Nearly 500 drivers were caught drink or drug driving on South Lanarkshire’s roads over the past year, according to a new police report. Officers have warned that those convicted face losing their licence for at least 12 months.
A total of 497 drink and drug driving detections were recorded between April 2025 and March 2026, up from 477 the previous year — a rise of 4.2 percent. The figures are contained in a road safety update from Police Scotland which will be presented to councillors at South Lanarkshire Council’s road safety forum on June 16.
Police Sergeant Lorna Hinshelwood, who produced the report, wrote: “Lanarkshire Division continues to focus on drink and drug driving, with 497 detections recorded. Upon conviction, these offences can carry a 12-month driving disqualification. Intelligence led policing is routinely used to disrupt and detect drivers who drive whilst under the influence of controlled drugs and/or alcohol.”
The drink and drug driving figures are part of a mixed picture across road safety offences in the region over the past year. Dangerous driving offences rose sharply, up 14.7 percent from 204 to 234, while the number of motorists caught on their mobile phones also climbed, from 129 to 137. Speeding crimes fell from 576 to 507, while the number of motorists not wearing their seatbelts dropped from 62 to 44.
Police officers underlined, however, that lower detection figures do not necessarily mean fewer offences are being committed, as enforcement activity and resourcing can affect the numbers recorded. The report also highlights a number of recent local operations. In mid-March, police carried out Operation Palace Grounds in Hamilton after the retail park and a local Asda received complaints about vehicle disruption. More than 100 vehicles were stopped as part of the operation.
A separate operation also took place across Lanarkshire in March targeting foreign-registered vehicles, to ensure they met UK standards and did not pose a risk to other road users. The police report states that Lanarkshire Division “is committed to ensuring the road network is safe”, along with partners and the Road Safety Governance Board, which has oversight of reviewing all road crashes and offending to provide a proportionate response to concerns or patterns identified.
