Inspector Murray Hodson.
It wasn't even a blitz but officers managed to nab plenty of drink drivers around Whangarei and deliver a sobering message; that if you drink and drive you will be caught.
Northland road policing manager Inspector Murray Hodson said there was sometimes a spike in drink drivers being caught, which was a reminder that police would catch offenders.
"Every driver who is stopped will be breath tested, so people who think they can get away with it need to think again," Mr Hodson said.
Some of those who were stopped and breath tested were three times the legal alcohol limit.
Police say those drivers with excess breath alcohol levels could have killed or seriously injured someone else on the road.
"There are plenty of ways to get home after drinking alcohol and one of them is not getting behind the wheel of a car and driving. Arrange a sober driver, stay the night or get a taxi."
Police say a 64-year-old man was driving north on King St, Hikurangi, on Friday about 4.40pm. Just past the View Rd intersection he drove off the road, over the kerb, and into the back of a parked car. The impact shunted the parked car about two car lengths ahead and it ended up sideways to the kerb. The man blew 495 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.
He was charged with careless driving and driving with excess breath alcohol.
A few hours later, a 20-year-old man drove into the back of a ute turning into the Fonterra dairy factory at Kauri. The man blew 571mcg per litre of breath and has been charged with careless driving and driving with excess breath alcohol. He will appear in the Whangarei District Court on June 11.
Other arrests were:
- A 49-year-old man was stopped on Tarewa Rd on Saturday, about 8.35pm. He blew 1018mcg per litre of breath and has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol. He will appear in the Whangarei District Court June 25.
- A 47-year-old woman was stopped on Smeaton Drive at 11.10pm on Saturday. She blew 757mcg per litre of breath and has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol. She will appear in the Whangarei District Court on June 6.
- A 19-year-old man was stopped on State Highway 1, near Hikurangi, on Saturday at 11.40pm. He blew 709mcg per litre of breath and will appear in the Whangarei District Court on June 18.
- An 18-year-old man was stopped on Waiatawa Rd on Saturday at 10.55pm. He blew 353mcg per litre of breath and has been charged with being a person under age of 20 with a breath alcohol level over 150mcg. He was also charged with operating motor vehicle causing sustained loss of traction. He will appear in court on June 18.
- A 23-year-old man was stopped on Walton St on Sunday, about 1.30am. He blew 699mcg per litre of breath and has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.