An unlicensed Huntly mother found at more than four times the legal driving limit with three unrestrained children in the car is a "disgrace", police say.
And Western Waikato police area commander Inspector Naila Hassan has high praise for the member of the public who first spotted the woman weaving all over the road in the small north Waikato town on Friday night.
Hassan said the 32-year-old woman was arrested and will appear in court this week.
The incident occurred not far from Huntly police station.
After stopping the woman, police discovered she was not only intoxicated but had four children, aged between two and 10, in the car - three of whom were not wearing seatbelts.
"It's just irresponsible, it's neglectful driving. These drivers that are driving after drinking alcohol and having children in the car and having them unrestrained is just totally irresponsible and it just shows total disrespect for everyone else's safety on the road."
The woman blew 1105mcg more than four times the legal alcohol limit of 250mcg, Hassan said.
"It's just so sad because police and the community pick up the pieces after traumatic events on the road because people haven't been wearing seatbelts."
Hassan warned people travelling through the Waikato this summer that "a lot of energy" is going into keeping the roads safe.
"There will be a real high visibility and you can expect that the police will be out in force, basically stopping anyone anytime."
She said there was no doubt that the member of the public who called the woman's driving in to police had saved lives.
"Police are sick of attending accidents the majority of which are the results of poor decision-making by drivers, that person saved lives."
The incident comes just after another Huntly woman, Tahi Mahu, 34, was found driving drunk with her 3-year-old on her lap at the wheel. She was sentenced to home detention.