One in every 145 drivers stopped in Hamilton checkpoints last weekend were found to be over the legal alcohol limit.
It prompted a strong warning from Police as commuters prepare to hit the road ahead of the long weekend.
Over 300 drivers in the two-night operation were found to have alcohol in their system, out of the 10,000 motorists breath tested.
A total of 71 people were over the legal limit of 250mcg per litre of breath, which averages at one in every 145 drivers.
National Road Policing Centre Director Superintendent Stephen Greally warns there will be a strong presence of police hunting down drunk drivers through the Queen's Birthday period.
“With large numbers of New Zealanders on the roads this weekend we all need to be switched on and alert.”
One of the biggest disappointments for Waikato Police was a 40-year-old man, found to be over the legal limit twice in one night at the checkpoints.
Five people have died on New Zealand roads - all in Canterbury - today, before the official Queen's Birthday weekend holiday road toll period begins at 4pm.
Four people died in a crash involving a van and a truck in Ashburton at around 9.30am. At around 7am a motorcyclist died in a crash in Upper Riccarton.
An earlier operation by Bay of Plenty Police over two weekends last month found 180 motorists were driving while impaired.
In the first weekend alone, 94 people were found driving under the influence; that’s one in every 75 vehicles stopped.
Further up the country in Northland, police have seen an average of 30 drink drivers charged each week over the past few months.
Many have been in remote rural areas, travelling long distances on open roads with 100km per hour speed limits.
Greally says those planning on drinking should look to other modes of transport to prevent getting back behind the wheel.
“In an ideal world we would catch no one driving with alcohol or drugs in their system.”
“Our advice is always the same.
"If you’re drinking, don’t drive.”
“If you can, remove the option of driving home entirely by taking public transport, a taxi or getting a lift at the start of the night so you don’t have any other option but to do the same at the end of the night.”
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