Alcohol and drug use

Alcohol and driving do not mix. Even a small amount of alcohol can slow your reactions, reduce your concentration and affect your judgement.

As a result, you notice less, react more slowly and are more likely to take risks, often without realising it yourself. This makes driving more dangerous, both for you and for others.

That is why the safest rule is simple: if you have to drive, it is better not to drink at all. Safety first.

An alcohol test can be imposed on anyone who, in a public place, drives a vehicle or rides an animal, or is about to do so. This therefore also applies to cyclists and horse riders.

A driving instructor or supervising driver can also be tested. In the event of an accident, even a pedestrian may be required to take an alcohol test if they are or are suspected of being involved in the incident.

In practice, passengers, pedestrians who are not involved in anything or people sleeping in a stationary car are normally not tested, but they can be if the police have a reason to do so.

To work more quickly and efficiently, the police may use a sampler. This device does not measure the exact amount of alcohol, but only gives an indication of whether someone has consumed alcohol. You blow into a small funnel on the device from a short distance.

If the device gives an alert, a breath test is then carried out.

During a breath test, you blow through a tube into a device. This gives the police a reliable indication of whether you have been drinking. The device still does not show an exact alcohol level, but it can give three possible results.

• Safe: you may continue driving
• Alarm or positive: there are clear traces of alcohol, after which a breath analysis or blood test follows

Refusing a breath test is punishable by law. In that case, you are immediately considered to have tested positive. A blood test may also be carried out.

During a breath analysis, you blow into a device that measures the exact alcohol concentration.

Refusing a breath analysis is also punishable by law.

A blood test is carried out when a breath analysis is not possible, for example after an accident or when the driver is too drunk to blow into the device.

A blood test may only be carried out by a doctor, not by the police themselves.

Anyone who refuses a blood test without a valid legal reason is automatically considered to have tested positive. In addition, you may face severe legal penalties.

If the police suspect that you are under the influence of drugs, they may carry out a saliva test.

If the test is positive, you immediately receive a 12-hour driving ban. The public prosecutor may also have your driving licence withdrawn for 15 days, which is almost always the case with drugs.

After a positive saliva test, a new saliva sample is taken and analysed in a laboratory. If that result is also positive, you must appear before the police court. You may then face a fine and a driving ban.

Anyone who refuses a saliva test without a valid legal reason may also face penalties.