Booze blitz nabs eight drivers

Northland police are warning drink-drivers they will get caught after a spate of arrests over the past week.

Eight over-the-limit motorists were stopped between last Friday and Sunday, with several of those being recidivist drink-drivers, with several more caught during the week, police say.

"What concerns me is that one of those drivers had a reading of over 1000mcg, and for another it was a seventh drinking driving offence," Northland road policing manager Inspector Murray Hodson said.

A 35-year-old Whangarei woman allegedly blew 1027 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath after being stopped on McLeod Bay Rd at 9pm on Saturday. The legal limit for motorists aged 20 and over is 400mcg. She is to appear in court on December 17, charged with driving with excess alcohol for a third or subsequent time.

"We're about to enter the festive season. If you're going to go and celebrate you need to find alternative means of getting home," Mr Hodson said.

"Don't drink and drive. Get a sober driver, or a friend to take you home, or a taxi. We will enforce this with zero tolerance. I do not want families to have to go through the loss of a loved one at this time, or any time."

Northland's road toll for the year stands at 13, with the alcohol a major factor in fatal crashes. October to December is generally the worst time on the region's roads for fatalities.

With the busy Christmas party season coming up, police will be be breath-testing any driver they stop, at all hours of the day, he said.

The warning comes prior to the lowering of breath and blood alcohol limits on December 1. The limit will lower from 400 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, to 250mcg for drivers over 20.

The blood alcohol limit will reduce from 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood, to 50mg. There is a zero limit for drivers aged under 20.