Since March, the risk of driving license withdrawal and an MPU has risen again. The latter can be ordered from 1,1 per mil. If so, it will be time-consuming and expensive.
Every year tens of thousands of people in Germany have to undergo a medical-psychological aptitude test if they want to get their driving license back. Reasons for the MPU (Medical-Psychological Examination) test are drug and medication abuse, a full points account in Flensburg and, above all, drink-driving. The proportion of alcohol abusers of currently over 40 percent at the MPU could continue to increase in the near future, because a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig in March 2021 lowered the alcohol limit. Previously, the limit for ordering an MPU was 1,6, but in future road traffic authorities will be able to oblige drunk drivers to conduct the test, popularly known as the “idiot test”, from as little as 1,1 per thousand. Those affected then have to prepare well and also invest a lot in order to pass the exam.
In any case, the failure rate at the MPU is considered to be comparatively high. In the last few years, an average of around a third of those examined were classified as “unsuitable”. Then regaining the driver's license is a long way off. Therefore, those affected should not leave anything to chance in advance. According to figures from the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), four out of five test subjects should pass the MPU straight away.
In order to find out about the process and content as well as the possibilities of serious preparation, it is advisable to visit the free information evenings offered by various organizations. The main purpose of this preparation is to rethink your own attitudes. This may require professional support, but it costs: With individual coaching, it can easily run into four digits, because 10 one-hour consultations for around 100 euros each have to be. Alternatively, there are group consultations that cost around 600 euros. Together with the advisor, the person concerned draws up a roadmap on how to master the way back to the driver's license.
In principle, anyone can conduct MPU preparatory courses, as these do not have to be officially recognized. But how do you recognize a serious MPU coach? The TÜV names a diploma or a master’s degree in psychology as well as a training in traffic psychology as examples. In addition, the advisor should be familiar with diagnosing alcohol and drug consumption as well as road traffic law. A reputable consultant can also be recognized by the fact that he requests documents such as previous reports or the correspondence with the driver's license office, makes notes during the consultation and at the end issues a consultation result or a certificate of attendance.
Providers who promise to train "the right answers" to the "questions in the MPU", offer acting lessons or offer a "success or money-back guarantee", on the other hand, are considered dubious, warns TÜV Süd. In addition, a good counselor should not force those affected to memorize stories they have put together.
Incidentally, those who undergo MPU due to alcohol abuse do not necessarily have to be completely abstinent: it is often enough to put their own drinking behavior to the test and consume less or in a more controlled manner. Anyone who is dependent on alcohol must definitely undergo therapy and provide evidence of abstinence for a year. In the case of drugs, permanent abstinence must be proven. Depending on the individual case, severity and degree of risk, this evidence must be provided over a period of six to twelve months.
The MPU itself is carried out in Germany by organizations such as the TÜV companies or Dekra. Here, too, there are additional costs. If the reason is an alcohol problem, the person concerned must first carry out a proof of abstinence by means of a hair analysis, which costs a good 150 euros. There is also a fee schedule for the examination itself, the price of which depends on the reason for the examination. It is around 240 euros for an examination due to physical or mental impairments. For a drug MPU, on the other hand, just over 400 euros are charged.
The “idiot test”, which lasts between two and three hours, is divided into a medical examination, during which, for example, blood can be drawn, a reaction test and a psychological interview. The MPU assessor checks whether the person concerned has learned from their mistakes and changed their incorrect behavior. Here you should be able to explain, among other things, what you did wrong and why you did it this way and not differently. The expert also wants to clarify how a change in behavior came about and how the person concerned wants to ensure that earlier errors do not occur again. You should be open and honest in the conversation, after all, the reviewers are very experienced and notice when someone tries to pretend something. At the end of the examination, the reviewers can already indicate whether you have passed. As a rule, however, the candidate does not receive the final result until two weeks after the appointment.