Six Out of Three Hundred

Police carried out alcohol checks at two separate locations in Luxembourg City early on Saturday morning, acting on the orders of the public prosecutor's office. Between 5am and 7am, officers were stationed on the Rocade de Bonnevoie. Between 8am and 10am, they moved to Route d'Esch. A total of 373 drivers were stopped and breathalysed. Six tested positive for alcohol. One driving licence was confiscated on the spot.[1]

Another driver lost their licence on the A6 motorway near the Aire de Capellen at around 1am. The motorist, heading towards Belgium, was observed swerving and failing to maintain control of their vehicle. Police administered an alcohol test, which returned a positive result. The licence was withdrawn immediately.[2]

At 6:30am, a separate incident occurred on Rue Jean-Pierre Brasseur in Luxembourg City. A motorist lost control of their car and crashed into a parked vehicle. Both cars sustained significant damage. The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital. Due to a positive alcohol test, their licence was revoked before admission.[3]

Six out of 373 is a low percentage. That is the point of random breathalyser checks: most drivers are sober, and the checks confirm it. The three who lost their licences were not caught by the checks alone. One was observed swerving on the motorway. Another crashed into a parked car. The checks are the backstop. The swerving and the crashing are the leading indicators. The fact that police were stationed on the Rocade de Bonnevoie at 5am on a Saturday suggests they were targeting the after-club crowd, people who went out on Friday night and are driving home in the early morning hours with alcohol still in their system. The 8am to 10am slot on Route d'Esch is a different population: morning commuters, or people heading home after a longer night. 373 drivers stopped in five hours across two locations is a significant operation. The message is that Saturday morning in Luxembourg City is not a free pass.[4]