NEW figures show drug driving has overtaken alcohol as the biggest threat to safety on Scotland’s roads.
Around 3500 drink and drug driving tests were carried out by Police Scotland during their annual festive crackdown.
Data shows more motorists were caught drug driving – despite police carrying out five times as many breathalyser tests than drug tests.
Officers carried out 626 roadside drug tests, catching 398 drivers – 79 more than the 319 caught over the alcohol limit from more than 3000 breath tests.
Experts warn the data is only the tip of the iceberg amid fears thousands more drug drivers high on cannabis, cocaine and other illicit substances are slipping through the net.
It comes as Scotland’s efforts to clamp down on drug drivers are being limited by funding shortfalls, with toxicology services and roads policing stretched to breaking point.
Critics have now called on the Scottish Government to ensure the fightback against the growing drug driving menace is properly funded and resourced.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “These shocking figures show how the SNP’s abject failure to get a grip on Scotland’s drugs crisis is putting lives at risk on our roads.
“Drug driving is spiralling on their watch while forensic testing capacity is overstretched, and police cuts mean there is a lack of specialised road traffic officers available to tackle this issue.
“This is yet another example of a soft-touch government asleep at the wheel.”
Scottish Labour justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill also called for the SNP to ensure the war against drug driving is properly funded.
She said: “These figures underline the vital work that our police are doing to clampdown on drug driving, which is utterly reckless and dangerous.
“However, with the increased prevalence of drug driving, it is important to ensure the capacity is there so anyone guilty of this offence does not slip through the net.
“The Scottish Government must ensure that police officers working across Scotland’s roads have the resources they need to ensure that people remain safe and lives are not needlessly lost.”
Forensic Services, overseen by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), analyses roadside drug tests but continues to face chronic capacity constraints, limiting the number of cases it can process each month.
Significant numbers of samples are outsourced – but with only one private provider even those numbers are strictly limited.
Police Scotland are keen to ramp up roadside testing but “ration” drug swabs sent for analysis to prevent labs becoming overwhelmed.
According to a new Forensic Services report, drug testing has been running 23% above the 270-case maximum over the last six months.
Director Fiona Douglas has long warned the service will be unable to meet rising drug driving demands without a “sustainable” long term remedy.
An agreed long term plan to vastly increase capacity – with a new laboratory, extra equipment and more forensic scientists – remains on hold due to budget constraints.
Ms Douglas, however, says work has begun with partners to develop the Final Business Case (FBC) for the delivery of a “sustainable criminal toxicology service for Scotland”.
She acknowledges developing the FBC, securing funding and obtaining approval “will take several years before producing tangible results”.
Transport Scotland data shows that between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022, 293 people died in road crashes, with 22 (7.5%) involving a drug-impaired driver or rider.
Overall, drug driving contributed to at least 104 deaths across the period.
Extra officers
Police Scotland are training up 300 extra frontline officers to carry out roadside drug tests which, until recently, were only deployed by road policing cops.
They estimate around 700 samples could eventually be sent for testing monthly which equates to 8400 annually at a cost of more than £1.4million.
Police Scotland acknowledge their long-term vision will “require the support of significant investment in forensic services to cope with the scale and nature demand of drug-driving in Scotland”.
The Scottish Government insisted any decisions to increase roadside testing and boost laboratory capacity “are operational matters for the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority”.
A spokesman said: “We have committed to record funding of over £1.7 billion in 2026-27, to support police capacity and capability, including tackling drug driving.
“We have also provided the Scottish Police Authority an additional £2 million since 2018 to increase drug driving testing capacity.”
The SPA said Ms Douglas told this month’s Forensic Services Committee a Full Business Case was being developed for a “long-term sustainable model”, which could include a new laboratory, additional equipment and increased staffing.
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, head of Road Policing, said: “Police Scotland will continue to target drink and drug drivers.
“Alcohol and drugs make a collision more likely and the impact destroys lives.
“These results bring a focus to work we do all year round.”
