Seventy people have been arrested in Cheshire during the first two weeks of a summer campaign against driving while unfit due to drink or drugs.
Officers say the figures appear to indicate that drivers are failing to get the message.
A month-long campaign in June last year brought a total of 108 arrests.
Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson said, "If the present trend continues we will obviously complete the month with a considerably higher figure than last year.
"It is very disappointing that drivers are not taking on board the idea that when they get behind the wheel after drinking they may kill or injure themselves and other people.
"They are also failing to grasp the fact that they may lose their licences, incur a criminal record, massively higher insurance costs and face heavy fines, or even a spell in prison.
"Summertime generally sees an increase in drink-driving. People take advantage of the better weather and longer hours of daylight to socialise and enjoy themselves. This often involves having a drink.
"There's no harm in that but our message is clear, ‘If you have had a drink, make sure someone else does the driving'
"Even one drink affects your reactions generally and certainly impairs your ability to cope with an emergency. We are asking all motorists to think about how drinking and driving could affect their lives and those of innocent people.”
The statistics from previous drink and drug driving campaigns and figures from this year's campaign have found young men to be the main culprits of driving whilst over the legal limit. All the people who were deemed unfit to drive after a field impairment test, which determines if a driver shouldn't be driving due to being under the influence of drugs, were also all male.
The number of people arrested for drug driving is already higher than the figure recorded for last year's campaign, which was 4 arrests for the month of June.
Cheshire Police will continue to crack down on drink and drug influenced driving throughout the summer. From next month officers will also target additional alcohol-related issues such as under-age drinking and anti social behaviour in a "Good, Bad and Ugly” themed campaign.
Phil Thompson said: "Neither I, nor my officers want to be breaking the awful news that a driver impaired by drink or drugs has killed their loved one.”
People who are aware of persistent drink-drivers are urged to report them on the Cheshire Police Information line; 0845 458 0000. Alternatively, you can report them anonymously on the Cheshire Police website.
