Drink-drive arrests across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are down 22 per cent as Hampshire Constabulary begins the third week of its Smashed campaign.
Officers have arrested 97 people on suspicion of drink-driving since the Christmas campaign launched on December 1.
East Hampshire, which covers policing in the Western Wards of Fareham, has had the second highest number of arrests with 34. Of those, 16 were in Fareham and Gosport, nine in Portsmouth, five on the Isle of Wight and four in Havant.
Arrests made on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol have taken place between 12.01am on December 1 and 11.59pm on December 16. The total arrests figure shows a 22 per cent drop in arrests during the same period in 2011.
Of those arrested, 59 were charged, 30 were bailed pending further enquiries and eight were released with no further action.
Chief Inspector Andy Bottomley, of the Joint Operations Unit roads policing for Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, said: “I would like to be able to say the decrease in arrests is down to the drink-drive message finally getting through – and I hope it is.
“A reduction is certainly encouraging as it does perhaps suggest that fewer people are taking that risk than last year. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be complacent. We’re still arresting drink-drive suspects every day and know we’ll arrest more before the year is out.”