The use of breath testing and oral fluid screening tests by Wellington District Police was upscaled this weekend with over 3,000 passive breath tests and 90 oral fluid screening tests conducted.
Senior Sergeant Pete Dear, Wellington Area Road Policing Response Manager, says the high number of checks are a credit to our dedicated road policing teams who are focused on prevention and enforcement.
“We work hard to ensure that our roads are safe and to prevent deaths and serious injuries from happening on our roads.”
Friday 6 November
On Friday evening, the district’s Impairment Prevention Team conducted 905 passive breath tests, where six people were found to be driving with excess breath alcohol. One driver was more than three times the legal breath alcohol limit, while another driver was on a zero-alcohol licence.
Thirty oral fluid screening tests were also conducted, where three drivers tested positive for driving while impaired. One driver tested positive for methamphetamine and MDMA, another for methamphetamine, MDMA, and cannabis, and the third for cannabis.
Saturday 7 November
Throughout Saturday, the Impairment Prevention Team conducted a further 935 passive breath tests, where two drivers recorded excess breath alcohol levels. Another 30 oral fluid screening tests were taken with one driver returning a positive result for methamphetamine and MDMA.
Sunday 8 November
On Sunday, Road Policing staff attended a crash in Lower Hutt where a vehicle, with a child passenger, has struck a parked car. The driver was later found to allegedly be under the influence of GBL.
Police conducted a checkpoint on Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu, on Sunday afternoon, where 1,414 passive breath tests were conducted. Five drivers were found with excess breath alcohol, with one who was more than twice the legal breath alcohol limit. Another 30 oral fluid screening tests were conducted.
On Sunday afternoon, a public transport bus has collided with a parked vehicle in the Northern suburbs, before leaving the scene and continuing its route. The driver was subsequently located in central Wellington and underwent an evidential breath test.
The driver was found to be almost four times the legal breath alcohol limit and was immediately suspended from driving.
The man is due to appear in Porirua District Court on Tuesday 10 November, charged with transport service driver breath alcohol level over 400mcgs per litre, careless driving, and failing to stop or ascertain injury.
Why we do breath tests and oral fluid tests
“There were 18 drivers found to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and this is really concerning.
“It’s 18 too many, and those drivers could have gone on to cause serious harm or death to themselves or other people in the community,” says Senior Sergeant Dear.
“The consequences of crashes caused by alcohol or drugs are devastating, and that’s something we see as Police too often.
“While we’re out on the roads, we aren’t solely focused on alcohol and drugs, we also look out for any distracted driving, seatbelts, speed, and other dangerous driving behaviours.”
Fatal consequences
Police are all too familiar with some of the devastating outcomes of unsafe driving and driving while impaired by drugs and alcohol.
“It is up to all of us to ensure everyone on our roads makes it to their destination safely.
“Wear a seatbelt, put the phone down, follow the sign posted speed limits, and do not drive if you are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
“These things might be the difference between you getting home safely or not.”
Wellington District Police will continue to remain visible on our roads and target these behaviours.
