On the border with Upper Austria

Bavaria: huge wave of drug drivers feared

The border between Bavaria and Upper Austria in Suben: up to 14,000 vehicles roll into the country here every day.(Bild: Daniel Scharinger)

From April 1st, cannabis may be legally consumed in Germany. Police and politicians are therefore alarmed and expect an increase in accidents under the influence of narcotics. At the same time, they are announcing strict controls.

A decision by the German "Ampel", as the federal government made up of the SPD, FDP and the Greens is known, will have an impact on Upper Austria. "The legalization of cannabis initiated in Germany worries us in Upper Austria. The release of cannabis will remove the drug's nimbus of danger. At the same time, the availability of drugs in our neighboring country also increases accessibility for our fellow countrymen," says Provincial Minister Thomas Stelzer.

How is it controlled? Local inspection on site
The ÖVP politician met with officers at the Schärding district police command on Tuesday to find out about the measures in the Innviertel region. The police are planning to set up a close-meshed control network to take drug drivers out of circulation. After all, up to 14,000 vehicles cross the border from Bavaria to Austria on the Innkreisautobahn (A8) every day.

13 border crossings from Bavaria to Austria
Matthias Osterkorn, Chief of Police in Schärding, has announced strict priority checks at all 13 border crossings with Germany, and mobile units will also carry out regular and flexible checks on a random basis, but also at intervals.

There will be priority checks at the border crossings with Germany. Mobile units will carry out random checks at regular and very flexible intervals. All available personnel resources will be used for the checks. In addition, Upper Austria's task force will support the checks.

Matthias Osterkorn, Bezirkspolizeikommandant von Schärding

Special police unit from Linz helps in the Innviertel region 
For this reason, the central police task force stationed in Linz will also be relocated to the border area for checks. Osterkorn told "OÖ-Krone": "We assume that consumption will increase. As an additional measure, the police will carry out criminal and traffic police checks and keep a close eye on how cross-border consumption is taking place."

Thomas Stelzer, Governor of Upper Austria, had two officers in Schärding show him how checks are carried out.(Bild: Daniel Scharinger)

Number of drug drivers caught has tripled
The governor assumes that there has been an increase in drugged drivers and accidents under the influence of narcotics - which is also supported by a comparison of figures: From 2017 to 2023, the number of drugged drivers caught in Upper Austria more than tripled from 420 to 1500. In addition, exactly 34 people were injured in accidents while intoxicated in 2022.

Stelzer: "I would like to thank the police for their intensive traffic monitoring. The number of arrests reflects the successful work of our police officers." Following the decision in Germany, Stelzer also made an appeal to the government in Vienna: "Germany must not be allowed to set the pace for European drug policy. We call on the federal government to defend Austria's strict anti-drug policy."