Woman caught drink driving with unrestrained toddler

File photo / NZ Herald

A woman who was drink-driving with an unrestrained young child standing in the car has been slammed by police for her "appalling and distressing" actions.

The 25-year-old was stopped in Hamilton this afternoon following a dangerous manoeuvre, and found to have been drinking, as well as driving with a three-year-old child standing in the front passenger seat footwell, and a drunk pregnant woman in the backseat.

"If that wasn't bad enough, the woman was found to be driving in breach of her learner licence," Waikato road policing services team leader Senior Sergeant Kevin Anderson said.

The woman was pulled over after performing a risky u-turn on State Highway 3-Ohaupo Rd near the intersection with Urlich Ave around 3pm, police said.

She had carried out the manoeuvre in front of oncoming traffic and had "what appeared to be a small child being tossed about in the front of the car".

The woman gave a breath alcohol test result of 679mgms.

It was "very disappointing to see such a combination of events", Mr Anderson said

"To make matters worse, travelling in the back seat of the car was an intoxicated pregnant woman who was smoking.

"This woman was stopped by the same officer last week and had her car impounded for driving while forbidden. Considering what has occurred we really need to look at the messages we're sending to our kids because in this case they are the wrong ones."

The intersection close to where the incident happened was busy with local schoolchildren as they left for the day, Mr Anderson said, and the woman had put "hundreds" of children -- from primary through to secondary age -- at risk.

A woman will appear in Hamilton District Court later this week on excess breath alcohol and child neglect charges.