Erfurt: Three drivers stopped under drugs
In Erfurt, police stopped three road users within less than 24 hours who were under the influence of narcotics. The checks took place on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, and during the night into Thursday, 20 August 2026. Drug preliminary tests returned positive results for all three individuals. Their journeys were ended immediately, blood samples were ordered, and administrative offence proceedings were initiated.
Morning check on Heinrichstraße
The first incident was a check on Wednesday morning on Heinrichstraße. Officers stopped a 48-year-old driver of a Dacia. The drug preliminary test showed a positive reaction to amphetamine and methamphetamine. This indicated that the man had been behind the wheel under the influence of stimulant substances.
It also emerged that the 48-year-old did not hold a valid driving licence. He therefore faced several allegations at once: driving under the influence of drugs and driving without a licence. Police ended the journey immediately. A blood sample was intended to confirm the preliminary test result and serve as evidence in the administrative offence proceedings.
Positive test in the evening on Thälmannstraße
The pattern continued that same evening. Around 7:00 p.m., a patrol checked a 31-year-old Renault driver on Thälmannstraße. Here too the drug preliminary test was positive, this time for cannabis and amphetamine. Mixing an intoxicating substance with a stimulant significantly increases the risk of misjudgement, delayed reactions and dangerous driving behaviour.
As in the first case, the journey was ended. The person concerned had to go to a police station for a blood sample. Administrative offence proceedings were also initiated against him. Officers followed the same procedural steps: immediate stop, documentation via the preliminary test, securing evidence through a blood sample, and starting the traffic-law consequences.
E-scooter rider near Marktstraße and Domplatz
During the night into Thursday, shortly after 2:00 a.m., a 28-year-old e-scooter rider attracted attention in the area of Marktstraße and Domplatz. Her drug preliminary test reacted positively to cannabis as well as amphetamine and methamphetamine. She was thus the third person within a short time window in whom police found drug influence in road traffic. Again, the journey was ended immediately, a blood sample followed, and administrative offence proceedings were opened.
The case also shows that not only car drivers are affected. E-scooters in public spaces are likewise subject to road safety rules. Anyone riding an electric scooter under the influence of drugs endangers themselves and other road users. Especially in the city centre, where pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles move in close proximity, even a brief loss of control can have serious consequences.
Which substances were detected
The three checks primarily involved amphetamine, methamphetamine and cannabis. Amphetamine and methamphetamine have stimulant effects, can distort perception and lead to overestimation of one's own abilities. Cannabis can impair attention, reaction time and orientation. In combination, these substances markedly increase accident risk.
- 48-year-old Dacia driver: positive preliminary test for amphetamine and methamphetamine, additionally driving without a licence
- 31-year-old Renault driver: positive preliminary test for cannabis and amphetamine
- 28-year-old e-scooter rider: positive preliminary test for cannabis, amphetamine and methamphetamine
Procedure after a positive drug preliminary test
Once a drug preliminary test is positive, officers generally end the person's participation in road traffic. A blood sample is then taken and analysed in a laboratory. In parallel, administrative offence proceedings are initiated. Depending on the result, fines, driving bans or further measures may follow. Where no driving licence is held, criminal aspects may also come into play.
With such operations, the Erfurt state police inspectorate emphasises consistent traffic enforcement. Drug preliminary tests are a central tool for quickly checking suspected cases. They do not, however, replace blood analysis, which is considered reliable evidence. That is why all three individuals had to undergo sampling.
Significance for road safety
Three independent cases within roughly one day make clear that driving under the influence of drugs is not a marginal phenomenon. Whether in the morning, in the evening or deep at night: police encountered those affected in very different situations. The locations Heinrichstraße, Thälmannstraße and Marktstraße/Domplatz are in Erfurt and show that checks take effect both on traffic corridors and in the city centre.
For other road users this means that inconspicuous behaviour behind the wheel or on an e-scooter says little about actual fitness to drive. Amphetamines can make someone appear outwardly alert while internal control is already impaired. Cannabis can dull reaction ability without this being immediately obvious to outsiders. That is why police checks and preliminary tests remain an important means of prevention.
Legal consequences and next steps
Administrative offence proceedings were initiated against all three persons. The final assessment depends on the blood test results and the specific circumstances. In addition to possible fines and driving bans, entries and further administrative consequences may follow. For the 48-year-old, the fact that he was driving without a licence is an aggravating factor.
Erfurt police document a clear sequence of action with this report: suspicion, check, positive preliminary test, immediate stop, blood sample and initiation of proceedings. Anyone taking part in road traffic under the influence of cannabis, amphetamine or methamphetamine risks their own safety and that of others and must expect consistent measures.
