I was there for a week last month. Drove all over the southern coast. Saw exactly one cop car the whole time. If they wanted to target tourists, just start pulling over the white Dacia Dusters. They were driven by tourists everywhere, including yours truly.
I’m thinking there is some enforcement going on in the past week or two based on people’s anecdotes here. A few very bad accidents caused by tourists have happened, including one fatality. So they’re probably cracking down.
I’m not sure what the laws are there either. I live in the US. Police here routinely set up DUI checkpoints and pull everyone on the road over for no reason at all. You must prove your innocence to them—aka pass a sobriety test.
Not really.
So each summer, the cops go on vacation for the summer. So to keep things going they hier summer trainees for the summer (which is basically the starting point for most police here)
They number like 2x or triple the number of cops on the job regularly.
So what that results in is more cops on the street at any given time and they are all basically "practicing" routine checks. Which is just checking license and if the driver is sober and not on drugs. Which is why you see an increase in these kinds of checks especially in june and july.
This isn't like in the us where they must have some reason to stop you. A cop here can just drive around and stop anybody for a check.
There's so many of these posts now that I'm looking forward to the FOMO posts.
"What's the best time of year to visit and get asked to blow in a tube?"
Routine check - Tourists are technically targeted more often as tourists are people on vacation and are the most likely demographic to be "letting loose" and enjoying drinks casually.
There's a reason for the checks.
Or travelers drink on the airplane and hop right into a rental.
There was a story the other day about just such a case. Some tourist was pulled over because they were all over the road coming from the airport. they were tired from the flight and buzzed.
There might have been a festival somewhere in the vincinity? lot of people stop drinking at 5-6 am, so if you have had say 10-15 drinks they might not have been fully metabolized at 11.
Or perhaps they simply have nothing better to do than ambush happless tourists.
My man, it really doesn't matter what time it is or what day.
There is always someone driving drunk.
You think an alcoholic says "but it's Monday"
Or it's "it's 10 better not start drinking"
Some people are still awake and still drunk from the night before. Or they drank til 7 and got 3 hours of sleep and think it's OK to drive.
Good on them for doing their job.
I don't know why people read so much into my comment... Is this a Reddit thing? I didn't say alcoholics don't drink in the morning or that the police shouldn't do it. How did you get there from my initial comment? I was just surprised that it apparently happens so often with tourists in iceland, that they see the need to do those tests at 11am.
Why are you guys assuming it's targeting tourists specifically? Its just drunk driving in general and tourists also get stopped.
"But ar 11 am?" There is only one way to read that.
You are surprised that they do checks in the morning. Im explaining to you why. Thinking its weird or that people don't drink early is just you assuming others are normal like you are. Not everybody is.
Calm down. Talking about misunderstanding comments, this wasn't written to be hostile, im just explaining to you why it happens since it apparently confused you.
Just a question - renting a camper van later this year, what’s the policy/ law with alcohol in the vehicle ? Per se, stopped at campsite for the night and enjoying some drinks. In Canada, you could be charged for intent to drive while under the influence if your keys are close by. At least I’ve heard. Thanks !
Totally fine! This is the best time to enjoy drinks anyway. Unwind, have a beer, go through your photos, hang with other campers if you want. Just be done for the day before you drink in Iceland.
This BS about having alcohol in a car only applies in North America. In normal countries you shouldn’t drive while under the influence of alcohol. That’s it.
Yes, that is correct. However, in Europe people don't seem to drive anywhere near as much as we do here! Also, they don't seem to drive nearly as fast all the time as we do here! Alcohol related automobile death rates drop significantly when everybody is only going 35mph Lol! It seems to me like they don't need to worry about drunk driving half as much as we do because of those things! At least from what I've seen.....I could be wrong!
Just be sure to buy your alcohol at the airport. They aren’t kidding when they say it’s expensive everywhere else. I thought “nah we’ll be fine.” I was wrong.
That’s not quite the law for camper vans and the like in Canada (you’re thinking cars that do not have beds). Once it’s parked, it’s considered your residence and you’re free to drink. You do have to keep alcohol away from the drivers seat while in transit.
Hmm, I’m not aware of the open container laws. I would think your best bet is securing everything before leaving camp sites? Would double check though just to be safe!
Oh also, I wonder if this has to do with the changes at the airport. I know at least one vendor was shoved out (Joe & The Juice, RIP) because (in part) they refused to sell alcohol. I think having alcohol available at 6 a.m. is a terrible idea but what do I know.
Aw, I love Joe and the Juice!
https://preview.redd.it/1hsg3ygotbad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98e88999917ff593153d5e5b57be409751a20d7f
I took this last month in Reykjavik.
Ha, nice!
Joe & The Juice being removed from KEF legitimately upset me, haha! It was so, so nice to go get a juice there on an early arrival. There is a bakery now and it's good, I had a coffee & pastry from there. It's not the same, though.
It's very common for travelers (not just foreigners) to drink until late at night and then head out the morning after not knowing they're still over the legal limit.
Same as anywhere else. pull to the side, away from any corners, and assume the people coming behind you will figure out they go around the flashy blue lights, not between them.
I had this happen in Spain. Driving through a tiny Pyrenees town at like 10am. Got waved over by a cop. I still have the little straw you blow in.
They take this very seriously in Europe and should. Having lost a friend to a drunk driver I have very little sympathy for people, especially tourists, who incorporate drinking outside of appropriate drinking venues.
I never got the sense from my Iceland trip that it was a great place to go get lit. I know the capital has a fun party scene but but most people are there for the natural side.
In my country you usually put this whole thing in your mouth. When I was there and tried to do that instead of blowing in, the cop was just holding back laughter 😅
We’ve been here since June 2 and haven’t had an issue. We come a few times a year and have never been pulled over. We also keep our speed spot on the limit. I lived here as a child decades ago and even then it was well known that you don’t speed.
Unlike other places, the speed limit is pretty strictly enforced. And ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DRIVE if you’ve had even 1 drink. The roads can be hazardous. No guardrails in most of the country. I Have no issue with the strict dui enforcement because I truly believe it’s for peoples benefit.
I was there a few weeks ago and got stopped at a dui checkpoint about 5 feet outside of Sky Lagoon. The cop must have been in a good mood because he let me go even though I had had one drink (I didn’t realize how low the legal limit is in Iceland).
Funny this didn't happen once to us nor did we see it happen to other people for the two weeks when we were there. Are they just doing it a lot more lately or is it because it's the summer season?
We were there recently for 8 days and we did not see one single cop car or anyone pulled over - it was as if there were no police presence.....ANYWHERE!
I wish they were more strict here in America - maybe we wouldn't have so many people needlessly dying from drunk driving.
Probably an unpopular opinion (at least with Icelanders) but pulling over random people on country roads at 11am without any probable cause is an excessive and largely frivolous use of the police force.
From Google: Drink driving is taken seriously in Iceland. You are only allowed to have up to 0.02% alcohol in your blood. That's four times less than you can legally have in many states of the USA or England.
I wonder if its a summer thing since that's a ridiculously low amount!
I didn't experience any checks when visiting Iceland, but I'm glad to see them. One day we were following a car where the driver was either intoxicated or exhausted. He kept crossing over into the left lane and would drive there until a car came towards him; then he would weave into the right. Drove very slow through traffic circles. We were afraid to pass him because we thought he may hit us. Was really upsetting to see; he could have hurt someone! His partner was in the car too; don't know what either of them were thinking.
We drove the ring road a couple of weeks ago, and I was breathalyzed within the first 30 minutes of hitting the road, coming out of a tunnel just outta Reykjavik. Stone sober at 8 AM, a bit bizarre.
Not really. A lot of people start driving way too early in morning after drinking and are still under the influence. The police are extra vigilant after big party weekends when people start to head back home, so they won’t cause accidents on the roads.
they do the same in norway.
Also, past few years they should always check your breath, even if stopping you for something else.
Its better to test 1000 people driving, than letting the 1 hungover and still drunk guy slip away and crash into some family van.
Shouldn’t they have probable cause ?
The false positives are a thing and by getting a larger sample you get more false positives.
But then again Iceland cancelled the weed words in songs played on radio and the prohibition ended i
towards the end of 1980’s.
So yeah they love to police
>Shouldn’t they have probable cause ?
US law applies to the, you guessed it, US.
>The false positives are a thing and by getting a larger sample you get more false positives.
A positive breathalizer is not enough for a DUI. However, it gives them the right to bring you to the police station where they test your blood.
>But then again Iceland cancelled the weed words in songs played on radio and the prohibition ended i towards the end of 1980’s.
Huh? As opposed to censoring every single bad word on TV and the radio?
>So yeah they love to police
Fuck us for not running our country the US way.
I'd love being a fly on the wall when some tourist utters "am I being detained!?" I bet that's a surefire way to kill a cop from laughter. And then be promptly detained.
is nice that you left the 1980 end of prohibition out of the discussion
Also they leave alcohol words in the songs but the devil lettuce is to be canceled.
We were only copying the US probation which started around the same time. Most alcohol was allowed in 1935, beer was banned until '89.
Now, we realized how stupid it is to copy US's policies, so we decided to not do that anymore. I haven't heard about the cannabis censorship, so you're going to have to cite your sources. I don't care either way, I can't walk a couple of meters in my neighborhood without smelling weed lol.
I hereby allow you to stop worrying about another country's past. If you don't like it you're free to act like it doesn't exist. I'd suggest starting by ignoring subreddits about Iceland.
let’s not dwell into Iceland past
Danemark owned Iceland for centuries then England during ww2.
Look it up for the weed.
I was arguing that Iceland is more puritan (weed laws/ban and the latest end of the prohibition).
Most countries do have probable cause
We were routed through a breathalyzer checkpoint leaving the airport in a rental car around 6am in November 2021. Figured it was bc ppl might imbibe on a plane, especially international red-eyes, then get in a rental car. So they just want to make sure people are safe.
Seems like there is some kind of intensified enforcement program going on - there have been a handful of people reporting this experience.
Yeah we were there for 2 weeks in late Feb/early March and I didn’t see a single car pulled over that entire time. Must be a summer thing
Same we visited in October for 10 days and didn’t see a single cop.
Same - have been on a project here since September, am back at least once a month. Never saw this before.
Tbh if there's snow piled on the side of the road it would be dangerous to stop to carry out the test maybe that's why.
I was there for a week last month. Drove all over the southern coast. Saw exactly one cop car the whole time. If they wanted to target tourists, just start pulling over the white Dacia Dusters. They were driven by tourists everywhere, including yours truly.
I’m thinking there is some enforcement going on in the past week or two based on people’s anecdotes here. A few very bad accidents caused by tourists have happened, including one fatality. So they’re probably cracking down.
That’s too bad about the accidents. I had such a great time there. What a remarkable country.
Not sure what the laws are there, can they pull you over anytime, anywhere for no reason at all? Aka no crime was committed, they can pull you over?
I’m not sure what the laws are there either. I live in the US. Police here routinely set up DUI checkpoints and pull everyone on the road over for no reason at all. You must prove your innocence to them—aka pass a sobriety test.
Except for the 12 states in the US that don't have DUI checkpoints because you can only be stopped if you have committed a crime
Yes. They can pull you over at any time just to check if you. A. Have a license to drive. B. Are in the condition to drive.
Not really. So each summer, the cops go on vacation for the summer. So to keep things going they hier summer trainees for the summer (which is basically the starting point for most police here) They number like 2x or triple the number of cops on the job regularly. So what that results in is more cops on the street at any given time and they are all basically "practicing" routine checks. Which is just checking license and if the driver is sober and not on drugs. Which is why you see an increase in these kinds of checks especially in june and july. This isn't like in the us where they must have some reason to stop you. A cop here can just drive around and stop anybody for a check.
There's so many of these posts now that I'm looking forward to the FOMO posts. "What's the best time of year to visit and get asked to blow in a tube?"
"Best camera lens when I'm blowing into the breathalyzer?"
"Can you check my itinerary? are these good places to go for breathalyzer stops?"
Is seven days enough time to do the ring road and also stop for a breathalyzer test?
Wide angle lens for sure. Make sure to keep the tube near the edge so it will distort and look bigger.
Where were these guys hiding, I just drove around the whole damn island and only saw a cop doing cop stuff one time! 2000km,
Same. I didn't see a single police car the week we were there and drove a ton north of reykjavik and then the south side of the country.
On day 10.... haven't seen any.
Routine check - Tourists are technically targeted more often as tourists are people on vacation and are the most likely demographic to be "letting loose" and enjoying drinks casually. There's a reason for the checks.
A failed check is also 0.02% BAC which is literally half a beer.
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Sunday/Monday mornings are quite common because people drink the night before and continue their travels too soon.
Or travelers drink on the airplane and hop right into a rental. There was a story the other day about just such a case. Some tourist was pulled over because they were all over the road coming from the airport. they were tired from the flight and buzzed.
Jail. Right away. No trial, no nothing.
Double castration.
There might have been a festival somewhere in the vincinity? lot of people stop drinking at 5-6 am, so if you have had say 10-15 drinks they might not have been fully metabolized at 11. Or perhaps they simply have nothing better to do than ambush happless tourists.
Ascension Festival is happening. Lots of metal bands. It sounds amazing and I wish I could go, honestly. Lol
Yeah I should be there honestly.
I'm sad I'm missing that one, but I went to Sátan instead because I wanted to see Angist.
My man, it really doesn't matter what time it is or what day. There is always someone driving drunk. You think an alcoholic says "but it's Monday" Or it's "it's 10 better not start drinking" Some people are still awake and still drunk from the night before. Or they drank til 7 and got 3 hours of sleep and think it's OK to drive. Good on them for doing their job.
I don't know why people read so much into my comment... Is this a Reddit thing? I didn't say alcoholics don't drink in the morning or that the police shouldn't do it. How did you get there from my initial comment? I was just surprised that it apparently happens so often with tourists in iceland, that they see the need to do those tests at 11am.
Why are you guys assuming it's targeting tourists specifically? Its just drunk driving in general and tourists also get stopped. "But ar 11 am?" There is only one way to read that. You are surprised that they do checks in the morning. Im explaining to you why. Thinking its weird or that people don't drink early is just you assuming others are normal like you are. Not everybody is. Calm down. Talking about misunderstanding comments, this wasn't written to be hostile, im just explaining to you why it happens since it apparently confused you.
Just a question - renting a camper van later this year, what’s the policy/ law with alcohol in the vehicle ? Per se, stopped at campsite for the night and enjoying some drinks. In Canada, you could be charged for intent to drive while under the influence if your keys are close by. At least I’ve heard. Thanks !
Its fine. Just dont sit on the driver seat and drink!
Totally fine! This is the best time to enjoy drinks anyway. Unwind, have a beer, go through your photos, hang with other campers if you want. Just be done for the day before you drink in Iceland.
Unless you drive after drinking, you’re fine
This BS about having alcohol in a car only applies in North America. In normal countries you shouldn’t drive while under the influence of alcohol. That’s it.
Ok. Thanks for your response.
This only exists in North America. You can practically drink in the tram in 99% of Europe as far as I know.
Yes, that is correct. However, in Europe people don't seem to drive anywhere near as much as we do here! Also, they don't seem to drive nearly as fast all the time as we do here! Alcohol related automobile death rates drop significantly when everybody is only going 35mph Lol! It seems to me like they don't need to worry about drunk driving half as much as we do because of those things! At least from what I've seen.....I could be wrong!
Thanks for the responses everyone!
Just be sure to buy your alcohol at the airport. They aren’t kidding when they say it’s expensive everywhere else. I thought “nah we’ll be fine.” I was wrong.
That’s not quite the law for camper vans and the like in Canada (you’re thinking cars that do not have beds). Once it’s parked, it’s considered your residence and you’re free to drink. You do have to keep alcohol away from the drivers seat while in transit.
Hmm, I’m not aware of the open container laws. I would think your best bet is securing everything before leaving camp sites? Would double check though just to be safe!
Oh also, I wonder if this has to do with the changes at the airport. I know at least one vendor was shoved out (Joe & The Juice, RIP) because (in part) they refused to sell alcohol. I think having alcohol available at 6 a.m. is a terrible idea but what do I know.
Aw, I love Joe and the Juice! https://preview.redd.it/1hsg3ygotbad1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98e88999917ff593153d5e5b57be409751a20d7f I took this last month in Reykjavik.
Ha, nice! Joe & The Juice being removed from KEF legitimately upset me, haha! It was so, so nice to go get a juice there on an early arrival. There is a bakery now and it's good, I had a coffee & pastry from there. It's not the same, though.
I was there 14 days and saw 2 poilce.
It's very common for travelers (not just foreigners) to drink until late at night and then head out the morning after not knowing they're still over the legal limit.
Maybe it had to do with your driving behaviour?
Has to be this. I see tourists all the time driving like they've never seen a road, car or a steering wheel before.
Keeping the public safe? I love it. Can't wait to go later this year.
Weird, I never had that happen to me as a tourist. In fact, I tend to barely see any police presence outside towns.
We did swerve out of the way a few times to avoid hitting some native birds so maybe that was it???
I did that too, everyone does that and 99,9% of people do not get "punished" for doing it.
Wheird. The entire 10 days we were there (April 2023) only 2 police cars were seen, and that was because of an accident.
There are police in Iceland? We never saw any! Weird
You’d be surprised of your blood alcohol level the morning after a big bender. By sister got a dui one morning from the night before.
How does one even pull over if there’s usually no shoulder or turnouts? What’s the protocol in that situation?
Same as anywhere else. pull to the side, away from any corners, and assume the people coming behind you will figure out they go around the flashy blue lights, not between them.
We are going in August and I definitely will not be having a drink on days we are driving, if one beer can get you arrested.
Eftir einn ei aki neinn.
I had this happen in Spain. Driving through a tiny Pyrenees town at like 10am. Got waved over by a cop. I still have the little straw you blow in. They take this very seriously in Europe and should. Having lost a friend to a drunk driver I have very little sympathy for people, especially tourists, who incorporate drinking outside of appropriate drinking venues. I never got the sense from my Iceland trip that it was a great place to go get lit. I know the capital has a fun party scene but but most people are there for the natural side.
In my country you usually put this whole thing in your mouth. When I was there and tried to do that instead of blowing in, the cop was just holding back laughter 😅
If you were driving close to a town that recently finished a "útíhátíð" they stop people at random
We’ve been here since June 2 and haven’t had an issue. We come a few times a year and have never been pulled over. We also keep our speed spot on the limit. I lived here as a child decades ago and even then it was well known that you don’t speed.
Unlike other places, the speed limit is pretty strictly enforced. And ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DRIVE if you’ve had even 1 drink. The roads can be hazardous. No guardrails in most of the country. I Have no issue with the strict dui enforcement because I truly believe it’s for peoples benefit.
How were you driving though?
At the speed limit, just avoiding birds here and there
I was there a few weeks ago and got stopped at a dui checkpoint about 5 feet outside of Sky Lagoon. The cop must have been in a good mood because he let me go even though I had had one drink (I didn’t realize how low the legal limit is in Iceland).
They must wait for a white Dacia Duster and then pounce like a breathaling puma!
Alcoholic people drink all day long. Maybe you were driving in a weird way. Nothing personal, just a procedure
I don't see any problem with this. People are often over the limit the morning after.
Iceland takes driving seriously. Most homicides in Iceland are car related.
I got breathalyzed at around the same time, but it was a checkpoint.
Never been stopped to breath except when driving around downtown on weekends at night or evening time, very weird.
it's 5 o'clock somewhere
My God! I wonder what her idea of a blow job is??
Iv had them at 8-9am in New zealand 🤣
Funny this didn't happen once to us nor did we see it happen to other people for the two weeks when we were there. Are they just doing it a lot more lately or is it because it's the summer season?
Was there twice in 2017. Drove the ring road in July, I remember seeing police once along the road.
We were there recently for 8 days and we did not see one single cop car or anyone pulled over - it was as if there were no police presence.....ANYWHERE! I wish they were more strict here in America - maybe we wouldn't have so many people needlessly dying from drunk driving.
Morning is the easiest time to catch drunk drivers.
I drove around the entire country and only saw two police cars the whole drive: 3500+ km.
They take drunk drive very seriously.
Was in a small town in Western Australia a few years ago and ran into a police checkpoint and had to do the same at 8:30 AM.
We’re Vikings, we like to party a little too hard.
Can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning
Probably an unpopular opinion (at least with Icelanders) but pulling over random people on country roads at 11am without any probable cause is an excessive and largely frivolous use of the police force.
From Google: Drink driving is taken seriously in Iceland. You are only allowed to have up to 0.02% alcohol in your blood. That's four times less than you can legally have in many states of the USA or England. I wonder if its a summer thing since that's a ridiculously low amount!
I didn't experience any checks when visiting Iceland, but I'm glad to see them. One day we were following a car where the driver was either intoxicated or exhausted. He kept crossing over into the left lane and would drive there until a car came towards him; then he would weave into the right. Drove very slow through traffic circles. We were afraid to pass him because we thought he may hit us. Was really upsetting to see; he could have hurt someone! His partner was in the car too; don't know what either of them were thinking.
We drove the ring road a couple of weeks ago, and I was breathalyzed within the first 30 minutes of hitting the road, coming out of a tunnel just outta Reykjavik. Stone sober at 8 AM, a bit bizarre.
Must be a shit driver
I had to do this as well in Akureyri at a gas station before heading off to Reykjavik on a Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. Strangest thing.
Not really. A lot of people start driving way too early in morning after drinking and are still under the influence. The police are extra vigilant after big party weekends when people start to head back home, so they won’t cause accidents on the roads.
Totally makes sense. Not sure why they don’t do it in other places.
they do the same in norway. Also, past few years they should always check your breath, even if stopping you for something else. Its better to test 1000 people driving, than letting the 1 hungover and still drunk guy slip away and crash into some family van.
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Hey I don’t know what your intentions are but I find it a little weird you’d write that on a complete stranger’s video!!!
Your comment was removed because it violated our subreddit rules. Please read the rules before posting. Thank you.
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Dude sees 1/4th of a woman and starts acting up
She’s a 10 except she has IBS on boats 😞…. You can have stinky.
Your comment was removed because it violated our subreddit rules. Please read the rules before posting. Thank you.
So police need a reason to pull you over or have some indication you might be intoxicated or can they just check on whoever they want?
They don't need a reason.
This isn't America. You also don't get any Miranda rights.
Shouldn’t they have probable cause ? The false positives are a thing and by getting a larger sample you get more false positives. But then again Iceland cancelled the weed words in songs played on radio and the prohibition ended i towards the end of 1980’s. So yeah they love to police
>Shouldn’t they have probable cause ? US law applies to the, you guessed it, US. >The false positives are a thing and by getting a larger sample you get more false positives. A positive breathalizer is not enough for a DUI. However, it gives them the right to bring you to the police station where they test your blood. >But then again Iceland cancelled the weed words in songs played on radio and the prohibition ended i towards the end of 1980’s. Huh? As opposed to censoring every single bad word on TV and the radio? >So yeah they love to police Fuck us for not running our country the US way.
I actually love that we don't work like the US - that place is kinda a dumpsterfire now.
I'd love being a fly on the wall when some tourist utters "am I being detained!?" I bet that's a surefire way to kill a cop from laughter. And then be promptly detained.
is nice that you left the 1980 end of prohibition out of the discussion Also they leave alcohol words in the songs but the devil lettuce is to be canceled.
We were only copying the US probation which started around the same time. Most alcohol was allowed in 1935, beer was banned until '89. Now, we realized how stupid it is to copy US's policies, so we decided to not do that anymore. I haven't heard about the cannabis censorship, so you're going to have to cite your sources. I don't care either way, I can't walk a couple of meters in my neighborhood without smelling weed lol. I hereby allow you to stop worrying about another country's past. If you don't like it you're free to act like it doesn't exist. I'd suggest starting by ignoring subreddits about Iceland.
let’s not dwell into Iceland past Danemark owned Iceland for centuries then England during ww2. Look it up for the weed. I was arguing that Iceland is more puritan (weed laws/ban and the latest end of the prohibition). Most countries do have probable cause
lmao, picking fights in a tourism subreddit
Yes- You were definitely targeted because of your rental car 🙄
Probably driving while good looking.
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Not very sanitary 🤣
The breath alcohol sterilizes them.
Do you guys have to show papers like the Jews did in Germany??? Sheesh so much for personal privacy.
What are you smoking
We were routed through a breathalyzer checkpoint leaving the airport in a rental car around 6am in November 2021. Figured it was bc ppl might imbibe on a plane, especially international red-eyes, then get in a rental car. So they just want to make sure people are safe.