``As I expect I will say repeatedly over the next however many years I sit in this chair, drink-driving is a blight on our community,'' magistrate Christopher O'Brien told those sitting in the Camden Local Court room last Wednesday.

``The sooner people understand that courts will inflict strict punishments for drink-driving, the better.''

That day, Mr O'Brien's first criminal list day in Camden, he stripped six drink-drivers of their licences.

One was a man who had caused a three-car pile-up on Camden Valley Way. He had been distracted by a car for sale on the side of the road when he ran his ute into the back of a car waiting to turn into Kirkham Lane.

The driver of the car had to be freed by a rescue squad.

Another drink-driver had been caught speeding through Cobbitty at 109kmh in a 60kmh zone.

Yet another had been breath-tested because he was driving unusually slowly in Narellan.

But Mr O'Brien said the most alarming case was of a young Narellan Vale man who had been drink-driving at night, on a motorbike, without a licence and while wearing dark clothing. He had fishtailed and fallen off his bike in Main Street, Mount Annan. ``It's these sorts of cases where tragedies occur,'' Mr O'Brien told him.

``You have to smarten up a bit. You're getting a shocking record.''

The man was fined, disqualified and ordered to perform community service work.

Mr O'Brien declined to record convictions against three drink-drivers last Wednesday.

All had what he described as ``very good'' driving records.