Electric scooters are plaguing cities across the globe and hundreds of Germans have found a new reason to hate them.
During an Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, 414 people were caught scooting under the influence. While that doesn’t sound too bad, CNN reports 254 of those people ended up losing their driver’s license.
That seems a bit extreme, but Germany classifies e-scooters as motorized vehicles and this means drunk driving rules apply to them. This is noted on the police department’s website which highlights the blood-alcohol limit of 0.5 mg of alcohol per mm of blood. Furthermore, the department says having a blood-alcohol content of 1.1 mg of alcohol per mm of blood will result in a driving ban.
Also Read: Germany Makes Riding Electric Scooters On Public Roads Legal
Since the rules on e-scooters just went into effect in June, many people were probably unaware of the serious consequences of scooting under the influence. In particular, the revocation of 254 driver licenses is more than 6% of the annual total of approximately 4,000 driver’s licenses which are revoked every year in Munich due to alcohol, medication or drug abuse.
The penalties vary depending on the level of impairment and whether or not an accident was involved, but people caught with a blood-alcohol content of 1.1 mg of alcohol per mm of blood will have their license revoked for a period of time ranging from six months up to five years. They’ll also have three points added to their record and could face a possible examination by medical professionals – among other things.
Even drivers with a blood-alcohol content of 0.5 mg can get a driving ban of up to three months and a fine of up to €1,500 ($1,643 / £1,346).
