To be attributed to Senior Sergeant Matt Fitzgerald, Acting Road Policing Manager, Wellington District:
27 drivers across Wellington and Wairarapa were found by Police to be driving with excess breath alcohol over the weekend.
The drivers were among more than 3,000 stopped and breath-tested at police checkpoints between Friday night and Sunday afternoon.
While 27 may seem like a small proportion of those stopped, it is incredibly concerning to be locating even one driver with excess breath alcohol.
We know that driving while impaired - whether by alcohol, drugs or fatigue - is one of the four main behaviours which contribute to death and injury on our roads. Alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in about a third of all fatal crashes.
Police's advice to anyone who is in any doubt about whether they're safe or legal to drive after drinking is simple - don't do it.
People who drive while impaired by alcohol are putting themselves and their passengers at risk, as well as everyone else on the road.
So please, plan ahead if you're going to be drinking, and make sure you have arranged a safe way to get home afterward - whether that is organising a sober driver, getting picked up, or catching a taxi or Uber.
Motorists in Wellington and Wairarapa can expect to see a continued police presence on roads across the region as we head into the summer months.
