Hamilton police catch drink drivers in blitz

Police officers set up booze bus checkpoints at all major routes into the central city on both Friday and Saturday nights. Photo / Duncan Brown

Almost 320 people were caught drink driving in a police blitz in Hamilton over the weekend.

Police officers set up booze bus checkpoints at all major routes into the central city on both Friday and Saturday nights, checking everybody coming in and out for alcohol between 10pm and 4am.

Around 25 officers manned the checkpoints which were "designed to ensure every vehicle entering the CBD would encounter one of our checkpoints", District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Freda Grace, said.

Dubbed "Operation Stocktake", 3775 compulsory breath tests were conducted on Friday night, and a further 5015 on Saturday.

"Unfortunately it showed a lot of drivers are continuing to drive after they had been drinking, with 123 failing breath screening tests on Friday and another 196 failing on the Saturday," Mrs Grace said.

Of those 319 drivers, 41 now face excess breath alcohol charges, she said.

"In addition to those drivers, another two were suspended from driving on Friday and seven on Saturday. Six cars were impounded during the operation while eight people were arrested and 108 infringement notices were issued over the two nights for a variety of offences."

Coppers on the beat in the CBD "had some really good feedback" on what are traditionally the two busiest nights of the year, Mrs Grace said.

"There were very few alcohol related incidents outside the bars, alcohol related infringements in town were virtually non-existent and overall arrest numbers were right down."

The operation was expected to be repeated throughout the summer period, Mrs Grace said.