Ghost driver? Police pull over car to find nobody behind the wheel

Police caught 11 drivers drinking and driving in Dunedin over the weekend. File photo / Duncan Brown

Dunedin police stopped a vehicle on Brighton Rd at the weekend after it was seen weaving across the road, only to find none of the three occupants was in the driver's seat.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said the incident happened on Saturday night, near the Beachlands Speedway.

"There were three people in the vehicle, but no one was in the driver's seat.

"After a quick discussion with the occupants, a 19-year-old man was identified as the driver and he blew 693mcg."

Dinnissen said the young man was among 11 drivers caught drinking and driving in Dunedin over the weekend.

Police were extremely disappointed at the high number, he said.

"It's really poor decision-making. There's a lack of understanding of the consequences that can result if they crash into somebody.

"The damage it can cause is horrendous."

On Friday, a 35-year-old man drove into the back of a utility vehicle on the Southern Motorway near Chain Hills.

Police smelt alcohol on the driver, so when he was taken to hospital, police requested a blood alcohol test. Results are pending, Dinnissen said.

Between Friday night and Sunday morning, a 19-year-old man blew 509mcg, a 50-year-old woman blew 664mcg, a 24-year-old man blew 819mcg, a 21-year-old woman blew 553mcg, a 28-year-old man blew 502mcg, a 21-year-old man blew 445mcg, a 19-year-old man blew 357mcg, a 22-year-old man blew 537mcg and a 19-year-old man blew 118mcg.

In New Zealand, the alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 years and over is 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath and the blood alcohol limit is 50mg per 100ml of blood.

If you are under 20, the alcohol limit for drivers is zero.

The drivers were stopped in various locations across the city, including a police checkpoint in Kensington.

Dinnissen said Dunedin Police had been operating more road policing checkpoints around the city because they had noticed an increase in drink-driving behaviour.

Four people were also charged for drink-driving offences in Milton over the weekend.

"We're lucky that none of them resulted in serious injuries," Dinnissen said.