A total of 71 people were arrested in the North for alleged drink-driving offences last weekend, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
In a major operation lasting for two eight-hour periods, 37 people were arrested on Friday night and 34 on Saturday. It was 10 times the number of arrests from last year's daily average.
Twenty-eight people have been killed so far this year on the North's roads. The latest victim died after her car struck a tree on the Waringsford Road in Banbridge, Co Down.
Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Duncan McCausland, said drivers must take extra care. "The last few weeks have been devastating for the whole community of Northern Ireland, not least for the families of those who have lost loved ones.
"The sad fact is that if the rate continues at the level we are experiencing, there are 200 people listening to me today who will not be alive at Christmas. Everyone has a responsibility to help reduce this total."
He pledged to stage similar operations over coming weeks. "This has not been a reaction to the deaths on the roads. It is something we have been planning for weeks."