Driver seven times over legal limit caught in Police Scotland festive crackdown

More than 500 people were caught drink or drug-driving by police over the festive period, including one driver found to be almost seven times over the legal limit.

Figures released by Police Scotland following a crackdown from December 1 to January 2 show 8,632 drivers were stopped and breathalysed, with 565 found to be committing drink or drug-driving offences.

That meant one in every 15 motorists breathalysed was found to be over the limit.

Of those 565 people, 23 were caught driving the morning after they had been drinking.

Police are patrolling the area following the incident.

In one case, officers in East Kilbride responded to public reports of a car being driven erratically and the driver was found to be nearly seven times over the limit.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said: “I am very disappointed that of the 8,632 drivers stopped and breathalysed during our Festive Road Safety Campaign, we caught 565 people for drink/drug-driving offences.

“This means that one in every 15 drivers breathalysed by officers were over the limit, compared with one in 28 during the same period in 2017/18.

“It was very alarming that during this period, 33 motorists were caught more than four times over the limit.”

He added he was “encouraged by the number of calls received from members of the public providing accurate information about drink-drivers, which helped officers to act promptly and stop them”.

Among those stopped, a taxi driver - with no passengers - was breathalysed in Falkirk and found to be more than three times over the limit. He was banned for 16 months and fined £500.

Officers also stopped a 45-year-old woman on the A76 between Kilmarnock and Mauchline. She was found to be five times over the limit and pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court on Christmas Eve.

During the festive period, police made 64 vehicle forfeiture requests to the procurator fiscal as a result of drink-driving.