Drink-Driving in Switzerland
Figures
28 deaths due to alcohol were registered in 2020 in Switzerland. In 2021 alcohol-related deaths had decreased to 21.
BAC limits and sanctions
0.5 stardard
0.1 for novice and professional drivers
Two levels of drink-driving violation have been established in the Swiss legal code based on the
maximum permitted BAC:
- Unqualified intoxication (“état d’ébriété non qualifiée”) which corresponds to a BAC
between 0.5 to 0.8g/l. - Qualified intoxication (“état d’ébriété qualifiée”) which refers to a BAC of at least 0.8g/l.
The alcohol-related offences committed by drivers of motor vehicles are divided into minor,
moderate and severe offences, as shown in the full report here.
Enforcement
Switzerland does not collect national data on the number of roadside alcohol checks. In most cantons, tests are done systematically. In some cantons, tests are done according to the severity of the collision, the suspicion of alcohol consumption, the type of road user, the time when the collision occurred, etc.
During the ROADPOL European police operations, out of a total of between 5800 and 7900 drivers checked for impaired driving in Switzerland during one week in 2019 and 2020, the proportion of drink-driving offenders (> 0.5g/l) accounted for about 2%.
Rehabilitation and Alcohol Interlock programmes
No Alcohol Interlocks programme in place.
Campaigns
The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) is currently running a campaign on drink-driving which emphasises that even small amounts of alcohol can affect driving ability.
To read the full country focus click here.