I NOTE that Police Scotland tested about 19,000 drivers in the month of December (“One in every 30 driver stopped in festive period over drink limit”, The Herald, January 9). One in 47 drivers tested was over the limit.

Assistant Chief Constable Higgins is reported as saying: “It is an absolute disgrace so many people were prepared to risk their own lives, as well as the lives of innocent people, by recklessly taking to the roads while in a drunken state.”

A “drunken state” and failing a breath test are not necessarily the same thing in my view. His use of emotive language is, whilst typical of the hierarchy of Police Scotland, is not accurate and not helpful.

It would be a disgrace however if any of those drivers breathalysed were tested in a manner outwith current police powers. Judging by the numbers tested, I suspect that many were.

It is perfectly reasonable and within police powers for a uniformed officer to stop any mechanically propelled vehicle being driven on a road. It is not, however, within the police powers to randomly require every driver to give a breath sample.

The police officer must have a reasonable suspicion that the driver has been drinking alcohol. Examples of the officer’s suspicion being aroused might be smelling alcohol on the driver’s breath, having received information from a third party that the driver of said car had indeed been consuming alcohol and perhaps observing the car being driven in an erratic manner. The latter is not likely if the car is in a line waiting to be approached by the officer.

I am confident that many, if not the majority, of those drivers breathalysed could not have given the officer “reasonable suspicion” and therefore should not have been so required.

Of course drinking and driving is an issue that has to be dealt with. Who would disagree with that?

It is high time the politicians stood up for road safety and had an honest debate about breath-testing drivers and whether present powers are adequate. By not addressing it the police service is left to keep pushing the boundaries of their powers.

My fear is we are walking into a police state and whilst each step may seem benign, it is not until one has travelled the path for some time you realise you have forgotten where you started. Then you are lost.

Ian McNeish,

2 Whitehill Place, Stirling.