Renery in Klagenfurt: Drunk drivers stopped on A2!

Renery in Klagenfurt: Drunk drivers stopped on A2!

This day, June 3, 2025, a serious incident occurred in Klagenfurt, which once again illustrates the dangers of alcohol at the wheel. A 47-year-old driver ignored several police attempts to stop on Luegerstrasse and accelerated at a speed of 120 km/h on Villacher Straße. Despite the risky driving style, the police were able to stop the vehicle on the South Autobahn (A2) on the Pörtschach Ost.

In a held alkotest, it turned out that the driver was heavily alcoholic. As a result, the driver's license was temporarily decreased and several ads are expected. The incident is another example of the dangers that emerge from alcoholic drivers and complements the ongoing discussions about traffic safety in Austria.

alcohol at the wheel: an alarming balance

According to current statistics, 70.4 % of car drivers who caused an accident with personal injury under alcohol influence have a blood alcohol value (BAK) of at least 1.1 per thousand. It is particularly worrying that every fifth even had a BAK of over 2.0 per thousand. The age range with the highest tendency towards alcohol accidents is between 45 and 54 years, where 34.3 % of these drivers had more than 2.0 per thousand. In contrast, only 9.6 % of 18 to 24 year olds were involved in such a situation, which illustrates the problem in the higher age categories.

In 2021, over 2.3 million accidents were registered, with 26,882 accidents taking place under the influence of intoxicating funds. These figures show an increase of 3.5 % compared to the previous year. The fact that 6.4 % of all fatally injured road users were involved in alcohol accidents is particularly fatal. This means that every 16th place of traffic is related to alcohol. These developments raise questions about previous prevention work.

dangers of drugs and alcohol consumption in road traffic

The dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs are not just a national matter. Every year, alcoholic road users cause several thousand accidents in which injuries or even deaths can be complained about. 86 % of the alcoholized accident -participants are men, while only 14 % women are affected. The majority of alcoholized driving no longer applies to the age group of 25- to 35-year-olds, which is the largest group with 24 %.

The situation is particularly worrying, since more than half of the alcohol accidents are due to speed overruns or misjudgments. Despite an existing alcohol ban for beginners under the age of 21, the problem remains pressing. Traffic authorities and prevention programs are faced with the challenge of implementing effective measures to increase security on the streets.

The incidents such as that in Klagenfurt illustrate urgency to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol at the wheel and to further reduce the number of alcohol accidents through targeted measures. The surveys and examinations of traffic safety must be continued in order to achieve sustainable improvements.