With Christmas rapidly approaching, it won’t be long before Police Scotland launches its annual festive drink driving campaign.
Last year’s campaign ran from 2nd December 2016 to 2nd January 2017 and saw an average of 610 drivers tested for drink driving every day.
In total, around 19,000 drivers were stopped during the campaign, and one in 30 (625) of them were found to be over the drink drive limit. This was an increase compared to the one in 36 found to be over the limit during the previous year’s campaign.
“We were massively active over the festive season and while the number of tests we carried out was greater than last year, proportionately the number of people caught, particularly those the following morning, was greater still,” said Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, speaking at the end of last year’s campaign.
“Drivers need to take far greater personal responsibility, and also be aware that while this campaign is over, my officers still have a very sharp focus on detecting and arresting drunk drivers,” he added. “I repeat the guidance given at the start of the campaign – don’t risk it, because – as these 625 people have found to their cost – we will detect and arrest you.”
The drink drive limit in Scotland is lower than anywhere else in the UK. In December 2014 a lower limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood was introduced, while the rest of the UK still retains an 80mg limit.
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