Do you care?

National law and order spokesman Simon Power said the public would be shocked to know that drivers could be 10 per cent more drunk than their breath tests showed.

"We've always been told the limit's the limit," he told the Dominion Post newspaper.

The legal limit is 400 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath for adults on a full license, and 150mcg for those aged under 20.

But New Zealand breath-tests will not return a positive result unless drivers have 440mcg or 170mcg in their breath.

Shocked? Big deal. Really. I'm shocked he can be bothered. I accept there needs to be limits on drinking before driving but not that people are categorically "drunk" at a specified level. Saying somebody is "ten percent more drunk" is silly.