During the lockdown and under levels 2 and 3, police focused on speeding drivers. There were no checkpoints.
But checkpoints are back up and running in level 1, but police intend to increase their presence during July with a campaign focused on alcohol and drug impaired drivers.
About 30 per cent of all fatal crashes involve alcohol.
Said Canterbury road policing manager Inspector Greg Cottam: “Obviously, with all of the bars and establishments open again it’s quite topical and we want to stop people getting the better of themselves by drink driving.
“We want people to do the right thing before we catch them. We want to rid the roads of fatal and trauma-inducing crashes.”
Last year, there were 2281 offences relating to driving under the influence of alcohol in the Canterbury police district, the fifth most of anywhere in New Zealand.
Ahead of Canterbury was Counties Manukau with 2808 offences, Waitemata with 2577, Bay of Plenty with 2570 and Waikato with 2554.
Inspector Cottam said police focus on preventing a different cause of crashes every month.
The legal drink driving limit is 250mcg/l.
- 2014: Male, 35, 1796mcg/l
- 2015: Female, 36, 1844mcg/l
- 2016: Male, 44, 1642mcg/l
- 2017: Female, 43, 1529 mcg/l
- 2018: Male, 36, 1625mcg/l
- 2019: Male, 45, 1768mcg/l (to September)
