Drunk driving ends in ruins: 18-year-old injured, driver's license lost!

Drunk driving ends in ruins: 18-year-old injured, driver's license lost!

On the night of Saturday, April 26, 2025, there was a serious traffic accident in the town of Roithen, municipality of Scharten, Upper Austria, which was caused by drunk driving. A 53-year-old Hungarian from the Wels-Land district was driving his car from Finklham towards Scharten when he collided with an oncoming vehicle in a slight right-hand bend. The other car, which was driven by an 18-year-old from the Eferding district, had an 18-year-old passenger from the Rohrbach district with it.

The passenger was slightly injured in the collision and had to be taken to Wels Hospital. An alcohol test on the 53-year-old driver showed a blood alcohol level of 1.72, which led to his driving license being immediately revoked. The incident clearly illustrates the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The risks of alcohol while driving

The influence of alcohol is a significant risk factor when driving. In 2021, the Federal Statistical Office in Germany registered 13,628 traffic accidents with personal injury in which at least one person involved was drunk. This represents 5.3% of all personal injury accidents, which is a worrying development compared to the 13,003 alcohol-related accidents in 2020. In addition, a total of 16,426 people were injured in these accidents, of whom 165 died. What is particularly fatal is that almost every other day someone dies in an alcohol-related accident.

Most alcohol-related accidents often occur on weekends. Statistically, 24.7% of these accidents occurred on a Saturday and 21.1% on a Sunday. In contrast, only 12.3% of total injury accidents occurred on a Saturday and only 9.8% occurred on a Sunday. A frightening picture that underlines the need for increased education and prevention when dealing with alcohol while driving.

A declining but nonetheless critical problem

Although the number of alcohol-injury accidents has fallen by 73.6% since 1975, the proportion of alcohol-related accidents remains remarkable. The decline in the proportion of alcohol-influenced accidents in all accidents involving personal injury from 13.8% in 1975 to the current 5.3% shows progress, but how society deals with the issue remains a challenge. Every single accident, like the recent incident in Scharten, must serve as a wake-up call.

In conclusion, it should be said that the fatal consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol for many should not be underestimated. The incident on April 26, 2025 is not only a sad example of individual fate, but also reflects the problems facing society as a whole when it comes to dealing with alcohol on the road. In order to increase safety on the roads, education and strict controls are still essential.