Drink-driving offences plummet in Scotland following lower limit

In the period December 2014 to August 2015, offences fell by 12.5 per cent compared with the same time in the previous year. The figure across the UK was 6.6 per cent.

The limit went from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood last year, meaning even just one drink can now put a driver over the limit.

AlcoSense, a breathlyser company, collated the numbers from Police Scotland, most English force, the Welsh police and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to create an up-to-date picture of drink-driving offences around the UK.

The English data showed drink driving offences had fallen by 7.3 per cent, while Northern Ireland saw a 9.4 per cent decline in the nine months after December 2014.

In contrast, Wales saw an increase of six per cent.

Only one area in Scotland reported an increase in offences – Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, at 4.7 per cent.

The greatest decline was in Dumfries and Galloway, where offences fell by 56 per cent,

Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense, said: “The legislative change has clearly had an impact in Scotland, with a significantly greater reduction in offences than elsewhere in the UK.

“People have become increasingly aware of the dangers associated with drink driving.”