Just over a year ago, on 5 December 2014, the alcohol limit for drivers in Scotland reduced from 80 milligrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood to 50 mg of alcohol in every 100 ml of blood   (in breath, 35 micrograms to 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres).  According to the Scottish Government, this reduction was to bring Scotland in line with most other European countries, to save lives and make Scotland’s roads safer.  The reduction has forced many people to change their drinking habits. A Scottish Government spokesperson said “alcohol at any level impairs driving, which is why our message is if you’re driving, the best approach is none”.    The new limit has also had a marked effect on the hospitality industry.

If the police want to investigate whether you are over the limit, they will carry out a screening breath test at the roadside using a breathalyser.  If you fail this test or they have other grounds to believe that your driving was impaired through drink, you will be arrested and taken to a police station, where further tests are then carried out.

The penalty for being caught over the legal alcohol limit is a ban from driving for at least a year, a potential fine of up to £5,000 and possibly imprisonment for up to six months.  The penalty imposed depends on the seriousness of the offence.  Anyone caught drink driving more than once in 10 years can be banned for at least 3 years.

Some figures are available on the effect of the reduction in the drink-drive limit on the crime rate.  In the first three weeks following the introduction of the new limit, 255 people were found to be driving under the influence of drink or drugs compared to 348 the previous year, a decrease of 27 per cent.   In the first three months of 2015, Police Scotland recorded 1,337 crimes for drink/drug driving.  For the same period in 2014, the figure was 1,388.  In June, figures release following the first fortnight of the 2015 Summer Drink Drive campaign showed one in 40 drivers stopped and breathalysed were over the limit.  This was an increase in the figures from the previous year when one in 55 was over the limit.

Over time, the effect of the new limit on the crime rate in Scotland will become more apparent.   Furthermore, the reduction in the limit should help reduce road traffic injuries and deaths in certain contexts.  A European study in 2006 found that reducing the blood/alcohol level to 50mg/100ml decreased alcohol related driving death rates by 11.5% in young people aged 18-25 and by 5.7% in men of all ages.  There was a time lag before the benefits of the reduction in limit were seen - the effects were evident after 2 years and increased over time, with the greatest impact being between 2 and 7 years.

The longer term effect in Scotland remains to be seen, but in the short term, approach and enjoy the festive period with a degree of caution!