Police are now routinely asking the public to catch poor and dangerous driving on camera.
Traffic officers stopped 279 vehicles across the Otago Rural policing area - which includes Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell and Alexandra - over the festive period.
They were alerted to the majority by concerned members of the public calling the *555 hotline to report poor road use.
Sergeant Tracy Haggart, of Queenstown, said staff manning the hotline now ask the caller to video the offending motorist on their smartphone or another device - as long as they are not behind the wheel themselves.
''Otherwise, it's just their word against the driver's,'' Sgt Haggart said.
''But with a video there is clear evidence of what has been reported.
''So the call staff ask the person reporting the driving to take a video, unless it would mean they were committing an offence themselves.''
Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Watt, of Queenstown, confirmed the majority of drivers were tourists, although he did not know what percentage were from overseas.
He said all 279 drivers were warned, ticketed or charged.
''It has been busy but expected given the volume of traffic on the roads,'' he said.
''And there were, thankfully, no fatalities in Otago Rural.''
The official national Christmas holiday road toll of 17 dead was one of the highest in several years.
Snr Sgt Watt said crossing the centre line on hazardous roads such as through the Kawarau Gorge, on the Crown Range Rd, or at the Devils Staircase near Kingston, was typical of the offending.
He highlighted the case of a Singaporean driver who was reported for allegedly driving badly through the gorge, continually crossing the centre line.
Several people called *555 and when police attended, the woman allegedly drove on for about 7km ignoring a patrol car behind with flashing lights because she though police were ''after robbers''.
She was charged with dangerous driving.
