Drink driving offences in Scotland: FOI release
- Published
- 20 February 2025
- Directorate
- Safer Communities Directorate
- Topic
- Law and order, Public sector, Transport
- FOI reference
- FOI/202500448759
- Date received
- 20 January 2025
- Date responded
- 12 February 2025
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Information requested
The number of drivers convicted in Scotland for drink driving, specifically the below sections of the RTOA 1988 –
Section 5(1)(A)
Section 4(2)
Section 5(1)(B)
Section 7(6).
You later clarified the years you wanted the data for as 2020-2023.
Response
I enclose a copy all of the information you requested as an excel spreadsheet. Please note that data is supplied for financial years. We have supplied data for all charges under the offence of 'driving under the influence'.
| People convicted for driving under the influence (main offence) | |||||
|
Offence |
Charge |
2019-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
|
Driving motor vehicle while under influence of controlled drug above |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT1988 SECTION 5A(1)(A) |
3 |
36 |
213 |
370 |
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 5A(1)(A)&(2) |
1 |
83 |
321 |
699 |
|
|
Driving motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 4(1) |
304 |
146 |
281 |
332 |
|
Driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 5(1)(A) |
2460 |
1536 |
2065 |
2364 |
|
Failure to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at police station |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 7(6) |
367 |
215 |
344 |
440 |
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 7(6)(A) |
1 |
17 |
27 |
22 |
|
|
Failure to provide breath specimen at the roadside |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 6(1) & 6(2) & 6(6) |
29 |
12 |
41 |
60 |
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 6(1) & 6(3) & 6(6) |
8 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
|
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 6(1) & 6(4) & 6(6) |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 6(1) & 6(5) & 6(6) |
3 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
|
|
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 6(1)(3)(6) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
In charge of motor vehicle while under influence of controlled drug |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 5A(1)(B) |
0 |
6 |
37 |
51 |
|
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink/drugs |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 4(2) |
44 |
26 |
38 |
47 |
|
In charge of motor vehicle while blood alcohol content above limit |
ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 1988 SECTION 5(1)(B) |
179 |
107 |
183 |
214 |
|
Total people convicted |
3402 |
2188 |
3563 |
4619 |
|
|
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database. |
|||||
|
Please note: data for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 are affected by the pandemic, subsequent court closures, reduced court capacity due to physical distancing measures and delays to cases where key participants were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, and may not be considered indicative of long term trends. |
|||||
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