Drink-drivers be warned - Southern police will be out in force tomorrow in a breath-testing blitz.
Extra staff have been rostered on to carry out compulsory breath test stops throughout the region from midday tomorrow through to the early hours of Saturday morning.
"It's tragic that at this time of year there will be a number of people killed on our roads as a result of drink driving, and it could be a member of your family and friends," said Acting Southern District Road Policing Manager, Snr Sgt Steve Larking.
"If you are out and about socialising at Christmas functions make it a priority to get home safely - either by organising some one to pick you up, having a sober driver, or catching a taxi," he said.
In Dunedin, Operation Expect More Testing continues will focus on reducing drink driving in urban areas through mass testing as many drivers as possible at highly visible checkpoints.
"We want to make sure that our message gets out there to every driver in the city, with no exceptions," said Dunedin Emergency Response Commander, Inspector Alastair Dickie.
Inspector Dickie said police will be extending this enforcement and educational effort throughout the day with strategic traffic, and outstation and emergency response staff conducting checkpoints throughout the city.
"While most New Zealanders drive safely, do not speed and do not drink and drive, we want to ensure that those who insist on endangering the rest of us are detected," he said.
To date in 2009 there have been 23 fatal crashes and 27 people have died on Southern roads this year, compared with a total of 30 fatal crashes resulting in 33 people dying in 2008. A number of these crashes and the resulting injuries had alcohol as a driver factor.