Police in the Southern District have been kept busy with motorists breaking the road rules.

On 8 January, a motorist was clocked well in excess of the maximum speed limit near Cromwell and later blew more than double the legal limit during a breath test.

The driver who was also unlicensed is due to appear in the Alexandra District Court tomorrow.

Otago Lakes Central road policing manager Senior Sergeant Sarah Thorn said such behaviour was a ticking timebomb that could have led to a tragedy.

She was thankful the motorist had been removed from the region's roads swiftly due to an increased police presence.

"I'm hopeful our continued vigilance and proactive approach to safer roads will act as a deterrent and reduce these kinds of risks throughout the course of the summer."

The holiday period has already been extremely busy for Southern District police, who have been working hard to ensure all motorists get to their destinations safely, she said.

Police would continue to target times and locations they knew were high risk and would undertake prevention and enforcement activities accordingly, Thorn said.

These include: speed enforcement, breath alcohol testing and operations around people using cellphones while driving, as well as checking that everyone is wearing a seatbelt.