Drink-drive operation snaps 82 drivers

More than 80 North Shore drivers were found to be over the legal alcohol limit during a police crackdown on drink-driving over the weekend.

Police from throughout the Waitemata police district took part in Operation Lock-Down 3, which tested 12,021 drivers.

82 drivers tested positive for excess breath alcohol, with 28 electing to have blood tests taken, which will determine whether or not they will face court proceedings.

Eleven of the drivers detected were teenagers aged under 20 years.

Senior Sergeant Rod Fraser of North Shore police said the number of drivers found over the limit was down slightly from the last operation in the area, but the number of drivers stopped was also lower.

He said in one location, on average, every 16th driver was over the legal limit and every fifth driver had consumed alcohol.

The operation was the third operation of its kind in a continued series aimed at shutting down specific locations by swamping them with compulsory breath testing sites, Mr Fraser said.

He said police aimed to lock down all routes into particular locations, including residential and commercial areas, and motorway off-ramps.

- NZPA