A Freedom of Information request by personal breathalyser company AlcoSense revealed that Thames Valley Police stopped 1,666 motorists suspected of drink-driving last December.
This compares to an average of 964 breath tests per month.
Of the drivers tested last December, 178 were found to be over the limit, a failure rate of more than 10 per cent.
Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense Laboratories, said: “Christmas parties and other festive celebrations mean police always ramp up roadside breath testing in December.”
He added: “At the current drink-drive limit in England and Wales, you are 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than when sober.
“If you drink four pints of medium-strong beer or four large glasses of wine, it can take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to clear your system.
“If you’ve been drinking in the evening, don’t drive.
“If you’re driving the next day, test yourself with a personal breathalyser to make sure you’re clear of alcohol from the night before.
“One in five drink-drive convictions are in the morning.”
Thames Valley Police conducted 12,274 roadside breath tests throughout 2023, a figure higher than any other region except South Wales and the Metropolitan Police area.
A total of 1,530 motorists were either positive or refused, meaning one in eight failed the test overall.
Nationally, there were 300 deaths on Britain’s roads where a motorist was over the drink-drive limit, an increase of 15 per cent over the previous year and the highest since 2009.
Drunk drivers account for 17 per cent of all road deaths.
The Department for Transport estimates that the total number of people injured in drink-drive accidents was 6,800, also up slightly.
The legal driving limits in the UK are based on the amount of alcohol detected in your blood or breath.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
In 1994, the Scottish government reduced the legal alcohol driving limit to bring it into line with many countries in Europe.
The lower drinking limit in Scotland is now 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
The safest alcohol limit is zero if you’re planning on driving, as even a small amount of alcohol can slow your reaction time and inhibit judgment, making you more likely to be involved in an accident.