When are controlling police officers allowed to withhold a driver’s card?

Answer 1 is correct. Police may withhold (confiscate) a driver’s card when it is being misused, especially if a card is presented that belongs to another person. The driver card is personal and may only be used by the driver it was issued to; using someone else’s card is treated like document misuse and can be used to hide true driving/rest times. To stop further misuse and to secure evidence for the proceedings, officers are allowed to take the card.

Answer 2 is not a reason to withhold the driver card. Speeding is dealt with through fines, points, and possibly driving bans, but it does not automatically justify taking the tachograph driver card.

Answer 3 is also not, by itself, a direct reason to withhold the card. Excess driving time is an infringement handled through enforcement measures and penalties; the card data can be read and checked, but the key “withholding” trigger in this question is presenting a card that belongs to someone else.

Rule of thumb: the driver card can be withheld mainly when there is card fraud or improper use (wrong person’s card, manipulation), not simply for typical traffic violations or hours breaches.