Nearly 300 arrested for drink/drug driving over festive period

Date published: 23 January 2026

New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Police Service of Northern Ireland present findings from the Christmas drink/drug driving campaign 2025/26, which ran from 1 December 2025 to 1 January 2026.

Key findings

• Initial figures show that PSNI officers conducted 5,198 preliminary breath tests (PBTs) during the Christmas drink/drug drive campaign. While this is a decrease of 19.0% on the same period last year, it is likely that the 2025/26 total will increase as more information is uploaded to the system from the PBT devices.
• Of the 5,198 PBTs conducted, 7.2% (375) resulted in a fail or failed to provide, which is proportionately slightly lower than for the 2024/25 campaign (7.9%).
• A total of 288 arrests were made for drink/drug driving related offences during this year’s campaign, representing a decrease of 4.0% compared with the same period last year (300).
• Belfast recorded the highest number of arrests (56), while Derry City and Strabane experienced the largest decrease in arrests compared with last year (from 40 to 23).
• Males accounted for the majority (78.8%) of those arrested, though there were 24 more females arrested than in 2024/25 (61 compared to 37).
• Just over half of those arrested (51.0%) were between 30 and 49 years old. The youngest person arrested was 14 years old while the oldest was 82 years old.
• The highest evidential breath test reading recorded over the campaign was 172µg/100ml.

About this publication

This bulletin summarises available information in relation to the PSNI Christmas drink/drug driving campaign 2025/26 which ran from 1st December 2025 to 1st January 2026 inclusive, specifically the outcomes in terms of preliminary breath tests (PBTs) and drink/drug driving arrests. The figures are provisional and subject to change, particularly for PBTs which are likely to increase as more information is uploaded to the system.

Further information

Read the full report: Motoring Offence Statistics