Police target Wairarapa drink drivers

Wairarapa police are warning drivers to expect more police on roads throughout the region over the Christmas season. PHOTO/FILE

A spike in drink-driving heading into the festive season has Wairarapa police warning drivers to expect more police on the roads.

Since last Wednesday six drink-drivers have been caught throughout the region, with one driver stopped providing a blood alcohol reading of more than four times the legal limit.

Senior Sergeant Mike Sutton said figures from the weekend before showed only two drink-drivers stopped and the week before that, which included Toast Martinborough, showed only one.

"With our small size a number like that does tend to stick out."

"Six is probably getting up a little bit high."

Although it was too soon and the numbers too small to say if it was a trend, "even if we had one we'd be a little disappointed", Mr Sutton said.

"We have noticed an increase in people being caught for drink-driving. I know it is that time of year where people celebrate a bit more but we have noticed an increase... we had already planned to increase our patrolling but we will be out and about in force looking for that and keeping our roads safe."

Of the six drink-drivers caught, one was under 20 years of age and one had a reading of more than 1000 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

Since December 2014 the legal limit for drivers over 20 is 250 micrograms.

With more people on the roads heading into summer, it was a concern, Mr Sutton said.

"If we are starting to see more people drink-driving that's really got us concerned with the risk that they pose to everyone else on the road as well."

"People just need to plan. They need to make sure that they have a sober driver or an alternative form of transport," he said.

"A big part of that is keeping our roads safe and making sure that we don't have a horrible accident as a result of that combination of speed and alcohol."

Police would be out in force over summer checking for alcohol, speed and seatbelts, Mr Sutton said.