A FESTIVE campaign to stop drink driving in Fife has been hailed as a success, with the number of drivers caught down by 71 per cent.

The new lower drink drive limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood came into force on 5th December, and police across Fife stepped up their efforts in the run-up to Christmas to hammer home the message not to risk getting behind the wheel while over the limit.

Over a four week festive campaign, Police Scotland tested 1434 Kingdom for alcohol, many in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, and only 11 were caught under the influence compared to 38 in the same period last year - a significant 71 per cent reduction. Of those 11 caught, two were detected between the new 50mg limit and the previous 80mg limit.

The offenders are now facing an unhappy start to the New Year, with a minimum 20-year criminal record, a fine, and no licence.

Scottish Government Justice |Secretary, Michael Matheson, said, “These latest statistics show a 71 per cent decrease in the number of drink drive detections in Fife over the festive period, and are testament to the immediate effect that the new lower limit has helped in the move to make our roads safer.

“Scotland is leading the way, across the UK, with the introduction of a lower drink drive limit, which has backing from experts, road safety campaigners and the majority of the public, north and south of the border, as well as bringing Scotland into line with almost every other country in Europe.

“We will continue in our efforts to change driver behaviour in order to make our roads safer.

“And our advice for the year ahead is simple - drink driving is completely unacceptable and puts lives at risk, therefore the best approach is to avoid alcohol altogether if you intend to get behind the wheel.” Despite the Christmas and New Year period being over, motorists are still being reminded that the message not to drink any alcohol at all before driving and to plan journeys the next morning, remains relevant all year round.

Sergeant Brian Morgan, from Roads Policing in Fife, said, “The initial campaign may be over, but our work continues, and the message remains the same - don’t risk it, don’t take any alcohol before you get behind the wheel and it will help you help us keep people safe.” And he added, “The new limit is proving a good deterrent in stopping people from drinking and driving, but it is still unacceptable that 11 people chose to ignore all the advice and warnings and get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. “They are not just risking their lives but also those of other road users and pedestrians.

“Make it your New Year’s resolution to never drink and drive and help us keep Fife’s roads safe.” The new lower drink drive limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood came into force on 5th December, and police across Fife stepped up their efforts in the run-up to Christmas to hammer home the message not to risk getting behind the wheel while over the limit.

Over a four week festive campaign, Police Scotland tested 1434 Kingdom for alcohol, many in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, and only 11 were caught under the influence compared to 38 in the same period last year - a significant 71 per cent reduction. Of those 11 caught, two were detected between the new 50mg limit and the previous 80mg limit.

The offenders are now facing an unhappy start to the New Year, with a minimum 20-year criminal record, a fine, and no licence.

Scottish Government Justice |Secretary, Michael Matheson, said, “These latest statistics show a 71 per cent decrease in the number of drink drive detections in Fife over the festive period, and are testament to the immediate effect that the new lower limit has helped in the move to make our roads safer.

“Scotland is leading the way, across the UK, with the introduction of a lower drink drive limit, which has backing from experts, road safety campaigners and the majority of the public, north and south of the border, as well as bringing Scotland into line with almost every other country in Europe.

“We will continue in our efforts to change driver behaviour in order to make our roads safer.

“And our advice for the year ahead is simple - drink driving is completely unacceptable and puts lives at risk, therefore the best approach is to avoid alcohol altogether if you intend to get behind the wheel.” Despite the Christmas and New Year period being over, motorists are still being reminded that the message not to drink any alcohol at all before driving and to plan journeys the next morning, remains relevant all year round.

Sergeant Brian Morgan, from Roads Policing in Fife, said, “The initial campaign may be over, but our work continues, and the message remains the same - don’t risk it, don’t take any alcohol before you get behind the wheel and it will help you help us keep people safe.” And he added, “The new limit is proving a good deterrent in stopping people from drinking and driving, but it is still unacceptable that 11 people chose to ignore all the advice and warnings and get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. “They are not just risking their lives but also those of other road users and pedestrians.

“Make it your New Year’s resolution to never drink and drive and help us keep Fife’s roads safe.”