Severe consequences

Driver’s license gone? This is how a tough psychological test works

An anti-alcohol campaign by the state of Tyrol(Bild: Land Tirol)

Anyone who drives while drunk must rightly expect to face the full force of the law. Drunk drivers report tough psychological tests in order to regain their driver's license. Krone+ reveals the methods used in the VPU (traffic psychological examination) and what you can expect there in detail. 

Krone previously reported on officially mandated hair tests, which have their pitfalls. Hair stores any alcohol or drug consumption for a long time, and the consequences can be lifelong problems with your driver's license: Read more about this here. From a measured value of 1.6 per mille, drunk drivers find themselves in the merciless clutches of the law:

• A fine of between €1,600 and €5,900
• At least six months' driving ban
• Hair or urine tests depending on the federal state
• Appointment with the medical officer
• Retraining
• Traffic psychology assessment – and that's a tough one (see below)

Drivers under the influence have a tough time from the start
All steps involve additional high costs and time, but in this article we will focus on the VPU. This psychological examination is mandatory, and various associations, curators, and lawyers offer preparatory courses on the Internet, which of course also cost money. The texts on the homepages describe a calm, trusting atmosphere in a one-on-one conversation, but the Association of Austrian Psychologists defines a typical drunk driver as follows – see excerpt below: