The number of people arrested for drink driving during the festive period across the Thames Valley has risen, police have said.
Between Thursday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 27, a total of 258 people were arrested - up 12 per cent on the same period last year, when 230 people were stopped. Of those flagged down by traffic officers, 67 were from Oxfordshire, 88 from Buckinghamshire and 103 from Berkshire.
The majority of the motorists pulled over, a total of 210, were men, while 48 were women and the average age of the drivers was 36-years-old. While there was a five per cent increase in the number of men stopped, from 199 to 210, the number of women pulled over skyrocketed by 55 per cent, from 31 to 48.
Inspector Colin Clark, who is leading the Thames Valley Police drink drive campaign, said: “It is very disappointing that drivers are still failing to heed the message that drinking and driving can cause death and serious injury. If you test positive, you face losing your licence for at least 12 months, a fine of up to £5,000 and even a prison sentence. The message is simple - If you’ve been drinking, don’t drive. It’s not worth the risk.”
Thames Valley Police's joint Christmas anti-drink and drug drive crackdown, launched with Hampshire Constabulary, finished on January 1.
