On 26th and 27th November 2010 Police on the North Shore conducted a weekend drink drive blitz which is part of their continuing efforts to reduce road trauma caused by drunk and drug-impaired drivers.
Senior Sergeant Brett BATTY of the North Shore Police said that as a result of Operation Lockdown 8, involving staff from throughout the Waitematä Police District, more than 10,000 vehicles were stopped on the North Shore, with all drivers being tested for alcohol consumption.
The timing and location of several of the check-points was designed to reinforce the 'anytime, anywhere' message around compulsory breath testing." says Mr BATTY.
61 drivers tested positive for excess breath alcohol, with 15 electing to have blood tests taken, which will determine whether or not they will face court proceedings. This is an increase on results from a similar operation run in August of this year.
2 of those drivers detected were teenagers aged less than 20 years old.
Officers at check point locations were particularly disappointed by a number of drivers who provided significantly high breath test results, some triple the legal limit.
In one case a driver had to be physically assisted from his car to the booze bus due to his level of intoxication.
Officers involved in the operation also impounded 12 cars and suspended the driver's licenses of 31 people.
Collections Officers and Bailiffs from the Ministry of Justice assisted police at several check points, checking vehicles and their occupants for unpaid fines. This resulted in 7 drivers losing their vehicles at the road-side as a result of unpaid fines.
Others had to make on-the-spot payments to keep their vehicles.
"With the Christmas season almost upon us, operations like this should be taken as a timely reminder that North Shore Police have zero tolerance for drink-driving in our community." says Mr BATTY.
Operation Lock-down 8 was one of a series of operations of its kind, aimed at shutting down specific locations by swamping them with compulsory breath testing sites.
"It denies drunk or drug-impaired drivers access to their intended locations by 'locking down' all available arterials into that particular area.
"Police are committed to reducing crime and crashes. If you drink and get behind the wheel, we will place you before the court".ⓒ 뉴질랜드 코리아포스트(http://www.koreapost.co.nz), 무단전재 및 재배포 금지