A driver on his learner licence was so drunk he damaged his car between Te Puke and Tauranga but couldn't remember how when stopped by police.
And a teenager with a restricted licence and carrying passengers had been drinking ``all night' and was still over the limit when caught at lunchtime the next day.
These are just two of almost 10,000 drivers stopped by police over Labour Weekend, during an intensive 60-hour booze blitz.
In total, 44 people were charged with drink driving; 12 disqualified drivers were caught and five people were arrested on unrelated matters.
Thirteen drivers had vehicles impounded for 28 days and a further 13 people automatically lost their licence.
The operation, which ran from 6pm Thursday until 6am yesterday, was part of phase one of Operation Profile, which officially runs until January 13.
Checkpoints were set up around the Western Bay from Katikati to Te Puke in one of the biggest blitzes ever conducted in the Bay.
In two of the worst cases, a 27-year-old sawmill worker from Te Puke on his learner licence blew 1103mcg of alcohol per litre of breath when the legal limit is 150mcg.
The man had driven with three passengers from Te Puke to Mount Maunganui on Friday night, damaging his car at some point along the way.
When asked by police how he had done the damage, he replied he "didn't know".
He instantly lost his licence for 28 days and is due to appear in Tauranga District Court on November 15.
In another case, an 18-year-old woman on a restricted licence was stopped at midday on Friday after an all-night drinking binge _ was over the limit.
The woman was carrying passengers and blew a reading of 178mcg when the legal youth limit is 150mcg. She told police she had been drinking ``all night' on Thursday.
Tauranga police Sergeant Trinity Morrison said all the key ingredients for a crash were there. "Apart from the bad weather, she's pretty much got the lot."
Ms Morrison said many Bay lives were undoubtedly saved this weekend thanks to the efforts of police.
"I believe my staff have saved some lives this weekend. It sounds dramatic but I hope that when these people wake up in the morning they realise what they have done, and what could have been," she said.
Ms Morrison said the actions drivers needed to take to keep safe were simple.
"Leave your car at home and take a taxi. Life is too short to be making bad decisions."
With summer approaching, police wanted to hammer home the message "anyone, anywhere" could be expected to be stopped at anytime in the Western Bay of Plenty, Ms Morrison said.
During the weekend, police also preached the message to people who were sober, handing out pens with safety messages and cards listing every taxi company and dial-a-driver service in the Bay along with phone numbers.
"Similar operations are planned over the next three months and the public can expect to see more checkpoints from now on," she warned.
The traffic alcohol group booze bus was manned by six Tauranga police staff and the Rotorua booze bus also came to the Western Bay with five staff.
Personnel from the strategic traffic unit and highway patrol also helped out. In all, about 28 staff were working shifts to cover the blitz.
44 drink drivers caught as 10,000 tested
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