THE former Strathclyde police region recorded the highest number of drink-drivers over the age of 50 anywhere in the UK during the last three years, according to new figures.
Figures show that in the three years to the end of 2012, police in the Strathclyde region stopped 1469 motorists aged 50 or over who were subsequently found to be over the legal alcohol limit.
Prior to the creation of the single police force Police Scotland, the Strathclyde division was the largest force in Scotland. Greater Manchester Police recorded the next-highest level of drink drivers over-50, catching 1452 over the three-year period, followed by Hampshire on 1294.
The figures suggested drinking and driving among elderly motorists was on the rise, with the number of over-75s offending increasing by 20% since 2010. A total of 232 over-75s were caught driving over the legal limit last year, including a 93-year-old stopped in Devon.
The fiigures emerged after freedom of information requests submitted to all UK police forces by car insurer Swiftcover.com. The figures show that. while the rate of drink-driving has fallen by 15% overall in recent years, it has remained almost exactly the same among the over-50s, who account for one in five drink-drivers. The proportion was as high as 54% in Lancashire and as low as 2% in London.
Roman Bryl, the underwriting manager at Swiftcover, said: "Drink-driving is not acceptable at any age. Although great strides have been made to tackle this in younger people, the number of motorists drink-driving from the older generations is still worryingly high.
"An increase in driving under the influence among the elderly is a shocking and deeply concerning trend as far too many casualties and fatalities occur as a result of this." The company's figures were drawn from data from 42 of the 52 UK police forces, requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
The forces were asked how many drivers had been caught driving over the legal alcohol limit in 2010, 2011 and 2012. They were also asked to say how many were aged 50 or over, with the offenders being grouped in five-year brackets from 50 to over 90.
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