I was refused a breathalyser!
I was refused a breathalyser!
"The other evening, I went out for a couple of drinks with a friend. As I didn't have a car and didn't intend to drive, I wanted to know what my blood alcohol level was, so that next time I'd know how much I'd had to drink. So I pushed open the door of the police station to ask if I could take a breathalyser test, but I was refused on the grounds that it wasn't an à la carte service and, what's more, it wasn't free. I'm really surprised by this response...".
A reader who prefers to remain anonymous, Nyon
In principle, the Swiss police authorities devote a great deal of effort to prevention, particularly when it comes to road traffic.
Article 3 of the Federal Ordinance on Road Traffic Control (OCCR) states that the police shall act to assist and educate road users in order to prevent drivers from committing offences.
Article 10 OCCR states that the police may use preliminary testing devices to determine whether alcohol has been consumed. If there is any indication that alcohol has been consumed, a breathalyser test is carried out.
It is cantonal law that establishes which police bodies are competent to carry out these tasks and that sets the costs for each intervention by its officers.
In this case, there is no rule in either federal or cantonal law that allows anyone to request a blood alcohol test at a police station. In this respect, it is regrettable that the legislation seems to be geared more towards cracking down on drink-drivers than towards preventing drink-driving among those who are wise enough to want to take a test before getting behind the wheel, especially as the breathalysers on sale to private individuals offer no guarantee of reliability under the law.
That said, not all police officers will necessarily react in the same way to a request such as yours. On the other hand, government services are not normally free of charge and you should expect to pay a fee according to the tariff of the police force concerned, which may vary from one region to another. The same applies, for example, if you ask to be taken home.
But don't let that dissuade you from being responsible, or from calling on Nez Rouge if you've had too much to drink at the end of the year...
Happy holidays to all Tribune readers!
