Alcohol, drugs, medication, fatigue and fitness to ride
Fitness questions test two things: the legal thresholds, and whether you can recognise impairment before it becomes a crash. They are the most fact-heavy questions in the test.
Alcohol and drugs
- 0.5 ‰ blood alcohol is an Ordnungswidrigkeit: fine, one month Fahrverbot and two points on first offence.
- 0.0 ‰ applies to riders under 21 and throughout the Probezeit.
- 1.1 ‰ is a criminal offence (§316 StGB): three points, licence withdrawal, and typically an MPU from 1.6 ‰.
- 0.3 ‰ is enough for a criminal charge if there are signs of impairment, or after an accident.
- Section 24a(1a) StVG sets a general THC threshold of 3.5 ng/ml in blood serum. Section 24c separately prohibits alcohol/THC consumption while driving and starting a drive under their influence during the probationary period or before age 21; it does not state a universal statutory 1.0-ng/ml novice allowance. Apply the specific prescribed-medicine exception where its statutory conditions are met, and distinguish an administrative threshold from actual fitness to drive.
Medication and fatigue
- Read the Beipackzettel and ask the doctor or pharmacist about driving. Sections 24a(4) and 24c(3) StVG contain defined exceptions for properly prescribed medication used as directed for a specific illness; a prescription still does not guarantee actual fitness to drive.
- Warning signs of fatigue: heavy eyes, drifting attention, missed signs, yawning, sudden heat or cold. Counter it with a break, a short nap and a coffee - not with loud music.
- Take a break at least every two hours; riding after 17 hours awake is comparable to riding impaired.
Worked example
An 80 kg rider drinks two 0.5 l beers at 5 % within an hour. Alcohol: 2 × 20 g = 40 g. Widmark, r = 0.7: 40 ÷ (80 × 0.7) ≈ 0.71 ‰. Elimination is roughly 0.1–0.15 ‰ per hour, so after an hour he is around 0.6 ‰ - over the 0.5 ‰ threshold, and far over the 0.0 ‰ limit for a novice. "Two beers are nothing" answers are always wrong.
Traps that cost marks
- Believing coffee, fresh air or a shower sober you up.
- Ignoring residual alcohol the morning after.
- Riding with a fever or on drowsy-making medicine because the prescription is legal.
- Mixing cannabis and alcohol - the impairment multiplies.