Festive drink drivers caught in Mid Argyll

THREE drivers were charged and reported to the procurator fiscal for drink driving in Mid Argyll over the festive period.

On Saturday December 9 at 1.07am in Inveraray, a 43-year-old woman was arrested for being drunk while supervising a learner driver.

At 2am on Wednesday December 27 on Union Street, Lochgilphead, a vehicle was stopped and an 18-year-old man arrested and charged with drink driving.

A 56-year-old man was also arrested and charged for drink driving after being reported by witnesses on the Garval Road in Tarbert at 4am on New Year’s Day. Officers in the Highlands and Islands Division stopped a woman driver three times in eight days and found her to be over the limit on each occasion. She has been given an interim disqualification pending a court appearance.

The figures come as Police Scotland expressed dismay following the nation-wide results of a four-week drink and drug driving crackdown.

The campaign saw 15,771 drivers stopped during the 2017/18 festive period, with 567 (one in 28) detected for drink or drug driving. This is compared to one in 30 during the same period last year.

Of the 567 detected, seven per cent were caught the morning after drinking.

Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle, head of road policing, said: ‘It is disappointing the proportion of drivers detected has increased.

‘Notably, there were fewer drivers caught driving while still intoxicated ‘the morning after’ but there remains a hard-core of drivers who continue to risk their lives and the lives of others by drink/drug driving.

‘Very few of those caught were found to be between the new alcohol limit of 22mg per 100ml of breath and the old limit 35mg per 100 ml of breath. In fact, many of those caught were found to be significantly over the previous drink drive breath limit, some following road traffic collisions in which people were injured. We will be carrying out further research into offending patterns to improve our intelligence-led approach to identify and tackle that hard core of offenders.’

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘It is disappointing a persistent minority of drivers continue to ignore the law and put their lives and those of others at risk by driving while under the influence of alcohol. Those who fail drink drive tests face a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a substantial fine.’