Fewer drivers are being caught over the limit,

The new drink-driving limit has been a big earner for the Government, with motorists forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines during summer.

Drivers who failed alcohol tests with readings between the new and old drink-driving limits were ordered to pay a total of $308,100 in the two months after the law for people older than 20 changed on December 1.

Police figures show that 1570 drivers were nabbed with excess breath-alcohol levels between the old limit of 400 micrograms per litre of breath and the new limit of 250mcg during that time.

They represented one-third of all driving incidents during the silly season where alcohol was a factor.

Police declined to be interviewed yesterday, but in a statement, a spokesman said the figure showed fewer drivers, not more, were being detected over the limit. Those who were caught were also less intoxicated.

"Police are encouraged to see that people seem to be adjusting their behaviour following the introduction of the new drink-drive laws to make the roads safer for everyone."

Drivers who fail an alcohol test between the new and old limits avoid a criminal conviction but receive a $200 fine, 50 demerit points and are banned from driving for the next 12 hours.

Those who accumulate 100 or more demerit points within two years face a three-month driving suspension.

Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of car review website dogandlemon.com, said that while some drivers would consider the new limit as purely a revenue-gathering tool, it was needed to change the country's drinking culture.

"The mindset in New Zealand is that 'I'm going to have a few drinks after work and I'll be OK to drive' but it's not OK."

He expected to see more fines racked up before the new drink-drive limits finally registered with everyone.

"People are bombarded by lots of messages every day," he said.

Of the 1570 drivers nationwide caught between the new and old limits, 810 were pinged in December and 760 in January.

Automobile Association motoring affairs chief Mike Noon said the Ministry of Transport had predicted 19,100 people would be caught drink-driving between the new and old limits in the first 12 months. But these early figures suggested fewer people than predicted were being caught over the new limit.

"New Zealanders are starting to get the message. Yes, people are getting caught, but the trend is heading in the right direction."

While many regions had a reduced number of drink-drivers getting caught out by the new limit, the Wellington region saw a spike. Across Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kapiti-Mana and Wairarapa, 78 drivers were caught in December and 97 in January. They were ordered to fork out a combined $34,800 in fines.

All up, a total of 4538 alcohol-related driving offences were recorded on roads in December and January.

SPEEDING LESS, GETTING MORE TICKETS

Kiwi drivers are speeding less but getting ticketed more, according to new figures.

The Ministry of Transport's annual speed survey had revealed the average speed on the open roads dropped a fraction to 95.3kmh in 2014, while the average speed on urban roads fell to 51.1kmh.

It is a significant change from 1996 when the average speed on the open roads was 102.3kmh and 56.5kmh on urban roads.

Back then, 56 per cent of drivers were content breaking the law on the open road while 82 per cent flouted the urban road speed limit.

Those numbers dropped to 22 per cent and 56 per cent respectively in 2014, according to the ministry's data.

But recently released figures from the police showed 767,409 speed camera tickets were issued in 2014, which was a 151,861 increase on the year before.

Police officers also wrote 33,156 more speeding tickets in 2014 than in 2013.

Unsurprisingly, revenue from speed camera fines jumped by $4.8 million during that time while revenue from officer-issued speeding tickets increased by $1.9m.

Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of car review website Dog & Lemon, said the numbers suggested police were spending too much of their energy targeting "ordinary drivers" who only occasionally crossed the speed limit.

Instead, they should be targeting "high-risk renegades" who drive at very high speeds, drink, don't wear safety belts and have little concern for getting a ticket, he said.

FINES BY REGION