Only 5 per cent of Scots opt to drink-drive a year on from lower limit

Only 5 per cent of Scots opt to drive after consuming alcohol on an evening out while 82 per cent believe that drink driving is unacceptable.

Twelve months on from the Scottish government introducing a lower drink drive limit, new research from the government and Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) reveals Scots are changing their behaviour, with only 5 per cent opting to drive after consuming alcohol on an evening out and 82 per cent agreeing drink driving is unacceptable.

Only 1 in 20 Scottish adults would drive themselves home after they had been drinking on a night out 82 per cent of people agree that drinking any alcohol before driving is unacceptable (while 12 per cent disagree) 67 per cent of people wouldn’t consider driving the morning after drinking on a night out .

The research coincides with the launch of Police Scotland’s festive enforcement campaign this weekend, and new figures show the number of drink driving offences in Scotland has fallen by 12.5 per cent from December 2014 to August 2015, compared to the same period the previous year. This is a fall in the number of offences from 4,208 to 3,682.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, said: “Since the Scottish government lowered the drink drive limit last December, all the statistics are going in the right direction – fewer people are being caught, but more importantly there’s a shift in attitudes to even having one drink and driving, and indeed driving the next day after drinking.

“But while these figures show that positive steps are being taken to change attitudes towards drink driving, it is concerning that there is still a minority who would risk the safety of other road users, and themselves, by getting behind the wheel after drinking. That is why I welcome the police action being taken to tackle reckless road users who continue to flout the law.

“Collectively, we are sending out a strong message when it comes to drink driving and our advice is simple – just don’t risk it.”

Superintendent Fraser Candlish from Police Scotland said: “Police stop around 20,000 drivers a month in Scotland; that’s one vehicle on average every two minutes.

“We will be increasing our enforcement throughout the festive period to discourage anyone thinking about drinking and driving, so the best advice is if you are planning to drink this Christmas, don’t drive.”