KEY POINTS:
A police officer didn't have to travel far to catch his first drunk of the night during a crackdown on drink-drivers in Auckland this weekend.
The officer was on his way to a checkpoint when a car nearly hit his patrol car head on.
The driver was so drunk he "fell" out of his car, Senior Sergeant Pete Kaveney, acting Road Policing Manager for Auckland, said.
A breath test confirmed what was already clear. The driver had a breath-alcohol level of 1100 micrograms per litre of breath, more than double 400 microgram limit.
He was one of 7729 drivers stopped at checkpoints in Auckland operating from 3am on Saturday and Sunday mornings during Operation Safer Auckland Four.
But he wasn't the drunkest. One driver who was out of prison on on bail with a condition of not drinking blew 1300 micrograms, more than three times the limit.
In all, nine people were arrested on a variety of charges, seven cars were impounded and 18 drivers had their licences suspended.
Police continue to be amazed at the extent to which some drivers ignore the calls not to drink and drive, Mr Kaveney said.
Of the 7729 drivers stopped, 104 were detected driving with excess breath alcohol. Of these 25 agreed to blood tests.
The operation targeted drivers in the early hours of the morning because fatigue at that time adds to the risks of drinking and driving.
Youths drinking and driving were also a feature of the weekend crackdown.
Twenty one of those testing positive were under 20 and many of them were still on the graduated driver's licences.
Approximately a third of the vehicles stopped were commercial vehicles, mostly taxis.
While Auckland police were happy that people were doing the right thing in using taxis, LTNZ Taxi Enforcement Inspectors found 289 of the taxis were were not compliant with road rules and 52 were ordered off the road with serious safety defects.
- NZPA
