11am and twice the limit

27th November 2009

A woman found to be more than twice the legal drink-drive limit in Napier yesterday is the reason why police operate booze buses during the day.

The 45-year-old, who was picked up at 11am, told officers she was a shift worker and had stopped at a mate's house after work for a few wines.

Sergeant Geoff Strother, of the Eastern District Traffic Alcohol Group (TAG), said the woman was intoxicated enough not to have noticed she had driven into a high visibility checkpoint operation being carried out in Riverbend Rd in suburban Onekawa.

"She drove straight through it," he said.

Further up the road she realised and stopped.

When processed she was found to have a breath/alcohol reading of 1000mcg. The legal limit is 400mcg.

"It's not unusual - we do tend to find high readings during the day," Mr Strother said.

"A lot of people question us when we stop them why we bother doing daytime CBTs (compulsory breath-testing). This is why."

 Police stopped 242 cars in just over an hour.

Officers also caught two disqualified drivers and two vehicles were impounded.

Mr Strother said while CBTs were largely in force during the night, daytime operations would continue on the "anyone, anytime, anywhere" anti-drink-driving philosophy.

"Especially this time of the year when things are leading into Christmas parties."

Previous years had shown there were still people who finished work at noon, went for celebratory drinks, and who were prepared to drive home.

 Mr Strother said TAG patrols would also be operating in semi-rural and rural areas using what he called "flying squads" - which use cars rather than the more easy-to-spot roadside booze bus.

He said there was a strong determination within the unit to prevent people driving after they had been drinking, and to catch and prosecute those who chose to.