KEY POINTS:
The drink-driving message hasn't hit home in the Far North - because home, instead of the pub, is where the offenders are now doing the drinking.
The pattern emerged during the past nine months when police targeted Kaitaia and surrounding rural areas in a drink-driving operation.
During that time police have caught 241 people driving over the legal limit, 60 of whom were repeat offenders.
One of those drink-drivers had 12 previous convictions. Another recorded three times the legal limit after admitting he had drunk 17 jugs of beer before getting into his car.
Northland Road Policing manager Inspector Clifford Paxton said those examples showed the culture of drink driving in the Far North, a district which has one of the worst alcohol-related crash rates in the country.
"Despite the increased enforcement and awareness of drink driving there is still a minority of people who choose to drink and drive and place themselves and others at risk." One of the emerging trends was a shift in where people had been drinking before driving. Offenders were drinking at home and then going out while drunk to buy more alcohol or food. They were also driving under the influence after leaving sports and other clubs.
In a recent accident where alcohol was suspected as a contributing factor, a 29-year-old man was thrown from his car after losing control.
Mr Paxton said Operation Culture Shock would continue to target the Far North until there was a change in attitudes to drink driving.
