A man is being praised by Auckland police for alerting them to a driver almost four times over the legal alcohol limit and who had children in the car.

The man called police about 6.30pm on Monday after noticing the driver ahead of him was swerving into other lanes on the Coatesville Riverhead Highway, near Albany, and driving off the shoulder of the road.

The woman's car pulled into the driveway of a house, and when police arrived the 29-year-old was breath-tested. She was found to be nearly four times over the limit and had been driving with two children.

Waitemata road policing manager Inspector Mark Fergus said on Tuesday that an incredibly dangerous driver has been taken off the road.

The woman's licence has been suspended and she will appear in the Waitakere District Court on 23 January charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.