A 14-year-old child was among nearly 300 people arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) during their Christmas crackdown on drink and drug driving. The shocking figures, released on Friday, reveal that the oldest person arrested was an 82-year-old.
Between 1 December 2025 and 1 January 2026, police arrested 288 people for drink or drug driving – a slight decrease from 300 arrests during the same period the previous year. However, the highest reading for alcohol or drugs in the blood was almost five times the legal limit, indicating the severity of the offences.
Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson described the “level of detection” as “shocking”, stating that all the drivers had made a “conscious decision” to get behind the wheel while impaired. “Their selfish and reckless actions placed themselves, their passengers and all other road users in danger,” he added.
Preliminary data shows the PSNI also detected nearly 5,700 speeding offences during the campaign, with an average of nine arrests per day. Additionally, 35 people were caught not wearing a seatbelt, and 75 were found using a mobile phone while driving.
The figures also reveal a stark gender disparity, with 79% of those arrested being male. However, the number of female drivers taken into custody rose from 37 to 61 compared to the previous year.
Geographically, the Belfast area saw the most arrests at 56, while the Londonderry and Strabane areas experienced the largest drop, down from 40 to 23.
Donaldson emphasised the devastating impact of these incidents, stating that the deaths on Northern Ireland’s roads are “more than statistics” and represent “catastrophic, devastating losses for loved ones left behind”. He urged the public to consider the safety of themselves, their passengers, and all other road users before getting behind the wheel.
The Christmas crackdown is part of the PSNI’s ongoing efforts to improve road safety in the region, which has seen four deaths on the roads so far this year and 56 fatalities in 2025.
