KEY POINTS:
Most drink-drivers stopped in a weekend blitz in Auckland were at least one and a half times over the legal limit, and a fifth of them were repeat offenders, police said yesterday.
Auckland City police stopped more than 6200 motorists in two four-hour operations on Saturday and Sunday
morning, nabbing 106 drivers - about 1 in 60 - who were over the legal alcohol limit.
Another 32 motorists are awaiting the result of blood tests.
Auckland City road policing manager Heather Wells said the operation had highlighted the fact the drink-driving message was not getting through and it was only the victims of alcohol-related crashes who appreciated the danger.
"We are not seeing a big change ... it's out there, and people just seem to be very blase about it."
The highest recorded reading was 1080 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, 2 1/2 times the legal limit of 400mcg, Ms Wells said. Most of those over the limit recorded breath-alcohol readings of about 600mcg.
She estimated 20 per cent were repeat drink-drivers.
Ms Wells' comments come a day after national road policing manager Superintendent Dave Cliff called in the Weekend Herald for breath and blood alcohol limits to be cut drastically.
Ms Wells said a reduced alcohol limit would be "a step in the right direction", but unlikely to deter repeat drink-drivers, who were "the big problem".
"I am not sure it's all we need to do. I would like to see something brought in that gives us a better way to deal with recidivist drink-drivers."
Stiffer penalties, including heftier fines, longer prison sentences and educational courses, could all be employed. "There's no deterrent at the moment."
Police in the Eastern Bay of Plenty said yesterday 22 motorists were charged with drink-driving in a three-day blitz that started on Thursday.
Whakatane police traffic unit Sergeant Ray Wylie said 2034 vehicles were stopped during the blitz, which also netted disqualified drivers, people breaching bail, unsafe vehicles and dangerous drivers.
Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor in a fatal crash in the Bay of Plenty on Saturday.
A 26-year-old man died instantly when his vehicle failed to take a moderate bend and crashed into a culvert near Edgecumbe. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Top traffic cop's proposal:
* Superintendent Dave Cliff wants to cut breath alcohol limit from 400mcg per litre of breath to 250mcg.
* Reduce blood alcohol limit from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg.
* Reduce youth limits from 150mcg per litre of breath to 50mcg, and 30mg per 100ml of blood to 10mg.
Result:
* Save 14 lives annually.
* Prevent 260 injuries annually.
