Germany's Stolpe Plans Complete Alcohol Ban for New Drivers

April 7, 2005; Edward Buckle writing for Bloomberg reported that German Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe will propose legislation to bring in a zero-alcohol limit for newly qualified drivers in an effort to cut down the number of road accidents.

``Roughly one in eight deaths in traffic accidents in Germany are attributable to drink-driving,'' Stolpe told a meeting of state transport ministers in Berlin today, according to an e-mailed statement from his ministry. Young drivers ``are involved in every third accident in which alcohol is a factor.''

The standard blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Germany is 0.5 milligrams per milliliter. Stolpe's proposal, to be introduced before the next national election in September 2006, would prevent new drivers from taking the wheel with any alcohol in their blood for the two-year probationary period after they obtain their license.

Statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development show that while Germany has the eighth-lowest road-traffic death rate among 29 developed economies, it ranks only 19th safest for deaths among 15-to-24 year-olds.

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