Police and road safety officials were gobsmacked a motorist four times over the legal breath/alcohol limit was on the road in our district during Labour weekend.
Dannevirke's Debbie Webster, the road safety co-ordinator for Horizons Regional Council, the police traffic alcohol group and three students from Dannevirke High School - members of SADD, Students Against Dangerous Driving - attended checkpoints throughout Tararua on the Saturday of Labour weekend.
The team began in Pahiatua, progressed to Woodville and onto Dannevirke, finishing at 12.30am.
"Alarmingly, while in Woodville, Police stopped a driver who had travelled from Whanganui and was heading to Napier. He had a breath alcohol reading of more than 1000 micrograms, four times above the legal limit," Ms Webster said.
The limit is 250mcg and the drunk driver was forbidden to drive and will be appearing in court. "To think he would have continued driving to Napier and placing other road users at risk if he had not been stopped and taken off the road . . . " Ms Webster said.
Drivers who were stopped and breath tested were given information about the new lower drink/drive limit and the danger of being over the limit the next day.