Drunk driver was slumped over wheel

Dunedin police found a man so "grossly intoxicated" he was slumped across the wheel of his car with the engine running in Princes St.

The man was one of 133 recidivist drink-drivers caught by southern police during the five-month Operation Tahi, which targeted driving behaviour on State Highway 1.

Sergeant Bruce Martin, of the rural drink-drive team based in Alexandra, said a member of the public saw the man slumped over his wheel at the side of the road in Princes St, central Dunedin.

He appeared to be sleeping, but police found him to be grossly intoxicated.

Sgt Martin said the man had four warrants out for his arrest for failing to appear in early 2008 for offences including drink-driving.

The resulting conviction was his sixth for drink-driving.

The figures follow concern from Oamaru police about recidivist drink-drivers during a recent drink-driving operation.

Those caught in Oamaru included a 23-year-old man who was stopped when he lost control of his car, which mounted a footpath and almost hit pedestrians and a building.

He had a breath-alcohol level of 918mcg.

The man had only had his driver's licence back for three days following disqualification on a previous drink-driving charge.

Operation Tahi, which ran from February until June, was a joint operation by policing units across the South Island, with the level of co-operation between different policing districts unprecedented.

The operation targeted speed around schools, drink-driving, driving while affected by drugs, careless and dangerous driving, disqualified driving and those not wearing seat belts.

Senior Sergeant Steve Larking, of Southern Highway Patrol, said police were disappointed at the number of recidivist drink-drivers caught during the operation.

A recidivist drink-driver is classed as someone with three or more previous convictions. The figure was up 13 compared with the corresponding period the previous year.

Ongoing operations would continue to target these offenders, he said.

People needed to realise drink-driving was not worth the risk.

"Drinking and driving is a risk not only to your employment and your driver's licence, but also to the lives of family, friends and other innocent people.

"It's better not to do it."

Comparing previous years' crash statistics, police estimated there were 38 fewer fatal or injury-causing crashes because of Operation Tahi and society was saved $18.5 million from the ongoing costs of those crashes.