POLICE Scotland have recorded more than 16,000 drink and drug driving offences in the last three years, with 5582 logged in the last year alone, a new investigation has revealed.
Data obtained by law firm Legal Expert via Freedom of Information requests has found that in Scotland between December 2021 and November 2024, police logged 16,273 drink and drug driving crimes.
Last year, the force recorded the highest number of offences since 2021.
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) recently joined calls for a reduction in the legal blood alcohol limit for UK drivers after the latest figures from the Department for Transport revealed drink-driving deaths have risen to 300 a year — a 13-year-high.
Legal Expert’s road traffic accident specialist, Tracy Chick said: “Drink-driving is such an avoidable offence and there is no excuse for drinking and getting behind the wheel.”
Police Scotland also revealed the most prolific areas for drink and drug driving in the last year.
Where in Scotland is worst for drink-driving?
Greater Glasgow came out on top with a total of 782 offences logged between January 1 and November 31, 2024.
It is followed by Lanarkshire where 684 drink or drug-driving offences were recorded. A further 521 were clocked in the North East region as well as 417 in the Lothians and the Borders.
Renfrewshire and Inverclyde was the lowest with 176.
The most common age group for those caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs in Scotland in the last year was between 35-44, accounting for 29% of the figures, closely followed by 25-34 year-olds which made up 26%.
Around 79% of drink-drivers in Scotland last year were male.
The findings follow the latest data released by the Department for Transport in 2024 revealing that UK drink-driving deaths have hit a 13-year-high.
There were an estimated 300 deaths where at least one driver was over the legal blood-alcohol limit in 2022, the latest year for which official figures are available. This is the highest annual figure since 2009.
The number is 16% higher than in 2021 and means drink-drive fatalities accounted for about 18% of all deaths
Chick added: “It is deeply concerning that drink-drive-related deaths have reached their highest level since 2009. Anyone who drinks and drives is putting the lives of all road users at risk.
"The impact of drink-driving can be devastating not only for victims who have been killed or suffered life-changing injuries but also for the drivers facing serious legal consequences - it is such an avoidable offence and there is no excuse for drinking and getting behind the wheel."
