POLICE have warned that a substantial fall in drink drive arrests during December does not mask the fact that a "significant" number of motorists are still willing to break the law.

Final statistics for the annual festive campaign in West Yorkshire show that 149 people were arrested and charged, which is down on last year's total of 189 offenders.

West Yorkshire Police do not yet have the figures to confirm how many tests were carried out during the campaign, compared to previous years.

In Bradford, 35 people are facing prosecution and more than half of the county's offenders were aged 35 or younger. The youngest drink drivers caught by police were male and each aged 18.

Inspector Joanne Field, who leads West Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Unit, said: "Every year at Christmas a handful of people take their lives into their hands and get behind the wheel while over the prescribed limit.

"We have seen a drop in the number of charges during this year's December campaign which is in line with a national trend, but every one person that takes the risk is one person too many.

"The number of young people choosing to drive while under the influence is also a cause for concern, especially as Government figures show that young men are more likely to die behind the wheel than any other age group.

"Drink driving has a devastating effect on individuals and families - both for the people who drive while drunk and the people, passengers and pedestrians who find themselves paying a big price for someone else's bad choice.

"Alcohol is a factor in 16 per cent of road deaths and people need to be aware that there is a choice before they get behind the wheel.

"Though we run this campaign every December, drink driving is an issue throughout the year and throughout 2015 we will continue to push the message that it's not worth the risk."

The proportion of women charged with drink or drug driving has been rising for each of the last five years, a trend mirrored nationally.

In 1998 only nine per cent of offenders were female, but that had risen to 17 per cent by 2012.

This year police released a daily tally on their website detailing the numbers arrested and charged, along with the age and home town of the offender and the location where each incident happened.

That shows Saturdays were the busiest for drink drive arrests, with December 13 the date when most people found themselves charged and expected to appear in court.

In addition to the offence of drink driving, some people have been arrested for driving while unfit and for failing to provide a sample, which also brings an automatic driving ban if proved in court.