More than 300 arrests have been made across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as part of Operation Limit, our annual Christmas drink and drug driving campaign.
From 1st December to 31st December 2025, officers carried out increased targeted activity in order to stop drivers under the influence of drink and drugs. Our enforcement is intelligence-led, targeting hotspots and known offenders and we now have highly effective roadside testing for both alcohol and drugs.
Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 331 motorists were arrested. This included 146 on suspicion of drink driving and 185 people on suspicion of drug driving.
Consequences and penalties are severe for driving under the influence. They include driving bans, fines, criminal convictions and imprisonment.
These consequences affect not just the driver, they can have a lasting impact on family, employment and future opportunities.
Acting Superintendent Emma Hart, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said:
“We carry out this enforcement every single year during the festive period and it’s hugely disappointing to see that people are still getting behind the wheel when under the influence of drink and drugs.
“I am pleased that our teams have managed to take so many of these drivers off our roads, because we know the devastating consequences that can be caused by a drink or drug driver.
Article continues below this advertisement “Our absolute priority is to make our roads safer for everyone and you can help us do this by challenging anyone you think may be about to drive under the influence of drink or drugs. If you suspect someone is drink or drug driving, contact the police. In an emergency, always call 999.
“Even the smallest amount of alcohol or drugs can impact on your driving. It’s not worth the risk.”
Over 300 numpties who in 2026 still don’t know right from
wrong.
They should be banged up and banned from driving for life.
We need to get tough with these numpties
I wonder how many of them have done this before!!
If they are on benefits cut their benefits, we need strict rules
to deter them.
Rural pubs should only sell non alcoholic booze or be forced to
breathalyse customers who park on their premises and drive off
pissed
In the modern world we are now living in we have driverless
vehicles.
Going forward the Government should compulsory purchase
ALL vehicles Van’s and cars and the country should use driverless
vehicles ONLY
Such vehicles don’t drink or drug drive
they don’t park like ar@eholes
they don’t speed
No more unnesseccary accidents.
IT MUST COST THE NHS BILLIONS OF POUNDS EVERY YEAR
TREATING PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN UNNESSECCARY
ACCIDENTS AND OVERWHELMING THE NHS WHO HAVE BETTER
THINGS TO DO!
What a wonderful world it would be if NO Numpty was
let loose at the wheel.
Roll on driverless cars.
Sounds like you’ve had a drink yourself, or does your phone’s spellchecker not work?
So “drink” driving has now ben overtaken by “drug” driving – 44.2% to 55.8%.
Yet the planned legislation by merchant banker Starmpot and his socialist nut jobs makes NO mention of clamping down on “drug” drivers.
They will however, go after the over 65s and the 18-30s – HARD.
“If you suspect someone is drink or drug driving, contact the police.” exhorts Emma Hart, acting Super.
Thick as mince!
How would anyone who is not involved in drugs know if someone is taking drugs AND driving?
Drug drivers need to be banned for life if caught – that would soon stop it.
Anyone found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs should lose their licences for life and the vehicle they were driving should be crushed, it ridiculous that under current law you are permitted to have alcohol and drugs in your system, the tolerance should be zero.
You are spot on.
I absolutely agree that the cars should be seized and crushed. The deterent would be swift and effective. The drink/drug driving rate would plummet.
I don’t think they should lose their licence for life, but I agree with the rest of what you said.
Can we not get data just for us on the Island instead of being lumped in with the mainland as well?
My guess is more than 50% are island numpties.
In the rest of Hampshire they have rules
they have CCTV and speed cameras as deterrents
the island has nothing.
Devolution will make the island a safer place for everyone.
So what about Just the figures for the Island
Only 300 ? Police obviously not trying hard enough! That’s only 10 per day.
We need more police on our roads.
Islandwide permit parking charges and an increase in
road fund etc would help pay for the extra Police required.
Also council tax increases would help pay for the extra
police required to catch lawbreaking NUMPTIES
Be nice each time to know the Island data but also the number of vehicles stopped in total or in total on the Island.
If they only stopped say 1000 vehicles it’s a fair percentage but if they stopped 20,000
(I imagine it was around that, also 20,000 ÷ 30 = 666.66666….)
then it’s not as bad a figure as only 1000 vehicles.
Either way they wouldn’t have only stopped a few hundred or thousand