A Northland woman was four times over the legal alcohol limit when she was trying to drive from her home near Kawakawa to Auckland airport yesterday, police say. The 55-year-old Mid-North woman was stopped by police at Whakapara, north of Whangarei, about 8am yesterday. In the 20 minutes she had been driving police received two complaints about her car allegedly veering across the centre line.
Inspector Al Symonds, of Kerikeri police, said the woman recorded an alcohol level of about 1000 micrograms per litre of breath. The new limit is 250mcg. The woman said she had been drinking the night before but had slept before trying to drive to the airport. Mr Symonds said even a full night's sleep was not necessarily enough to sober up. The number of people being picked up for drink-driving was increasing as Christmas drew nearer and Mr Symonds urged Northlanders to think about their families and work out how they would get home before heading out to drink.
