KEY POINTS:
One in four drink-drivers is now a woman - up from one in 20 - and police say many are driving with children and are a "big disaster waiting to happen".
Alcohol watchdogs are "flabbergasted" by an 1800 per cent increase in the number of women convicted of drink-driving charges.
The figure has risen from 274 in 1980 to 5016 last year, while the number of other offences committed by women remained largely static. During the same period, the number of men convicted of drink-driving rose from 5786 to 16,459 - almost 300 per cent.
"Finally the (female) statistics are catching up with reality and showing us what is going on out there," said Alcohol Healthwatch's Rebecca Williams. "Those statistics are pretty damning and we've really got to think creatively and look to where the evidence suggests we might act. What we are doing currently to address alcohol issues is just not working."
Auckland police road policing manager Heather Wells said one of the most disappointing aspects was women drink-driving with children in the car.
"We [police] are definitely seeing an increase," she said. "For quite a few years, women were right down in the numbers of apprehension. But we've noticed that growing continually over the last few years.
"I think, years ago, a lot more women became the sober driver, but that has changed now. There is a whole cultural change, and we've seen increases in youth drinking and driving as well."
Megan McPherson, spokeswoman for the Sensible Sentencing Trust's Cross Roads group lobbying for harsher penalties for repeat drink and drug drivers, said female drink-driving needed immediate attention.
"Our gender has let us down very badly, I'm flabbergasted by those statistics," McPherson said. "We need to look at it pretty quickly and do more research into why this is happening."
A social marketing campaign geared towards women might help reduce the convictions, she added. "I don't think any female should get her licence back after a third drinking and driving charge. We're going backwards with drink-driving and I think these statistics demonstrate it."
CAUGHT OVER THE LIMIT
In November, Whangarei woman Trevina Baker, 28, is accused of driving at twice the legal limit with six children in her car. Five were allegedly unrestrained.
Two days later, a six-months pregnant Kawerau woman is charged with driving while more than double the legal limit.
On November 23, a 45-year-old Huntly woman is found driving while three times over the legal limit with her two children, aged 5 and 9, and a 4-month-old grandson in the car.
A day later, a four-year-old girl is thrown from the car her mother is driving near Huia. The mother allegedly kept driving the car before crashing. She was charged with drink-driving.
On November 28, a 23-year-old woman with three children in her car is stopped in Karapiro and found to be over the limit.
On December 5, a heavily pregnant 23-year-old woman is caught while allegedly three times over the legal limit in the Bay of Plenty.
