THERE were 395 drink drivers caught in Dumfries and Galloway last year putting the region in the top ten for offences.
According to the figures from Police Scotland, this area was the eighth worst in Scotland for motorists driving under the influence.
And the numbers were the highest locally in a decade.
Furthermore, a total of 3986 motorists in Scotland were breath-tested after an accident, with the highest proportion of tests in Dumfries and Galloway where 77 per cent of drivers were breathalysed.
That compares to 62 per cent locally in 2022-3.
Analysing the figures, a spokesman for personal breathalyser firm AlcoSense pointed out that 312 motorists were involved in collisions in this region in 2022-3 and 195 were breathalysed; in 2023 there were 285 collisions and 219 breathalyse tests.
A spokesman said: “So Dumfries and Galloway Police has ramped up the number of roadside breath tests despite fewer road accidents.”
The firm also shared further data showing that eight people locally refused or failed a breath test after an accident last year.
That equates to 3.7 per cent, which is below the Scottish failure rate of 4.1 per cent and lower than in England and Wales where it’s six per cent.
AlcoSense MD Hunter Abbott said: “If you’ve been drinking the night before, we recommend a personal breathalyser to check you’re clear in the morning.
“At the Scottish limit, you’re still 5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than when completely sober, according to research.”
The Scottish drink drive limit was lowered in December 2014 from 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood – the limit in England and Wales – to 50mg.
