Nineteen impaired drivers were arrested by police in the latest round of the road safety crackdown Operation Vega.

A spokesman called it “concerning” that so many were recorded under the influence between August 8 and September 12.

The previous round of the campaign, from July 11 to August 8, saw 22 arrests for impaired driving.

Police noted a sharp increase in tickets overall for the most recent cycle of Operation Vega: 716, or 76 more than the 640 previously handed out for poor driving.

Tickets for speeding and ignoring traffic signs also increased with the highest ticketed speed recorded at 94 km/h, or almost 60mph.

Police said warnings issued to drivers had also gone up, with 98 cautioned in the latest figures — compared with 91 previously.

Since its launch on July 6, 2021, Operation Vega has recorded 7,388 traffic tickets across the island for a string of offences.

Chief Inspector Robert Cardwell, of the police tactical operations division, called it “another good period of traffic enforcement”.

“We remain concerned around the number of unlicensed and uninsured vehicles on the roads, as well as the number of people driving without a valid driver’s licence,” he said.

“Speeding offenders continue to dominate the moving violation ticket numbers, with speeds in this period seen between 57 km/h and 94 km/h.”

He noted that the top speed offender had been driving at “almost triple the lawful speed limit”.

“Many of the traffic collisions we are seeing on the roads are attributable to speed and inattention — at times combined. Collision reduction is the goal of Operation Vega.”

Mr Cardwell added: “Impaired driving arrests on the roads, even in light of roadside sobriety testing, which is unfortunately sporadic due to the legislation framework we have to work within, is also a concern.

“We continue to caution against driving while impaired, whether by alcohol or drug, due to the inherent dangers and risk of injury that can be caused not only to yourself, but to someone else.”

He warned that an intoxicated driver suffered from slowed reflexes and lower mental acuity — which compromised the ability to stay in control of any vehicle.

Mr Cardwell said “buzzed” driving still constituted drunk driving, and was dangerous.

“We are very pleased with the traction Operation Vega has had, thanks to the hard work of all of the men and women of the Bermuda Police Service, specifically the operational units.

“Our ultimate goal is to make Bermuda safer. This is what we are all working towards — and includes ongoing vigilance regarding road safety.”

Mr Cardwell said the island’s figures for collisions on the roads remained “much higher than we would like to see them”, with continuing loss of life “a real concern”.

The grim toll of collisions continued to include serious injuries, from head trauma to the loss of a limb.

“Driving or riding safely should be everyone’s top priority,” he said. “The practising of safe-driving basics every time you are on the road is every driver’s and rider’s responsibility.”

He added: “The use of distracting devices such as a cellular phone, which is unlawful, is heavily frowned upon by other motorists sharing the road with you as a result of the clear distraction it causes while driving.

“The speed limit is 35 km/h and is reduced in some built-up areas, such as where pedestrian traffic is high, or in school zones.

“Driving above the speed limit, or without care, caution and consideration for your surroundings, puts you and others at risk of injury or worse.”

Mr Cardwell said police had been “overwhelmed” by public support for Operation Vega.

He added it was “clear that calming the roads is the want of most”.

“Making Bermuda safer is not just a job for the police service. This is something we can all contribute to and it can be achieved on the roads by slowing down as a start.”

• UPDATE: This article has been amended to clarify that impaired drivers were arrested, not ticketed.