'Infuriated' police issue drink-driving warning

Police say they want to prevent tragic consequences on the roads, not issue more fines. File photo.

Drinking and driving is dangerous and can have disastrous consequences, police say after an "infuriating" weekend in the Western Bay of Plenty.

In a statement released this week, police say three men were caught driving drink driving just hours after they had been warned by police not to.

"It’s infuriating to know that these men were spoken to only a short time earlier and were explicitly warned by our staff," says officer in charge of Te Puke Station, Senior Sergeant Mike Owen.

Mike says a short time after 8am on Sunday, three drivers in three different vehicles were driving while intoxicated on No.3 Rd, near Te Puke, after being spoken to by police earlier in the night.

He says alarmingly, police had stopped and spoken directly to the three men who were sitting in a liquor ban area in Centennial Park and told them to tip their alcohol out.

Two of the men were issued infringement offence notices and the third man, who blew nearly 800 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, was charged with excess breath alcohol and will appear in court at a later date.

"We want everyone to have a good time, but not at the expense of putting yourselves or others at risk," says Mike.

He urges people to have a pre-plan to get home safely, have a charged phone, so you can book an uber, taxi, or call a friend to come and get you. 

"Drinking and driving is dangerous and can have disastrous consequences and it’s infuriating to know that these men were spoken to only a short time earlier and were explicitly warned by our staff.

"We see too many preventable deaths on our roads, and we make no apology for targeting these high-risk driving behaviours including restraints, impairment, distractions, and speed [RIDS].

"We know these risky driving behaviours can make the difference for if you are involved in a crash, and if that crash leads to permanent and often tragic consequences.

"Our aim is to prevent tragic consequences on our roads, not to issue the most infringements."

1 comment

Thank goodness for the Police.

Posted on 13-08-2024 07:07 | By Justin T.

Unfortunately they can't fix Stupid.


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