The 54-year-old woman has thereby disregarded the absolute alcohol ban when accompanying a learner driver, and will have to appear before the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Canton of Zug.

If you drive, you don't drink
Alcohol at the wheel is one of the biggest safety risks in road traffic. Even small quantities of alcohol can have an impact on driving ability. Those who drive with alcohol endanger themselves and others. That's why you must act as follows:

• Are you on the road as a driver and have nevertheless drunk some alcohol? Park your vehicle, and use public transport or a taxi.
• Party? Arrange a carpool and agree that the driver should not drink.
• For the hosts: always have soft drinks ready.
• People whose ability to drive is impaired due to alcohol must be prevented from driving.
   

The blood alcohol limit for drivers in Switzerland is 0.5% - which translates to 0.25 milligrams per litre of breath. Any driver with at least 0.8% of alcohol in their blood, or 0.4 mg per litre of breath, can expect a ban and a heftier criminal sanction. Blood tests will only be necessary in the future if the driver is suspected of having taken narcotics, is on certain types of medication, or has a respiratory illness.