Police breath-testing motorists on Queen St. Photo / Herald on Sunday
Police have been setting up checkpoints in the middle of the day to breath-test drivers at one of New Zealand's busiest intersections.
They say it's a warning to everyone that they could be breath-tested "anywhere, any time, any day".
Five police officers breath-tested motorists on the corner of
Queen St and Victoria St in downtown Auckland at lunchtime last week as part of a nationwide booze blitz.
Inspector Rob Abbott, Auckland City area commander, confirmed one driver would face drink-driving charges.
"People go out and have liquid business lunches and don't think about it [drink driving]," Abbott said. "They think just because they are eating it will keep the level down but that's not necessarily so."
Abbott said reducing drink-driving was one aim of a police report asking Auckland City Council to curtail 24-hour drinking.
"We catch people driving home from bars at 10am and obviously they've been drinking all night," Abbott said.
"People think, 'why are the police stopping people at this hour?' It's because people can drink all night."
Concerns the drink-driving message is still not getting through have seen Auckland police's Traffic Alcohol Group get two new booze buses - used to test suspected drink-drivers - bringing the total to four.
Inspector David Walker said the group was also testing a new way to nab more offenders.
"We are trying to be more highly visible and increase our capability," he said. "Each week we are stepping up operations because we are concerned about the trends.
"We do checks during the day around the CBD - any time, anywhere, any day."
A blitz in Counties Manukau last month caught 274 people over the legal limit. Police detected 596 traffic offences or infringements, arrested 20 people and seized 100 cars.
More operations are scheduled.
