Motorists have known for decades now that it is illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol and the law in Scotland has been made stricter in recent years.
Compared to other parts of the United Kingdom, the limit is much lower for Scottish drivers, meaning less alcohol is needed to be in violation.
The newer maximum intake was brought into law by the Scottish Government in 2014 and was part of a raft of new alcohol measures aimed at reducing consumption.
Other such laws include Minimum Unit Pricing legislation which raised the price of alcohol as well as limitations on when someone can buy these beverages.
How much alcohol can I drink and still safely drive in Scotland?
The law in Scotland states that drivers cannot exceed:
- 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
- 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
- 67 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.
Can I still drink a pint and drive in Scotland?
With Scotland's limit being far stricter than in other parts of the UK, there is no reliable way to drink any alcohol and stay under the limit, meaning it is practically impossible to drink a pint and drive safely.
The reason why there is not a total ban is that certain products like medicines and mouthwash can contain small amounts of alcohol.
What is the penalty for drunk driving in Scotland?
As is the case in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, those caught exceeding the alcohol limit while operating a vehicle can be punished in many ways.
- Penalties for being at the wheel of a vehicle can be as harsh as up to three months in prison, a fine of up to £2,500, and a possible driving ban.
- Driving while under the influence can result in a 6-month jail term, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of at least one year.
- Punishments may also stay on the offender's licence for 11 years
- Causing death while intoxicated is punishable by a further 14 years in prison.
When can I buy alcohol in Scotland?
Alcohol in Scotland can only be bought between the hours of 10 am and 10 pm in shops and supermarkets.
When was drunk driving made illegal?
While many laws existed prohibiting the drunk operation of vehicles like horse-drawn carriages, a limit for cars was introduced in the UK in 1966.
It was hoped that the Road Safety Bill would deter drivers from drinking and driving, making roads safer.
The law introduced an alcohol-blood limit of 80mg in 100cc of blood.
In 1967, the breathalyser was introduced, making the enforcement of the law much easier.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here