Mount Airy police think more motorists finally are getting the message about not drinking and driving, based on results from a recent crackdown.

Local law enforcement personnel participated in the statewide “Operation Firecracker” campaign from June 29 to July 5, which targeted drunk driving during the Fourth of July holiday period.

The effort involved checkpoints and extra patrols, not only to catch those driving while impaired but violators of speeding and other traffic laws. The Mount Airy Police Department took part in the annual effort that also included saturation and random patrols of areas where problems have been concentrated in the past.

Results released this week show that only five arrests for driving while impaired were made in the city during the week-long crackdown, less than what has occurred in recent years during “Operation Firecracker.” Two of the recent arrests involved people younger than 21. Twenty-three DWI arrests were made in Surry County as a whole.

“The campaign did seem to go well,” said Sgt. Grayson Key, who coordinated the effort on behalf of city police.

Statewide, DWI arrests mirrored the trend seen locally, with 1,340 arrests for driving while impaired made during the June 29-July 5 period. That was down significantly from the more than 1,900 DWI charges logged during the same campaign in 2008.

“Overall, the statistics seem to indicate the problem is reducing over time,” Key said of DWI violations. “At least it’s showing a positive trend.”

Tougher drunk-driving laws, more aggressive enforcement, extensive public education campaigns through the media and the stigma of a drunk-driving arrest appear to be resulting in a behavioral change among motorists, according to Key.

“It does seem like we’re successful in our efforts,” he said.

“I believe it’s the education of the public,” Key said in suggesting one main factor for the apparent downturn in drunken driving. “They’re starting to realize the significance of a DWI arrest.”

But local police believe the seriousness of the DWI problem is something drivers need to be constantly reminded about; while some are complying with the law there is still an element which does not, Key said.

He shared nationwide statistics showing that catching a drunk driver can be a challenge to law enforcement.

For one, the average DWI violator commits that crime 80 times per year without getting caught. Estimates also indicate that the risk of a person getting arrested ranges from one in 200 trips in high-enforcement areas to one in 2,000 trips in others.

“So the fear of arrest is not very high, and it’s up to us to change that perception,” Key said, explaining that this is the function provided by traffic checkpoints and other high-visibility efforts.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.