Can you lose your Swiss driver's license for being drunk - even when not driving?
Can Switzerland suspend your driving licence if you are caught drunk - even if you are not driving? It's happened on a few occasions.
Everyone knows (or at least should know) that driving a vehicle with the blood alcohol level exceeding 0.05 percent, is a no-no.
If you are stopped by police with over 0.08 percent alcohol level, your licence will be suspended for at least three months, and you will also receive a heavy fine.
The same holds true if you are driving under the influence of drugs.
In both these cases, you risk losing your license because your fitness to drive safely is impaired.
In Switzerland, however, police can take away your license simply for drinking too much — even if you don't actually get behind the wheel.
Drinking but not driving
One such case has been recently reported in the Swiss media: a man was celebrating the birth of his child with a friend in his own home and, by his own admission, drunk too much.
The two were also very noisy, which prompted the neighbours to call the police.
The officers who showed up at the new father’s doorstep gave him a breathalyzer test, which showed a very high blood alcohol level.
After admonishing the two men to keep the noise down, the officers left.
However, this was not the end of the story but, rather, the beginning of a nightmare: a few days later, the young father received a letter from his canton’s (Thurgau’s) automobile service: his driving license was suspended, as a precaution, for five months.
Despite hiring a lawyer and taking his case to court to appeal the withdrawal — which had cost him 5,000 francs — he still hadn’t received his license back.
In order to do so, the man must present a medical certificate (based on hair analysis) attesting that he is not an alcoholic — which will cost him an additional 1,500 francs.
While all this may seem extreme and uncalled for — since the man was not driving drunk — there is, in fact, a legal basis for this action: a ‘safety clause' to prevent people deemed to be unfit to drive, from doing so.
And if you think this man’s case is unique — it isn’t.
Overabundance of caution
Swiss news platform 20 Minuten asked its readers to share similar experiences, and a number of them did.
These are some of their stories:
Stefan from Zurich
The man related that he was out drinking and, while walking back home, he was stopped by police, who administered a breathalyzer test.
A few days later he received a letter from the road traffic office, asking him to present a doctor’s certificate (the one costing 1,500 francs) stating that he doesn’t have an alcohol addiction.
Examination found no alcohol in his system, though an increased carboxylic acid level, indicating a possible drug addiction, was detected.
His license was revoked, and he had to do a urine test every month for 13 months before he was allowed to drive again. All in all, Stefan spent 17,000 francs to get his license back.
D. from Basel
During her evaluation for invalidity insurance, authorities found that D. suffered from depression and anxiety disorder, and took away her license.
Her lawyer appealed this decision because neither anxiety nor depression is an impediment to driving. A psychological examination also confirmed that she was fit to drive; additionally, D was also able to prove through blood tests that she does not drink alcohol.
Florian Bösch from Thurgau
While on a train, Bösch suffered a panic attack. Police were called and drove him to a hospital.
A month later his driving license was revoked as a precautionary measure.
Despite medical reports attesting to his fitness to drive, Bösch’s license still remains suspended to this day.
READ ALSO: How you can lose your driving license in Switzerland
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Everyone knows (or at least should know) that driving a vehicle with the blood alcohol level exceeding 0.05 percent, is a no-no.
If you are stopped by police with over 0.08 percent alcohol level, your licence will be suspended for at least three months, and you will also receive a heavy fine.
The same holds true if you are driving under the influence of drugs.
In both these cases, you risk losing your license because your fitness to drive safely is impaired.
In Switzerland, however, police can take away your license simply for drinking too much — even if you don't actually get behind the wheel.
Drinking but not driving
One such case has been recently reported in the Swiss media: a man was celebrating the birth of his child with a friend in his own home and, by his own admission, drunk too much.
The two were also very noisy, which prompted the neighbours to call the police.
The officers who showed up at the new father’s doorstep gave him a breathalyzer test, which showed a very high blood alcohol level.
After admonishing the two men to keep the noise down, the officers left.
However, this was not the end of the story but, rather, the beginning of a nightmare: a few days later, the young father received a letter from his canton’s (Thurgau’s) automobile service: his driving license was suspended, as a precaution, for five months.
Despite hiring a lawyer and taking his case to court to appeal the withdrawal — which had cost him 5,000 francs — he still hadn’t received his license back.
In order to do so, the man must present a medical certificate (based on hair analysis) attesting that he is not an alcoholic — which will cost him an additional 1,500 francs.
While all this may seem extreme and uncalled for — since the man was not driving drunk — there is, in fact, a legal basis for this action: a ‘safety clause' to prevent people deemed to be unfit to drive, from doing so.
And if you think this man’s case is unique — it isn’t.
Overabundance of caution
Swiss news platform 20 Minuten asked its readers to share similar experiences, and a number of them did.
These are some of their stories:
Stefan from Zurich
The man related that he was out drinking and, while walking back home, he was stopped by police, who administered a breathalyzer test.
A few days later he received a letter from the road traffic office, asking him to present a doctor’s certificate (the one costing 1,500 francs) stating that he doesn’t have an alcohol addiction.
Examination found no alcohol in his system, though an increased carboxylic acid level, indicating a possible drug addiction, was detected.
His license was revoked, and he had to do a urine test every month for 13 months before he was allowed to drive again. All in all, Stefan spent 17,000 francs to get his license back.
D. from Basel
During her evaluation for invalidity insurance, authorities found that D. suffered from depression and anxiety disorder, and took away her license.
Her lawyer appealed this decision because neither anxiety nor depression is an impediment to driving. A psychological examination also confirmed that she was fit to drive; additionally, D was also able to prove through blood tests that she does not drink alcohol.
Florian Bösch from Thurgau
While on a train, Bösch suffered a panic attack. Police were called and drove him to a hospital.
A month later his driving license was revoked as a precautionary measure.
Despite medical reports attesting to his fitness to drive, Bösch’s license still remains suspended to this day.
READ ALSO: How you can lose your driving license in Switzerland
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