Smell of alcohol when checked: Driver stopped with just under four per mille

A very drunk driver drove his car in obvious snaking lines in Ulm. According to police, a breath alcohol test showed a level of almost four per thousand. Several witnesses noticed the driver on a county road and notified them police. The officers checked the 43-year-old a little later and noticed the smell of alcohol, according to a statement.

The man had to go to a clinic and give a blood sample. The 43-year-old was not allowed to drive his car any further and had to leave it behind. It also turned out that the man did not have a valid driver’s license. He is now facing several charges because of the trip on Thursday.

For most people, such an alcohol level would mean absolute danger to their lives. According to the Federal Institute of Public Health, circulatory failure and respiratory paralysis can occur from a level of 3.0 per mille, and from 3.5 per mille alcohol poisoning is life-threatening.

For people who regularly drink large amounts of alcohol, typical symptoms often only appear at higher blood alcohol levels.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:260710-930-363974/1