KEY POINTS:
Concern is growing at the number of drunk women driving with children following yet another disturbing case - this time in the Waikato where a young mother was clocked doing 146km/h with three unrestrained children in her car.
The 23-year-old was allegedly one-and-a-half times over the limit when she was caught trying to overtake with a 3-week-old baby, 2-year-old toddler and a 12-year-old in the backseat.
She is the fourth woman to be caught this month with children in the car while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Constable Gregg Flintoff said the most recent case occurred yesterday afternoon. The woman had just reached Karapiro when she was clocked doing 146km/h by a Waikato Highway Patrol unit while overtaking on a corner. The woman was stopped and asked to perform a roadside test, during which she blew 684 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - the legal limit is 400.
Mr Flintoff said the older children were unrestrained in the backseat, while the baby was in a capsule which wasn't buckled in.
The family were taken to the police station where the woman was charged with a number of offences including dangerous driving.
Child, Youth and Family was called in to look after the children and was believed to have driven them back to Tauranga. It was still assessing the case and it was not clear last night if the children would be taken from the woman, who is due in court next week.
This is the second incident in a week where an intoxicated woman has been found to have unrestrained children in her vehicle while driving in the Waikato.
On Friday, a 45-year-old who was allegedly three times over the legal limit was caught driving through Huntly with a 4-month-old baby and two children aged 5 and 9.
Mr Flintoff said that the combination of drink driving, speed and unrestrained children was an obvious recipe for tragedy.
"Although most right-thinking people would not consider driving when drunk, there is obviously a hard core of repeat drink drivers who, without considering the consequences, are prepared to put the lives of others, even those vulnerable ones under their care, at risk."
Children's Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro said she was concerned to hear of yet another case involving a mother who were not getting the anti-drink driving message.
"This is a real no brainer because there is no way these mothers should be driving cars in that intoxicated condition.
"I would suggest if a mother gets to a point of bundling her babies or children into the back of the car when she gets drunk then I think she has got a number of issues that she needs to basically confront."
Dr Kiro didn't think it a case of women not having enough information about the dangers of drink driving.
"These messages have been well homed. I would suggest that in the cases of these mums, there are other issues going on and they really need to get treatment and they need to get help because there is no excuse frankly."
A SORRY MONTH
Driving intoxicated and with children
Nov 16: A 28-year-old Whangarei woman was charged after being caught two times over the legal limit. She had six children in the car, five of whom were unrestrained.
Nov 18: A Kawerau woman, who was six-months pregnant, was charged with driving while more than double the legal limit.
Nov 23: A 45-year-old woman was caught driving through Huntly with her two children aged 5 and 9 and a 4-month-old. She was allegedly three times over the legal limit.
Nov 24: A 4-year-old girl was thrown from the car her mother was driving near Huia. The mother allegedly kept driving before crashing. She was later charged with drink driving.
Nov 28: A 23-year-old woman is caught in Karapiro with three children in the car. She is allegedly doing 146km/h and one-and-a-half times over the limit.
