19/12/2019
🚨 Our officers were alarmed to have breath-tested a woman in West Auckland early this morning who was more than three times over the legal limit. 🚨
She will now be appearing before the courts and is one of dozens who have been found drink driving throughout Auckland in the past few weeks.
We are extremely disappointed by the number of people choosing to drink and drive, and are urging people to make appropriate plans if they are drinking alcohol leading into the holiday period.
Tomorrow - the Friday before Christmas - is one of the worst days of the year for drink-driving, and Police will be out in force breath testing people to ensure they aren’t behind the wheel tipsy or drunk.
Police, alongside Auckland Transport staff, have already been conducting multiple checkpoints throughout the region over the past two weekends.
In Counties Manukau alone, more than 15,700 vehicles have been stopped and tested, with 168 people being processed for alcohol related driving offences.
97 of those will be appearing before the courts in the coming weeks on alcohol related charges.
Alarmingly, a large number of the 168 were several times over the legal limit.
Tāmaki Makaurau Road Policing Manager Inspector Scott Webb says the figures are very concerning, and there is absolutely no excuse for motorists to be drinking to excess and then driving.
“Many people appear to be putting others at risk by failing to plan and driving under the influence of alcohol.”
He says alcohol is a huge contributing factor in crashes, making up around 29 per cent of all death and serious injury crashes.
“We will do whatever it takes to keep motorists safe on our roads over the busy summer period."
Tomorrow Auckland Transport will be making travel on buses, trains and some ferries free from 4pm.
Inspector Scott Webb says the 'Home Free' initiative gives people the opportunity to enjoy an after work drink and ensure they get home safely, and urges people to take up the opportunity and leave their cars at home.
So the message is simple, if you choose to drink, don't choose to drive.
Drive safe everyone!