Five drivers were sent to prison over the weekend as the drink driving arrests continue to mount, Cook Islands Police said in a statement on Saturday.

The Police Traffic Team arrested the drivers over the course of two shifts, following breathalyser tests that exceeded the legal limit. One driver was just over three times the limit. 

The first was caught just before 10pm on Friday while the last of the drivers was arrested shortly after 3am Saturday morning.

Police were also alerted to a suspected alcohol-related crash in Turangi on Thursday night, in which the motorbike driver absconded from the scene before ambulance and police arrived.

Rarotonga frontline police attended more than 230 incidents in September.

Figures supplied by police show it was “an extraordinarily busy month” for all the units.

Police spokesman Trevor Pitt earlier said about half of the incidents involved one or more offences.

“These figures are up on previous months, adding pressures to these officers, who are already anticipating a busy end of year season ahead,” Pitt said.

“I think this is basically indicative of the behavioural patterns returning to what had been experienced prior to Covid-19.”

Last month there were 234 reported incidents compared to 170 in August and 153 in July, Pitt said.

• Police Media/Al Williams