Police have caught 35 drink-drivers in Oxfordshire since the start of an anti-drink-drive campaign this month.

Between Monday, December 7, and Sunday, December 13, 71 people were arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in the Thames Valley area, bringing the total number of arrests so far during the campaign to 112. Of the people arrested:

  • 27 were in the Oxfordshire police basic command unit (BCU)
  • 24 were in the Berkshire East BCU
  • 30 were in the Berkshire West BCU
  • 18 were in the Buckinghamshire BCU
  • 13 were in the Milton Keynes BCU.

Police said of those arrested, 98 were men and 14 were women. The average age was 33.

Eight drivers were caught in Oxfordshire in the first week of the campaign.

The month-long campaign is part of a national crackdown, supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), aimed at reducing the numbers of drink-drivers on our roads.

Police said the campaign was particularly aimed at men aged between 17 and 29, as research shows they are more likely to drive when over the legal limit or when unsure if they were over the legal limit.

Figures also show young men are more likely to become casualties or lose their lives as a result of drink-driving.

All drivers who provide a positive breath test or face a field impairment test to determine whether they have been using drugs, refuse to provide or fail to provide, face losing their licence for at least 12 months. They could go to prison for six months or pay a fine of up to £5,000.

Thames Valley Police Road Safety Sergeant, Chris Appleby, said: “It is disappointing that it seems drivers are failing to heed the message that drinking and driving causes death and serious injury.

“Drivers should be aware that we will be carrying out regular drink-driving checks throughout December.

"Plus, as a matter of course, we test any driver that has been involved in a collision, regardless of the time of day and whether they have been drinking or not.

“The message is simple, if you have been drinking – don’t drive.”