Finding a 10-year-old girl in the back seat of a car driven by a woman who recorded a breath-alcohol level nearly three times the limit has dismayed and disappointed Dunedin police.
Senior Sergeant Kelvin Lloyd said the 41-year-old was stopped by police in Eglinton Rd about 5.30pm on Monday, where she recorded a breath-alcohol level of 1119mcg.
The legal limit is 400mcg.
The woman was stopped after police received a tip-off from a member of the public saying she might be driving while intoxicated.
Snr Sgt Lloyd said police were not only disappointed at the high breath-alcohol reading, but also by the discovery of a child in the back seat.
''Drunk-driving is bad enough, but obviously having a dependent child in the car is an aggravating factor.''
It was not known if the 10-year-old girl was the woman's daughter, he said.
Fortunately, the woman was apprehended before anyone was injured.
''A lot of drunk drivers are apprehended as a result of people reporting erratic driving.
''Sometimes, bad driving is an underlying symptom of something more serious,'' he said.
The woman was charged with drink-driving and will appear in the Dunedin District Court this week.
