Police in Alice Springs breath-tested 364 drivers during the first three days of Operation RAID.
The Australian and New Zealand Operation began on Friday, November 26 and will run until December 12.
In Alice Springs, police arrested five people for drink driving including four who were found to be driving with blood alcohol levels of more than .170 per cent.
The highest was that of a 41-year-old man who was apprehended in Kempe Street just after 1.30pm on Saturday. The driver was arrested after recording a high reading. As he was being taken to the police vehicle he struggled violently and then punched one of the officers to the head before running off. Police gave chase and the man allegedly picked up a rock and threatened police with it before being sprayed with OC spray and again being taken into custody. He was found to have a blood alcohol level of .190 per cent. He has been charged with numerous offences including driving disqualified and high range drink driving.
A 36-year-old female was arrested after being pulled over for a roadside breath test around 10.30pm on Saturday night. She was found to have a blood alcohol level of .183 per cent. She was also charged high range drink driving and unlicensed driving.
A 46-year-old man was arrested after fleeing from police on Commonage Road after the car he was driving was pulled over at an RBT just before 9.30pm on Saturday. The driver was apprehended after a short foot chase and he was found to be driving with a blood alcohol level of .170 per cent.
An 18-year-old man was arrested after being found to be driving with a blood alcohol level of .179 per cent. He was charged with high range drink driving and driving unlicensed.
A 28-year-old male was also arrested after he failed a drug test. Police pulled over the driver in Barrett Drive just before 3am on Saturday morning when he was noticed doing 74 kilometres per hour in a 60 zone. He was given a drug test which showed a positive reading. He was also found to be driving with a suspended licence and a blood alcohol level of .077 per cent.
Sergeant Conan Robertson said the results at the start of Operation RAID were extremely disappointing, especially in light of the publicity given to the operation leading up to it.
"It's not as if this campaign should have caught people by surprise, as it's had nation-wide publicity, so it's even more disappointing that drivers would still get behind the wheel knowing that we would be out in force apprehending drunk drivers. What is also of concern is the very high levels recorded by those who were caught.
"There have already been 45 lives lost on Territory roads this year and when people are driving cars whilst they are this intoxicated, if they are not caught and removed from the road, it is only a matter of time before more people die. People need to realise that roads can be dangerous if used incorrectly and a drunken mistake can easily cost a life. I ask that people, please don't drink and drive so that we can all spend this Christmas at home and not in the hospital or worse."
