A driver was charged or fined nearly every two days in Perth and Kinross for drink or drugs offences in the past three years, according to new figures.
A Freedom of Information request to Police Scotland from the Scottish Conservatives shows there were 499 offences in the region in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Despite lockdown, the number of incidents actually increased in 2020, from 157 in 2019 to 166.
The highest number of such crimes shown in the data for last year was for motorists caught driving a vehicle with their blood alcohol level above the prescribed limit – 64 incidents – and this was followed by 38 incidents of motorists who failed to provide a breath specimen at the roadside.
The third highest figure for 2020 was motorists who were unfit to drive through either drink or drugs – 34 incidents.
The actions of those who drink and drive were slammed by the Conservative candidate for Perthshire North at the upcoming Scottish election Murdo Fraser.
He said: “These figures for 2020 are shocking, especially given the fact that these crimes took place during the pandemic and actually increased on the figures for 2019.
“It shows the selfish actions of some motorists in Perth and Kinross who were willing to take the risk of driving a vehicle after having taken either alcohol or illegal drugs. It is absolute nonsense that police officers had to spend their valuable time dealing with such incidents – pulling them away from other duties.”
