KEY POINTS:
A nationwide blitz on drink-driving on Friday night stopped 26,760 drivers and found 236 over the limit, police say.
"Atrocious weather conditions" meant traffic was light, but despite this many were found speeding or drink-driving around the country, national road policing manager Superintendent Dave Cliff said.
In Canterbury an English tourist with three children in the car was checked by police at 143km/h in driving snow, Cliff said. His licence was suspended for 28 days.
Shortly after, a tourist from the Philippines - also with three children in the car - was checked at 135km/h, also in driving snow.
In the Bay of Plenty a 27-year-old Norwegian tourist was seen by police travelling 120km/h in a 50km/h area on Papamoa Beach Rd. He attempted to hide from police but was caught as he tried to drive in the opposite direction with his lights off, nearly hitting a police car. The man had a breath-alcohol reading of 796mcg, almost twice the legal limit.
In the Waitemata region, a police officer was bitten on the leg by a vehicle passenger who was arrested for obstruction, resisting arrest and assaulting police. A Counties-Manukau blitz caught a recidivist drink-driver, with 10 previous convictions for drink-driving.
