Seven people have been caught driving while intoxicated in the last four days, adding to police woes after they expressed similar concerns last month when 10 were nabbed within a week.
Sergeant Martin Bull said seven drivers were caught last weekend - five in Balclutha and one each in Owaka and Milton.
Another Milton driver, who was involved in a single-car crash near Balclutha on Tuesday night, is also suspected of drink-driving.
Police are waiting for blood test results to confirm whether that is the case.
"I'm not happy," Sgt Bull said yesterday.
People needed to realise that if they drank alcohol then got behind the wheel, they were putting the lives of everyone at risk.
"If they drink and then get behind the wheel intoxicated, they are driving a weapon. I don't care how good they say their driving is, it is not 100% when they have been drinking."
Asked if he was happy with the sentences handed out in the Balclutha District Court to drink-drivers, Sgt Bull said he was, but seriously doubted whether some offenders were deterred by them.
He wondered whether some people had "hardened themselves" to the shock nature of television advertising about drink-driving and if that kind of publicity was having the desired effect any more.
A worrying trend was the growing number of younger people caught drink-driving.
The age of drink-drivers appeared to be getting lower every year, he said.
