Drink-drive blitz nabs 20 people in Hawke's Bay

Eastern police say it was another disappointing weekend after drink-driving checks across the Bay. Photo / File

It was a busy weekend but also a "bad" weekend for drink-drivers in Hawke's Bay with the police Traffic Alcohol Group nabbing 20 people in three days.

Eastern Police District road policing prevention manager Senior Sergeant Dan Foley said checkpoints were staged at about 10 sites in Hastings, Havelock North, Clive, Taradale, Napier and Ahuriri on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Fourteen people will appear in court for driving with levels over 400mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. At least two were more than twice the limit, including one at 884mcg.

Penalties for exceeding 400mcg include up to six months' disqualification from driving and up to $4500 fine or three months' imprisonment

The other six recorded levels of 250-400mcg, which attracted an infringement notice, an instant $200 fine and, for a first offence, 50 demerit points.

When a motorist accumulates 100 or more demerit points they are automatically suspended from driving for three months.

A similar blitz two months ago caught 27 people over the drink-alcohol limits, including 11 who were prosecuted, while last month 22 were caught out. In the latest campaign, all four "processed" for drink-driving on Thursday night recorded more than 400mcg. Six on Friday night were over 400mcg, as were four on Saturday night.

"That's bad. It's not what we call a good night," Foley said.

"We work very hard to keep the roads safe for all users, and drivers prepared to take risks like this are putting their lives and other people's lives in jeopardy.

"Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your driving, and the best advice is always to make the choice to drink or drive — not both.

"If you've been drinking, call a taxi or get a friend who hasn't been drinking to drive you home."

There is, however, some divided opinion over the 2014 changes.

New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball last month submitted a member's bill to Parliament to repeal the legislation, claiming it targets the wrong people, saying the road toll and proportion of drivers with alcohol in their system represented in it had increased.

"The vast majority of drivers in fatal drink-driving accidents have been in the range of twice the legal limit," he said last month.

"These are the recidivist, high-level drink drivers we need to be targeting — not hard-working Kiwis who have a beer or wine after work.

"Since the alcohol breath and blood levels were made more restrictive, the number of drink-driving accidents has actually increased," Darroch said, using 2014 and 2015 figures.

"There has been a 36 per cent increase in charges, 40 per cent increase in convictions, and up to 50 per cent increase in fatalities involving drink-drivers."

His Land Transport (Repeal of Lower Specified Alcohol Limits) Amendment Bill, which would reinstate 400mcg as the lower limit for first-time adult offending, can only proceed through Parliament if it is selected by ballot from private member's bills.

The lower limit and infringement notice was introduced in 2014 after years of calls from police for a lower limit to bring New Zealand in line with many other countries.