A man made a bad choice by having two beers for breakfast after a night of celebrating, leading to one of 21 drink-driving arrests in Dunedin over a weekend. On Saturday around 10:35 am, a 33-year-old motorcyclist approached a checkpoint. He did not have a motorcycle licence and admitted to police he celebrated a friend’s baby with drinks the night before.
The man had two beers in the morning before riding his motorcycle in the city. He had a breath alcohol level of 1,067 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of blood, which is over four times the legal limit. He was charged with drink driving, banned from riding motorbikes, and his licence was suspended for 28 days.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said this was disappointing. During the weekend, a 22-year-old woman was caught driving her car at 106 kph in a 60 kph zone and had a breath alcohol reading of 577 mcg. Her licence was also suspended for 28 days due to her speed.
On Sunday, just after midnight, police saw a car with damage. A 25-year-old woman driving it nearly crashed into a parked car when she tried to pull over. She recorded a reading of 448 mcg. About an hour later, a 23-year-old man had a breath reading of 1,033 mcg.
In another incident early Monday, a 25-year-old man drove at high speeds after refusing to stop for police. He eventually pulled over, had a reading of 451 mcg, and was found with a knife, leading to charges for drink driving, dangerous driving, and possession of an offensive weapon.
Drivers caught ranged from teens to those in their seventies, at all times of day, despite other transport options available to them. Bond stressed the importance of checkpoints and breath testing because drivers continue to drink and drive.
