Tour van driver terrifies Darwin group, blows 0.232

Alarmed tourists in a Darwin minivan called police when they realised their female driver was showing signs of intoxication.

They had a "somewhat extreme taste of the Top End" on Sunday, police said.

The eight were in a tourist van and were returning to Darwin along Tiger Brennan Drive on Sunday afternoon when they began to have serious concerns about the sobriety of the tour driver, said Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen.

"One passenger had genuine fears for her safety because of the driver's aggressiveness and apparent intoxication; this had come to the attention of other road users as well," she said in a statement.

Police were called and the van was stopped on Mitchell St in the Darwin city centre.

"The passengers fled to the safety of their hotel rooms" while the 45-year-old female driver gave a positive breath test, Det Supt Jorgensen said.

At the police station a second breath test returned a breath alcohol reading of .232.

The tour driver will appear in court on a charge of driving with high-range blood alcohol count in August.