More newcomers
No fewer than 107,000 people obtained a driver's license for passenger vehicles last year: 26 percent more than in 2022. Despite the increased number of new drivers, fewer driver's licenses were revoked in 2021. The most common reason for revocation was excessive speed, according to the Federal Roads Office (Astra).
At the end of 2021, slightly more than six million people in Switzerland held a driver's license for passenger vehicles. Last year, 107,130 people acquired a new category B driver's license, an increase of 26 percent according to the Federal Roads Office (Astra).
The increase is due to an adjustment in training, which came into force on January 1, 2022. For example, learning drives are now possible from the age of 17. However, the increase in the number of new drivers affects all age groups. At the end of 2021, slightly more than four million people held a driver's license for motorcycles, a figure that had hardly changed.
Fewer deportations overall
According to Astra statistics, the number of license withdrawals in 2021 was 76,750, below 80,000 for the third year in a row. Cancellations of probationary driver's licenses, however, increased by 6.5 percent, to 1422, as did withdrawals of learner's licenses (with a 13.9 percent increase to 4604). The main reason for these increases is likely to be the rising number of learner drivers and new drivers.
However, the main causes of license withdrawals have remained constant in recent years: In 28,949 cases, the license was withdrawn for speeding, and in 10,591 cases for drunk driving. 7402 tickets were withdrawn for endangering third parties due to inattention The number of tickets withdrawn for driving under the influence of drugs increased in 2021 compared to the previous year (by 5.3 percent to 4634 cases), according to the Federal Roads Office.
Source: Astra
