The German Road Safety Council (DVR) has once again renewed its call for a complete ban on alcohol behind the wheel.

The appeal comes against the backdrop of alarming crash figures: in 2024 17,776 people were injured and 198 lost their lives in alcohol-related road crashes in Germany. On average, an alcohol-related accident occurred every 15 minutes.

Cause

“Alcohol at the wheel remains one of the main causes of serious road accidents,” said DVR President Manfred Wirsch. “That is why we are calling for a general alcohol ban for everyone who participates in road traffic – regardless of whether they are driving a car, motorcycle, e-scooter, bicycle, or pedelec.”

According to the Federal Statistical Office, 14,787 accidents involving personal injury in 2024 were linked to alcohol. These crashes left 17,974 victims, of whom 198 were killed, 3,994 seriously injured and 13,782 slightly injured. Alcohol was a factor in 7.1 percent of all road deaths, 7.9 percent of all serious injuries and 4.4 percent of all slight injuries. These figures highlight the urgent need for clear and effective rules. Yet, Germany’s varying blood alcohol limits often lead to uncertainty, say DVR.

Clarity

Manfred Wirsch stressed that road safety requires clarity and that clarity means only one rule: no alcohol at the wheel, ever. Since 2011, the DVR has been advocating for changes to Section 24a of the German Road Traffic Act to enshrine a zero-alcohol limit in law. “A legally anchored ban means fewer funerals, less suffering, and fewer tragic headlines,” Wirsch explained. “With a zero-alcohol rule, we have a real chance to significantly reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

The dangers of drink-driving are also highlighted in the ongoing national road safety campaign Runter vom Gas (“Slow Down”), jointly implemented by the DVR and the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV). More than 700 billboards along motorways and at rest areas currently show stark images warning of the consequences of alcohol at the wheel.

On International Beer Day, Wirsch appealed directly to all road users: “Those who drive, don’t drink – and those who drink, don’t drive.”

The law

A zero-alcohol rule already applies to drivers under 21, to novice drivers during their probationary period and to drivers in commercial passenger transport. Even a first violation carries consequences such as fines, points in the driving aptitude register, extended probation or mandatory retraining. From a blood alcohol concentration of 0.3‰ upwards, anyone who causes an accident or displays unsafe driving is considered impaired and commits a criminal offence. From 0.5‰, driving under the influence constitutes an offence even without unsafe behaviour, punishable by fines, points and a driving ban, while additional symptoms can turn it into a criminal offence. From 1.1‰, drivers are deemed absolutely unfit to drive. Anyone behind the wheel at this level commits a criminal offence, risking licence withdrawal, fines or impriso