KEY POINTS:
A Te Puke man caught driving drunk twice in one day with his five-year-old son in the car is just one example of an "appalling" attitude to drink driving, police say.
Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, of Greerton police, said there was a "blase attitude" to drink driving in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.
The region has had 1501 drink drive prosecutions so far this year, exceeding the 2006 annual total by 82 with two weeks of the year still to come.
Examples from the weekend highlighted the unacceptable risks some drivers were prepared to take, he said.
Police were alerted by the public to an erratic driver weaving all over State Highway 29. When stopped at 8.45am he was found to be "grossly intoxicated" with a breath alcohol reading of 1010 micrograms per litre of breath, more than two and a half times the legal limit of 400mcg.
"Police staff were horrified to find the driver had his five-year-old son in the car with him."
Despite being suspended from driving the same man was stopped at 10.50pm the same day, with a breath alcohol of 545mcg and again with his son in the car.
Child Youth and Family had been notified by police.
In another incident a 37-year-old man with five previous drink drive convictions was stopped in Tauranga on his way to work and found to be over the limit.
Mr Campion said drivers like these were prepared to risk innocent lives as well as those of their loved ones.
"For every 100 drink drivers killed in a crash there are 55 of their passengers and another 35 sober innocent road users who die with them."
He said almost 30 per cent of drink drivers were aged between 15 and 19, and issued a warning to parents.
"One job police staff loathe is having to advise next of kin that a family member has been killed. If you continue to allow your teenagers to drink and drive then sooner or later it will be your front door police are knocking at."
In a nationwide blitz at the weekend police stopped more than 52,000 vehicles around the country and 335 drivers face prosecution for drink driving.
- NZPA
