KEY POINTS:
Nearly 8000 vehicles were stopped in a central North Island drink-driving blitz this weekend.
Police arrested 84 people, including many young drivers and a small group of "hard core of recidivists", in the second week of the operation, Waikato road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said.
The number of young drink-drivers was particularly concerning, he said.
"Once again our staff encountered a lot of young drivers behind the wheel in breach of the conditions of their graduated licences - 16 now face prosecution."
Mr Tooman said the death of a 25-year-old man and his 22-year-old wife in Huntly, 32km north of Hamilton, early on Sunday after an alcohol-related crash highlighted the importance of such campaigns.
A similar incident was averted when police stopped a Rotorua driver with a breath test reading of 939mgms, he said.
"This was the 10th drink driving offence for this driver and highlights the problems created by a small hard core of recidivists who won't change their ways."
Figures were still being assessed from the Central and Eastern phase of the operation, he said.
- NZPA
