Court fills with Christmas drink drivers

A slew of alleged drink drivers appeared in court today, including two business high-flyers.

Dozens of people accused of indulging in too much of the Christmas spirit had their cases called in Auckland District Court, only weeks after the legal limit was lowered.

Kerrie Hofsteede - business development manager at Quinovic property managers in Parnell - was allegedly found by police in her car at the side of a Ponsonby street, just a few hundred metres from her home last month.

A subsequent blood sample taken at the station gave a reading of 336 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood - more than four times the old limit of 80mg and six times the new limit of 50mg.

She was due to appear on the charge today but said she was in hospital with a damaged pelvis after a fall.

Hofsteede - who has 20 years' experience managing businesses in New Zealand, according to the company's website - called it a "one-off event".

"There was nothing exciting about it really... I just didn't have anything to eat," she said.

"I just got to the point where I decided to pull over because I realised I was not in a good way."

The 53-year-old said she planned to plead guilty to the charge as soon as she was fit to come before the court in February.

"I'll just take it on the chin and move on," Hofsteede said.

Also caught in November was BNZ bank manager Scott McRobie, 28, who told police after "five or six beers" and a burger he thought would be fine to drive.

However, when he was stopped at a checkpoint on an inner-city motorway on ramp he blew 842 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - more than double the old limit of 400mcg.

McRobie's lawyer Mr Khan said he was "quite embarrassed" about the indiscretion and had sought counselling through his employer.

"It's affected him quite badly. It'd been a bad year in terms of his personal affairs but he doesn't want to use that as an excuse," the lawyer said.

McRobie was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Drink drivers face a four-week stand down period before they can apply for a limited licence for work purposes.

The new drink-drive alcohol limits came into effect on December 1.

For drivers aged 20 years and over, the limits reduced from 400mcg of alcohol per litre of breath to 250mcg. The blood alcohol limit reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg.