Toronto police say they saw a significant increase in impaired driving arrests during this year’s holiday season R.I.D.E check initiative compared to 2014.

According to a release issued Monday, police made 211 impaired driving arrests this holiday season, an eight-per-cent increase from the 195 arrests made during the same 45-day period in 2014.

“People are absolutely not getting the message,” Const. Clint Stibbe told CP24 on Monday. “We are talking about quite a large number (of arrests).”

“Cars have been out since the 1920s. How is it that in 95-odd years we haven’t gotten the message that impaired driving is wrong and dangerous? Common sense unfortunately is not prevailing.”

The Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, or R.I.D.E campaign involves various police departments joining forces to conduct spot-checks on a cross-section of drivers.

Holidays tend to be when the R.I.D.E program is most active.

While there were more impaired driving arrests this holiday season, the total number of arrests was comparable to last year with 1,371 in 2014 to 1,364 in 2015.

Police also took the release of these numbers as a chance to warn drivers about impaired driving.

“The message has been, and always will be, if you drink don’t drive,” the release said. “The Toronto Police Service would like to remind the public that we all have a responsibility to make our roads safe for all road-users. If you drive a motor vehicle while intoxicated, we will stop you.”

Anyone with information about an impaired driving case is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.