A blitz in the central North Island at Easter Weekend netted eight drunk-drivers, including one with a blood alcohol level three times over the limit, and uncovered schemes being used to avoid police detection.
In one case, police came across a courtesy bus servicing a small rural town, Senior Sergeant Nick Dobson, of Central District Traffic Support Unit, told the Wairarapa Times Age.
"What they were doing was taking everybody to a spot a few kilometres out of the town where the bus passengers had all parked their cars -- all in one place," he said.
"It would appear to us that everybody was using the courtesy bus but then they were getting dropped off and all driving home drunk from that single location.
"It's unbelievable that some people go to those lengths and the cunning involved is diabolical, but it's their own lives, and ours, that they're playing tricks with so nobody wins in the end."
Mr Dobson said there was a perception in rural areas that the further out you are, the more you can get away with.
"People are very aware of strange vehicles in smaller settlements as well and they seem to take liberties when they think we're not around," Mr Dobson said.
