Police are breath testing people at levels not seen for a decade.

They've done 2.6 million tests in the past year, more than a million up on the previous 12 months.

The police target is 3 million per year.

AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says numbers have been low since before the pandemic.

"The AA, for a number of years has been beating the drum and saying 'we've got to get these numbers back up'- because this is one of the key tools to catching drunk drivers and deterring drunk drivers, meaning we see less people lose their lives."

LISTEN ABOVE

Police are breath testing people at levels not seen for a decade.
They've done 2.6 million tests in the past year, more than a million up on the previous 12 months.
The police target is 3 million per year.
AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says numbers have been low since before the pandemic.
"The AA, for a number of years has been beating the drum and saying 'we've got to get these numbers back up'- because this is one of the key tools to catching drunk drivers and deterring drunk drivers, meaning we see less people lose their lives."
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.