"Booze Maths"

1 December 2025

60s

Calculated risk.

When Sergio St Carlos (Benicio del Toro) gets pulled over by the cops in 'One Battle After Another', the sensei tells them he's had "a few small beers". It's the only time DAVID's cheered for a drink-driver before, but Steve, the guy in this NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi spot, is no Sergio St Carlos—he needs to be taken care of before tragedy strikes and lives are lost.

Before Steve hits the road, however, he nips to the gents, opens a toilet door, and meets a particular kind of accountant: one who specialises in "booze maths". He's not here to read the riot act, far from it. All he wants is information about his client's prospective trip and he'll take it from there. He's such a nice bloke, why not help him do his job?

No matter how cringe Steve's excuses get, from "I had an energy drink earlier today" to "I know these roads like the back of my hand", the accountant is always friendly and professional. When he calculates that Steve is screwed if he drives, even the drunkard agrees that the numbers are agin him. Rather than shock them with blood and debris, therefore, the agency hopes to make viewers audit themselves and forget about bullshit defences.

New Zealand

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