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‘High tolerance’ cited in man’s drunk driving win

A 61-year-old caught driving with a blood-alcohol level five times over Sweden's legal limit walked free after a court in southern Sweden cited his high tolerance for alcohol.

Published: 6 February 2013 10:55 CET
'High tolerance' cited in man's drunk driving win
Drunken Swede with 'high alcohol tolerance' freed

The man, who works night shifts in Ystad, southern Sweden, told the court he had been drinking heavily on the day he was pulled over by police in November last year, wrote the Skånskan newspaper.

He had downed the contents of six small snapps bottles and a full-strength beer during the day leading up to his shift, but this was nothing unusual, he claimed.

The 61-year-old explained that he drinks every day, even before work, and that the additional 200 millilitres of mulled wine (glögg in Swedish) made no difference to his mental state.

But when he was pulled over, the man had a blood alcohol content of exactly 1.0 promille, five-times over Sweden’s legal limit of 0.2 promille and enough to warrant stiffer charges of aggravated drunken driving.

He claimed, however, that he didn’t feel under the influence at all while driving to work.

He also blamed the glögg for putting him so far over the limit, but pleaded with the court that he shouldn’t be convicted because he thought the traditional Swedish mulled wine he had been drinking was simply an alcohol-free variety.

The court agreed, stating in its ruling that as the man drinks alcohol every day, even before heading to work, he must have a high tolerance for alcohol, Skånskan wrote.

The court therefore threw out the charges altogether and the man was set free.

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DRIVING

EXPLAINED: When can a child sit in the front seat of a car in Switzerland?

Babies and children must be safely secured in a child’s car seat designed for their weight and age group whenever they travel in a car in Switzerland. We look at the rules around driving with children.

Published: 13 April 2023 11:17 CEST
EXPLAINED: When can a child sit in the front seat of a car in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, a simple rule for taking children in motor vehicles has been in place for a good two decades: Every child up to a height of 150 cm or the age of 12 must travel in a suitable child seat.

Its Austrian neighbour has even stricter rules in place. Babies and children in Austria must be correctly secured in a child’s seat up to the age of 14 if they are below 135 cm in height.

The German law takes a more relaxed approach and regulates that children from the age of 12 or those that are taller than 150 cm can ride in the vehicle without a child seat – with the appropriate seat belt, of course.

When can a child sit in the front?

According to the law in Switzerland, once a child has reached a height of 150 cm, they can sit anywhere in the car with or without a child or booster seat.

However, a child needs to reach a minimum height of 150 cm for the safety belts to guarantee their safety in a way that the neck is not constricted while driving in the event of sudden braking or an accident.

In principle, children are allowed to sit on the front passenger seat regardless of their age, however, this is not recommended by experts who argue that children are much safer in the back of the car. Furthermore, if a vehicle is equipped with airbags, rear-facing car seats may only be used if the front airbag on the passenger’s side is deactivated.

A driver at the Stelvio Pass, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Switzerland.

A driver at the Stelvio Pass, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Switzerland. Photo by Jaromír Kavan on Unsplash

Can I be fined for my child travelling without an appropriate car seat?

You can and you will. The fine for transporting an unsecured child under the age of 12 is 60 francs, which, given the risk driving without an appropriate child seat poses to your child’s life, is mild. 

But what about public transport?

Though this may seem illogical to some, Switzerland does not have any safety laws dictating that car seats be used on its buses, meaning it is not uncommon to see mothers standing in the aisle of a packed bus with a baby in a sling while struggling to hold on to a pole for stability.

Though politicians did briefly discuss equipping buses with baby and child seats in 2017 to avoid potential risks to minors, nothing came of it. Ultimately, supplying buses with special seats or introducing seat belts proved unrealistic given the number of seats and considering how often people hop on and off a bus – there is a stop almost every 300 metres in Switzerland.

Instead, drivers are now better informed of the dangers posed to minors travelling on their vehicles and parents are advised to leave children in strollers and not load those with heavy shopping bags.

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