Police pull over drunk driver five times over limit after near misses in Southland

A man is due to appear in court after testing five times over the legal breath alcohol limit.

Police say the 31-year-old was reported to police by a member of the public after they became concerned at the manner of his driving in Winton this morning, which included near misses with oncoming traffic.

After he was stopped by police and breath tested, he was found to have a reading of 1101 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, a police spokesperson said.

He was due to appear in the Invercargill District Court facing a drink-drive charge.

Police said this should serve as a reminder to the public all drivers should expect to be stopped by officers at any time.

"We know that alcohol impairment is one of the four biggest contributors to death and serious injury on our roads, it's just not worth the risk. We continue to work to ensure everyone is driving safely on our southern roads.

"We want to see everybody taking their safety and the safety of other motorists seriously."

A spokesperson said they were grateful to the person who reported the man's driving to police.