/ 20 April 2005

Teen nabbed three times for drunk-driving

A New Zealand teenager was stopped three times for drunk-driving last weekend but police had no power to confiscate his licence, a report said on Wednesday.

Police Sergeant Tony Mumford told the Waikato Times newspaper the licence confiscation laws were aimed at offenders with more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit and not at repeat offenders.

The 19-year-old did not record double the legal limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100mm of blood on any of the times he was pulled over.

Mumford said the youth, who has already paid fixed penalties for lesser offences and will appear in court on Friday for drunk-driving, had shown ”a complete disregard for the law”. – Sapa-AFP