Drink Drive Deaths Treble in Scotland

The number of deaths on Scottish roads caused by drink drivers has trebled, new figures show. A report from the Department for Transport reveals that 30 people were killed by drivers over the legal limit in 2022. There were 10 deaths in 2021.

The total number of casualties was also up by nearly 50%, with 310 people injured compared with 210 the previous year.

Across the whole of the UK, the number of fatalities increased to the highest level since 2009.

Analysis by personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense shows that Glasgow City remains Scotland’s drink drive hotspot, with 963 ‘driving under the influence’ (DUI) offences recorded. North Lanarkshire (757) and Highland (696) were in second and third place.

“Some studies show that people who drink more than the recommended limit have been drinking even more heavily since the pandemic, which may explain the increase in collisions where alcohol is a factor,” comments Hunter Abbott, MD of AlcoSense Laboratories.

“The number of drink drive accidents had been declining steadily over the past two decades. In 2003 there were 1,130 casualties and 50 deaths.

“But that now seems to have bottomed out and collisions are rising again”.

The latest Scottish Health Survey shows that alcohol consumption amongst those who drink above government guidelines increased to an average of 32.9 units per week in 2022, compared to 30.9 units before Covid struck.

Fourth in the league table of DUI offences was Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (681), followed by Fife (469).

Bottom of the table were the Islands of Shetland (26) and Orkney (28).

In total across Scotland, there were 8,041 DUI offences.

“If you’ve been drinking the night before, we recommend a personal breathalyser to check you’re clear in the morning”, adds Mr Abbott.

“At the Scottish limit, you’re still 5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than when completely sober, according to research”.

The Scottish drink drive limit was lowered in December 2014 from 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood – the limit in England and Wales - to 50mg.

-ends-

8 August 2024

Sources:

Scottish Government: Recorded Crime in Scotland 2023-2024

Department for Transport: Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain involving illegal alcohol levels 2022