Eastern District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Angela Hallett:

Our business-as-usual response to offending hasn’t stopped amid Cyclone Gabrielle recovery work.

Over the weekend Hawke’s Bay Road Policing set up checkpoints across the region targeting drink driving.

Staff processed 38 drivers for Excess Breath Alcohol, with one driver returning an Excess Breath Alcohol reading of 1000 micrograms.

The limit for drivers over 20-years-old is 250 micrograms.

These are not the results we were expecting, and we are disappointed at the number of people driving under the influence of alcohol.

Hawke’s Bay Police are urging motorists to make a conscious decision to not get behind the wheel after drinking.

If you are going to be enjoying a few drinks, then make sure you have a plan to get home or a sober driver to assist.

Unfortunately, there were some drivers who were putting themselves and others at risk.

Drink driving significantly increases the risk of death or injury to drivers, passengers, and everyone else on the road.

Our community can be assured that even while we’re dealing with cyclone recovery, Police will be out in force anytime on roads across the Hawke’s Bay to deter unsafe driving behaviour.

This is a reminder that we all have a responsibility to ensure we drive safely at all times and do not take any unnecessary risks - getting behind the wheel after drinking is one of those risks not worth taking.

We are committed to ensuring that every road user arrives alive at their journey’s end and those who put others at risk will be found, prosecuted, and held accountable.

The most important message Police want to convey is really simple: don’t risk your life and that of others by driving while impaired in any way.

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