'Alarming' surge in drink-driving
Page 1 of 2 5:00AM Friday May 25, 2007
By Juliet Rowan
Numbers of drink-drive related offences. Source: NZ Police. Herald graphic
The number of people caught drink-driving has shown an "alarming" rise, prompting more calls from police for breath and blood alcohol limits to be lowered.
Figures show prosecutions for drink-driving rose more than 4000 to 31,266 between 2003 and last year.
Between 2005 and 2006, the number of drink-drivers caught increased in every district except Central and Tasman, where small drops were recorded. Bay of Plenty showed the sharpest increase, followed by Waitemata and Auckland.
Already this year, 12,244 people nationwide have been charged with drink-driving offences. National road policing manager Dave Cliff said the figures were alarming.
"These people are endangering us all and it is a situation that neither the police nor the public should tolerate."
He said the increase in prosecutions corresponded with a rise in the number of drink-drivers being caught in police campaigns conducted from 10pm to 2am on weekends.
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