Drink Drive Message Still Ignored

Auckland Police are still amazed that some drivers continue to ignore the drink drive message and the consequences that come from drinking and driving or allowing friends and family to drink and drive.

This weekend many major exits to the Auckland CBD were targeted by alcohol checkpoints staffed by Auckland City, Waitemata, Traffic Alcohol Group and assisted by LTNZ Taxi Enforcement Inspectors.

Of the 7729 drivers stopped in the anti drink-drive campaign 104 were detected driving with excess breath alcohol with 25 of those electing to have blood tests taken to determine whether or not they too will face court proceedings.

Operation 'Safer Auckland 4' ran from 3am on both Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September specifically to target morning drivers of a high risk due to fatigue and overnight drinking.

21 of those testing positive for excess breath alcohol were under 20 (that's 20%) and many of them still on the graduated driver's license scheme.

The permitted level of breath alcohol is 400 microgram's per liter of breath.

One person who was bail with a condition of not drinking was stopped and blew 1300, over 3 times the allowable limit.

One officer didn't have to travel far to catch a drunk as while he was traveling to the first checkpoint on the first night a driver nearly collided with him head on.

That driver 'fell' from his car and blew nearly 1100.

Nine people were arrested on a variety of charges, 7 cars were impounded and 18 drivers had their licenses suspended.

Approximately a third of the vehicles stopped were commercial vehicles largely consisting of taxis.

While Auckland police applaud those members of the public doing the right thing by being driven home by taxis, dial-a-driver or using a sober driver, LTNZ Taxi Enforcement Inspectors conducting minor visual examinations of 573 taxicabs uncovered 289 that were non compliant with minor defects but alarmingly 52 were written off the road for serious safety defects.

Police will continue to have checkpoints and want to put those ignoring the message on notice that police will be out there, any time, any place, any weather and you will get caught.
ENDS