"A quick sleep and a coffee won't sober you up enough to drive safely – alcohol can still be in your system hours later.
More than over 700 festival goers on their way to Rhythm and Vines festival were stopped near Tolaga Bay.
The stop, in conjunction with Gisborne District Council, stopped and checked about 480 vehicles – no drivers were over the drinking limit.
The police spokeswoman encouraged Hawke's Bay residents to "keep safe for the rest of summer".
"If you're drinking, don't drive. It's not worth it," she added.
Police upped staff numbers on New Year's Eve compared to 2019 and acting Hawke's Bay area commander Inspector Martin James said behaviour was much improved in Waimarama after increased police visibility.
"Although there were some alcohol breaches, they were relatively minimal and people were, in general, well behaved," he said.
James said the increase in the number of police was because a police vehicle was vandalised after a large disturbance last year in Waimarama.
Police also focused on Waipatiki, Marine Parade, the Napier CBD, Pourerere, Porangahau and Blackhead.
Firefighters put out "five or six" fires on Napier's Marine Parade on New Year's morning,
FENZ Napier station officer Mike Manning said.
"Beach fires are a constant problem here," he said. "They pose risks depending on the amount of driftwood and debris on the beach."
He said that if fires were not properly extinguished, the remains posed risks for several days, particularly for children and dogs.
