AMHERST - Area police are reminding residents of the dangers of drinking and driving as people attend holiday parties and celebrate the coming of the new year.

In Easthampton Thursday night and Friday morning, Police Capt. Donald Emerson said officers made two arrests for operating under the influence of alcohol, and a third person will be summoned to court on the same charge after being brought to the hospital for injuries suffered in an accident. One of the arrests came after the vehicle struck a home on Main Street, Emerson said.

In the case of at least one of the arrests, the driver was returning from a Christmas party, Emerson said.

Emerson said people attending parties should be careful about the amount of alcohol they are consuming and not get behind the wheel if they are intoxicated.

Though the night before Christmas Eve was quiet in Amherst, the Police Department is continuing to participate in the "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest Mobilization," which runs through Jan. 3.

"The safety of our community is our number one priority, and to accomplish this we are aggressively enforcing the drunk-driving laws," said Police Chief Scott Livingstone, in a statement.

Amherst has made 139 arrests for drunken driving in 2009.

Residents attending parties where they will drink alcohol are advised to designate a sober driver or utilize taxi services or public transportation.

The mobilization is coordinated and funded by the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau.