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Drink driving rises during lockdown despite closure of pubs and restaurants

A rise in drinking at home during lockdown may explain the rise, campaigners said - Ian West/PA
A rise in drinking at home during lockdown may explain the rise, campaigners said - Ian West/PA

The number of drink drivers caught on Scotland’s roads has risen during lockdown despite bars and restaurants being shut.

Crime statistics for April this year - the first complete month since lockdown began on March 23 - show that crime in most areas fell back drastically compared to the same month last year.

However, there was a 19 per cent spike in cases of driving under the influence, which also includes those who were caught behind the wheel having taken drugs.

Meanwhile, there was also a 38 per cent rise in fraud, which consumer groups said was at least partially explained by a surge in coronavirus-related scams.

While overall there was a 42 per cent reduction in motoring offences in Scotland, there were 604 driving under the influence cases recorded in April - more than 20 per day - compared to 507 last year.

“It’s really concerning to see an increase in drink driving offences during the lockdown period,” Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said.

“While we don’t have a full picture of the reasons for this increase, it could be another worrying sign that some of us are drinking at higher levels than we were before lockdown.

“When drinking at home it’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve drunk or to drink more than you planned to. It’s important to remember you could still be over the limit the morning after a night’s drinking, even if you wake up feeling okay.”

Police Scotland said that reduced traffic flows may also have contributed to the increase in arrests, as quieter roads made erratic driving easier to detect.

Overall, there was a 29 per cent fall in all crime in April, with incidents reducing from 21,644 to 15,449.

There was a 37 per cent drop in serious assaults, a 46 per cent drop in sexual assaults and a 50 per cent fall in shoplifting. Housebreaking offences were down by eight per cent.

Fears that lockdown would lead to an increase in domestic incidents are not borne out by the statistics, with crimes recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act falling by 13 per cent.

Cases of fraud rose from 791 to 1,089. There has been a trend in rising fraud over recent years, and changes to recording practices could partially explain the rise, statisticians said.

However, Scotland’s national consumer advice service, consumeradvice.scot, said it had received a number of enquiries related to fraud and the coronavirus crisis in recent weeks.

These include cold-calls about Covid-19 funds for businesses, and scammers offering coronavirus insurance schemes and asking for bank details, the organisation said.

Marjorie Gibson, head of operations, said: “These figures suggest that unscrupulous fraudsters are trying to exploit a public health crisis by preying on people and businesses.

“Evidence of this disgusting behaviour has been picked up across Scotland. We urge everyone to be vigilant.”

Addressing the rise in drink driving, Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock,  head of road policing at Police Scotland,  said: "Tackling drink and drug driving is one of our key priorities. The devastating impact of drink and drug driving on victims, communities and drivers themselves cannot be understated.

"Police officers have remained on proactive patrols on the road network and in our communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic.  During the lockdown restrictions roads have been significantly quieter making illegal driving behaviours easier to detect in some cases."

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “It is disappointing that, at this time, there continues to be a persistent minority of drivers who continue to ignore the law and put their lives and those of others at risk, by driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”