KEY POINTS:
More than 100 drivers have been charged following a police drink-driving blitz in Counties Manukau at the weekend.
Police stopped more than 18,000 drivers at seven check points on Friday and Saturday.
Counties Manukau acting road policing manager Senior Sergeant Mike Stopforth said 130 people would be summoned to court on charges of excess breath-alcohol.
"Despite lower numbers of drivers picked up compared to previous similar operations the message is still not getting through," he said.
Previous operations showed one in every 50 drivers was over the legal limit, he said.
"During this operation, we detected one in every 138 drivers over the limit."
Police also arrested 14 people, suspended 36 licences and impounded 21 vehicles because they had been stolen, or because their drivers had committed offences including dangerous driving and failing to stop.
Bailiffs at the checkpoints executed 58 warrants for outstanding fines totalling $104,367.54 seized a further 55 vehicles.
Mr Stopforth said statistics showed continued enforcement was having some effect but there was still a long way to go, especially with older drivers.
"The drink-driving problem is not a young person's problem as many perceive.
Only 16 offenders under the age of 20 had been found, but, there was a large number of drinkers aged in their 30s and 40s.
- NZPA
