Just 19 caught by new drink driving limit
ONLY 19 motorists were caught out by Scotland’s new drink-drive limit over the festive period, official figures have revealed.
The findings, which showed 96 per cent of drivers who broke the law were over the old limit, saw the SNP’s crackdown branded ‘pointless’.
A tiny minority of the 459 who failed the test over the festive period were between the former, higher, and new, lower, limit.
The Scottish Tories last night said police should be allowed to focus on ‘reckless boozers’, not those who are an ‘easy target’.
In 2014, the limit was slashed to a single pint of beer or glass of wine shortly before the Christmas party season, leaving Scotland with one of the harshest regimes in Europe.
Reducing the limit from 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood – the level across the rest of the UK – to 50mg brought Scotland in line with much of Europe.
But the punishment is an auto-
‘Go after reckless boozers’
matic 12-month driving ban for those caught, while suspensions are not mandatory in most other European countries.
The power to lower the drinkdrive limit was given to MSPs under a pre-referendum review of devolution.
Last night, Scottish Tory transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said: ‘This proves the new limit is pointless, with only 19 drivers out of 459 being caught between the old and new limits. There was always going to be a risk with the new drink-driving limit that the police would simply start pursuing easy targets such as people who are perfectly law-abiding, hardworking individuals.
‘The police should be going after reckless boozers, not those who are an easy target.’
One in 35 drivers stopped by police during the festive drinkdrive campaign were over the legal limit. The figure was a higher proportion than the festive period in 2014, when one in 50 drivers were over the limit.
Police Scotland tested 16,225 drivers between December 3 and January 1, with 459 over the limit. In 2014, 17,504 people were tested, with 351 over the limit.
The seasonal spike contrasts with a general downward trend for the year, with fewer drivers found to be over the limit in 2015 at 5,204, compared with the previous year’s 5,503.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘It is encouraging to see the number of people caught drink- driving has fallen since the introduction of the lower limit. Unfortunately, there is still a persistent minority of drivers who continue to ignore the law.
‘Campaigns like this help to reinforce the message that drinkdriving is unacceptable. Of the 459 caught drink-driving, just 19 were found to be between the old and new limit. This shows the majority of those caught are well over the limit, which is why we are working with Police Scotland on campaigns like this to crack down on this persistent minority.’
Chief Superintendent Andy Edmonston, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said :‘ Road safety is a high priority throughout the year and our officers will continue to target those who are intent on causing danger to others by driving under the influence of drink.’
Those who break the new law face a 12-month driving ban, a criminal record for a minimum of 20 years, a risk of being fined up to £5,000 and the possibility of being imprisoned for up to six months.