A 36-year-old woman in Northland has recorded a breath alcohol level of 2178 micrograms - nearly nine times the limit for an infringement notice and more than five times the limit for prosecution at court.

Last month, the Auckland woman left where she was staying at Whangarei Heads, after an argument. She was later found behind the wheel of her vehicle on Corks Rd, Tikipunga - nearly 34km away - by a member of the public.

An officer who responded to the call says the woman completed a breath test and recorded 2178 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

She was taken to Whangārei Police Station where she had her licence suspended for 28 days and was summonsed to appear in court next month charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.

In New Zealand, the alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 years and over is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and the blood alcohol limit is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. If you are under 20, the alcohol limit for drivers is zero.

You must not drive if the amount of alcohol in your breath or blood exceeds these limits.

"No Northlander wants to be sharing the road with impaired drivers – and this amount of alcohol is staggering,” says Northland's Road Policing Manager Anne-Marie Fitchett.

"Staff have been committed to carrying out a large number of checkpoints across the district and our EBA and drugged driver apprehensions are high as a result.

"Good police work, combined with public support will make a difference over time. This is a long game where we are trying to change intergenerational behaviours."

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