Can you drive after one beer in Sweden?
The legal limit and the penalty, and why the law counts alcohol in the blood, not drinks.
Short answer
The limit for drink-driving in Sweden is two tenths of a per mille of alcohol in the blood, so the safest choice is not to drink at all before driving. The limit is set by the alcohol concentration, not by the number of drinks. Driving over it is punishable by a fine or up to six months in prison. This topic is for adults aged 18 and over.
Why
- According to the Act on penalties for certain traffic offences (4 §), a person who drives with at least 0.2 per mille in the blood, or 0.10 milligrams per litre in the breath, is guilty of drink-driving.
- The Swedish Police say the penalty for drink-driving is a fine or imprisonment for up to six months.
- NTF says the time alcohol takes to burn off differs from person to person and from occasion to occasion.
Details
The Swedish Police say the breath limit of 0.10 milligrams per litre corresponds to about 0.2 per mille in the blood. Gross drink-driving starts at 1.0 per mille or 0.50 milligrams per litre and carries up to two years in prison. Trafikverket says drink-driving almost always leads to the driving licence being revoked. For more on alcohol rules, see alcohol and Systembolaget in Sweden, and for other road rules, driving and road rules in Sweden.
Tip
Arrange another way home before you start drinking, for example public transport or a taxi. For taxis in the capital, see taxi services in Stockholm.
What may differ
Alcohol burns off at different speeds in different people and on different occasions, according to NTF, so the same drink does not leave the body in the same time every time.
Common misconception
One beer is always fine before driving.
What actually happens
The law sets the limit by the alcohol concentration in the blood, not by the number of drinks, and NTF says burn-off varies from person to person and from occasion to occasion. The safest choice is not to drink before driving.
People also ask
- Can I drive after one beer in Sweden?
- Can you drive after a strong beer?
- Can you have one beer and drive?
Sources
This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check the Swedish Police before you travel.
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